How Motherhood Changes Our Perception of Time

Silence used to be a given.

It came in the evenings, once everything was done, the laptop closed, and I allowed myself to think, to breathe, to simply exist. My days were measured by deadlines, meetings, workouts, and travel. Time had rhythm, order, and a clear flow.

And then—I became a mother.

And everything changed.

📍A New Calendar: Time measured in smiles, tears, and feedings

In motherhood, the day doesn’t begin when the alarm goes off.

It begins when small hands wake you up and a pair of eyes, full of trust and love, search for you. And it doesn’t end when you lie down—because you know you’re still needed, maybe even in the middle of the night. Maybe just for a touch, so they can drift back to sleep peacefully.

The clock is no longer a measure—time becomes fluid, stretchy.

Two minutes can feel like an eternity when your baby is crying, while an entire day can pass in a blur as you try to find a moment to eat breakfast. Or drink your coffee—which, as my loved ones keep reminding me, I always drink cold.

📍Silence: before & after

Before I became a mother, silence meant that everything was under control.

Today, silence catches me while holding my baby as she sleeps on my chest. These are moments when everything stops—my heart, time, the world around me. Just her breath, my hand, and a peace that doesn’t last long, but lasts just enough.

The second kind of silence comes later—when she’s asleep and the house falls quiet.

And instead of rushing to check off a million little tasks, I often sit down and simply listen. I hear that silence differently now. In it are my days, my efforts, my triumphs, and my fears. In it—I am. A new me.

📍A Shift in Focus: Time is no longer “mine,” but it’s more precious than ever

In this new life, time no longer belongs solely to me—but each second carries more weight.

I’ve learned to treasure a five-minute pause, to stop chasing perfection, and to accept that not everything needs to be done “today.”

Motherhood taught me that presence is more important than efficiency, and closeness more important than productivity. That time can be measured in kisses. That I know every centimeter of my baby’s cheek.

📍Therefore…

If you’re a mom and feel like time is slipping away, know this: you’re not alone. I’m also learning to live in that in-between space—between two kinds of silence. I truly believe that it’s right there, in that space, where the deepest peace is born.

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Kako majčinstvo menja percepciju vremena

Nekada mi je tišina bila podrazumevana. Dolazila je uveče, kada bih završila sve obaveze, zatvorila kompjuter i dopustila sebi da mislim, dišem, postojim. Dan se merio rokovima, sastancima, treningom i putovanjima. Vreme je imalo ritam, red i svoj tok.

A onda sam postala mama.

I sve se promenilo. 

📍Novi kalendar: Merimo vreme u osmesima, suzama i podojima

U majčinstvu dan ne počinje kad zazvoni alarm. Počinje kad te neko probudi malim rukicama i traži te pogledom punim poverenja i ljubavi. I ne završava se kada legneš – jer znaš da si i dalje potrebna, možda baš usred noći. Moźda samo da te dotakne da bi nastavila bezbrižno da spava.

Sat više nije mera – vreme postaje fluidno, rastegljivo. Dva minuta mogu trajati kao večnost kada beba plače, a ceo dan može proleteti dok ti pokušavaš da stigneš da pojedeš doručak. Ili popiješ kafu, na šta mene moji voljeni stalno podsećaju jer večito popijem hladnu. 

📍Tišina:  nekada & sada

Pre nego što sam postala mama, tišina je bila znak da je sve pod kontrolom. Danas, tišina me zna zateći dok držim bebu koja spava na meni. To su trenuci kada sve staje. I srce, i vreme, i svet oko mene. Samo njen dah, moja ruka i spokoj koji ne traje dugo, ali traje dovoljno.

Druga tišina dolazi kasnije – kada zaspi, a kuća utone u mir. I tada, umesto da odmah skočim da obavim milion sitnica, često sednem i samo slušam. Tu tišinu drugačije čujem. U njoj su moji dani, moji pokušaji, moji uspesi i moji strahovi. U njoj sam ja – nova ja.

📍Promena fokusa: Vreme više nije „moje“, ali jeste dragoceno

U ovom novom životu vreme ne pripada više samo meni, ali svaka njegova sekunda ima dublju težinu. Naučila sam da cenim pauzu od pet minuta, da ne jurim savršenstvo i da prihvatim da ne mora sve biti „završeno danas“.

U majčinstvu sam naučila da je prisutnost važnija od efikasnosti, a bliskost važnija od produktivnosti. Da merim vreme u poljupcima. Da znam svaki centimetar obraza moje bebe. 

📍Zato…

Ako si mama i osećaš da ti vreme izmiče, znaj da nisi sama. I ja učim da živim u tom međuprostoru – između dve tišine. I verujem da se tu, upravo tu, rađa najdublji mir.