Science or Soulmate? 5 Ways to Slow Time in a Fast-Paced World
Updated: Feb 15
Marine Sebire is a mind-body strength coach for moms. She is the founder of Moms’ Journey to Strength, a program dedicated to helping women boost their energy, build confidence, and feel strong, inside and out. Since 2014, she has coached moms around the world to reclaim their health and emotional well-being.
In a world that keeps accelerating, information reaches us instantly, to-do lists grow longer, and schedules feel endlessly packed. Weeks slip by in the blink of an eye. Yet, there is one experience that seems to slow time down, love. Understanding why this happens may reveal how we can reclaim calm, presence, and a sense of ease in our everyday lives.
Time bender: How love slows the world
Have you ever noticed how time seems to slow down when you’re with the person you love? As if time itself pauses. The mental chaos, the worries, endless to-do lists, and old pain softly fade into the background. In their arms, the outside world feels distant. Everything becomes quieter, calmer, more peaceful. Your breathing slows, your heart rate settles, your body relaxes. And suddenly, time moves differently.
That experience made me wonder, "Why? How can one person have such a powerful effect on our perception of time? Are they somehow bending time itself, or is something else happening beneath the surface? Is this sensation the result of finding “the one,” or is there a deeper explanation behind this feeling?"
From myth to wholeness
Centuries ago, Plato reflected on the nature of love in The Symposium. He described humans as once having four arms, four legs, and two faces, beings so powerful that Zeus decided to split them in half. From that moment on, each person wandered the world with a deep longing for their other half. The Greeks called this longing love, the desire to feel whole again.
If that were true, does it mean we are destined to live in a constant state of mental overstimulation until we find our other half? But what if this sense of calm and slowed time isn’t mystical at all? What if it arises naturally when we feel safe, seen, and deeply connected? And if that’s possible, the real question becomes this, "Is slowing time something we stumble upon, or something we can learn to experience intentionally?"
So what’s really happening when time seems to slow down with the person you love?
Science offers some fascinating answers. Research shows that romantic attraction can change our perception of time. In one speed-dating study, women who were attracted to a potential partner consistently estimated their dates as lasting longer, suggesting that emotionally charged moments are experienced differently by the brain.
But is the perception of time only linked to love? Luckily, for anyone who hasn’t found their “second half” yet, the answer is no. Love isn’t the only, or even the direct, cause of altered time perception. The explanation lies in the interaction between attention, memory, and emotion.
When we’re with someone we care about, our brains heighten attention to detail, encode memories more densely, and intensify emotional engagement. Seconds can feel like minutes, moments feel fuller, and the passage of time seems altered. In other words, your mind is more present, your memories richer, and your emotional experience amplified, all contributing to that intuitive feeling of “time standing still.”
How mindfulness changes the way we experience time
Recent research has also shown that our sense of time shifts when we’re fully present, even outside of romantic contexts. A systematic review on mindfulness and time perception found that people who practice meditation or other forms of present-moment awareness consistently report changes in how they experience time.
Across dozens of studies, mindfulness was associated with distortions in time perception. People often report time feeling slower or more expansive when they are deeply attentive to the present moment. These findings suggest that how we focus our attention and awareness, not a mystical force, can profoundly influence how time feels.
In other words, whether you’re with a loved one or simply practicing mindfulness, meditation, or presence, cultivating these states can help you feel at home in the moment and, in a very real sense, reclaim some of your time.
With that understanding in mind, let’s explore five practical ways to slow time in a fast-paced world.
5 ways to slow time in a fast-paced world
Research suggests that feeling fully present is one of the key factors behind the illusion of time slowing down. The real question, then, is this, "How can we reclaim that feeling on purpose, whether we’re with someone we love or completely on our own?"
Here are five science-backed ways to stretch time and deepen your experience of each moment.
1. Give 100% of your focus to one task
Time perception depends heavily on how much information your brain processes in each moment. When attention is scattered, time seems to disappear. When attention is focused, moments feel fuller and longer, especially in memory.
To apply this, stop multitasking. Do one thing at a time, fully. Remove background stimulation such as your phone, podcasts, or constant notifications. Engage intentionally with what you’re doing.
More attention per moment equals more time per moment.
2. Slow the body to slow time
Your brain tracks time partly through internal bodily signals, heartbeat, breathing rhythm, and muscle tension. When these signals slow down, subjective time stretches.
You can influence this state through box breathing (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4), meditation, intentional pauses between movements, and brief body scans to release tension, especially in the jaw, shoulders, abdomen, and hands.
3. Reduce urgency cues
Modern life trains the brain to live in constant anticipation, the next task, the next message, the next obligation. This state of urgency compresses time.
To counter this, create micro “end points” throughout your day. Finish one task completely before moving on. Pause to stand up, stretch, drink water, or take a few breaths before starting the next task. These small resets shift your nervous system out of rush mode.
4. Increase sensory richness
The brain encodes time through sensory input. The more sensory detail present in an experience, the denser it feels, and the longer it seems.
Slow time by noticing temperature, textures, sounds, and smells around you. Put your fork down between bites and truly savor your meal. When journaling, write not only about your emotions but also about how your body feels physically.
5. Cultivate safety over stimulation
This is where being with a loved one fits, but it’s not the only path. Time expands when the nervous system perceives safety.
That sense of safety can come from a person, a place, a ritual, or your own regulatory practices. When your body feels safe, your mind naturally settles, and time softens with it.
So, is it science or the feeling of being whole again?
Only you can answer that. When time slows down in the arms of someone you love, when your body softens, and your mind grows quiet, one thing is certain, you feel safe. In that moment, time stretches not because the clock has changed, but because your nervous system has. Presence replaces urgency. Calm replaces noise. And your body benefits, inside and out.
We now know that this state arises from mindfulness and safety, whether it’s cultivated intentionally through practice or naturally evoked through deep connection and love. The source may differ, but the experience is the same, a quieter mind, a regulated body, and a sense of being fully here. And maybe that’s the real answer.
If your thoughts slow, your breath deepens, and you feel seen, safe, and at home, there’s a good chance you’ve found something rare. Whether we call it science, love, or finding your other half, time has a way of telling the truth.
Ready to reclaim your time?
If this resonated with you, I invite you to book a complimentary consultation. Together, we’ll gently explore where you are, where you want to go, and what your next step could look like, thoughtfully, intentionally, and at your pace.
Read more from Marine Sebire
Marine Sebire, Mind-Body Strength Coach for Moms
Marine Sebire is a respected voice in mind-body strength and emotional resilience for moms. After facing depression, divorce, and the identity shift of motherhood, she rebuilt herself from the inside out. She now helps other women do the same, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Since 2014, she has coached moms to reclaim their health, confidence, and purpose. She is the founder of Moms’ Journey to Strength, a coaching program blending fitness, mindset, and emotional well-being. Her mission is empowering moms to reclaim their strength, inside and out.
