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Со временем мне становится легче, и я чувствую себя увереннее.

Со временем мне становится легче, и я чувствую себя увереннее.
Over time it becomes easier for me, and I feel more confident.

Breakdown of Со временем мне становится легче, и я чувствую себя увереннее.

я
I
становиться
to become
и
and
мне
me
чувствовать
to feel
себя
oneself
легче
easier
со временем
over time
увереннее
more confident / more confidently
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Questions & Answers about Со временем мне становится легче, и я чувствую себя увереннее.

What does Со временем mean, and is it literal?
Со временем means with time / over time / as time goes by. Literally it is with (the passage of) time. It’s a common set phrase for gradual change.
Why is it временем (instrumental) after со?

The preposition с(о) meaning with requires the instrumental case:

  • с + instrumental → со временем So время (time) becomes временем in the instrumental.
Why is it мне and not я in мне становится легче?

This is an impersonal construction: literally to me it becomes easier. Russian often expresses feelings/states this way using the dative for the person affected:

  • мне холодно = I am cold (lit. to me it is cold)
  • мне становится легче = I’m starting to feel better / it’s getting easier for me
Is становится present tense? Why not past or future?

Yes. становится is present tense of становиться (imperfective), describing a process: it is becoming / it’s getting.
If you wanted:

  • past: мне становилось легче (it was getting easier for me)
  • completed change: мне стало легче (it got easier / I felt better)
What’s the difference between становиться and стать here?
  • становиться (imperfective) = to be becoming (process, gradual change): мне становится легче
  • стать (perfective) = to become (result, single change): мне стало легче
    Because Со временем suggests gradual change, становится fits very naturally.
What part of speech is легче here—an adjective or an adverb?
легче is the comparative form related to лёгкий (easy/light). In мне становится легче, it functions like a predicative comparative (similar to an adverb-like state): it becomes easier / I feel better. You don’t need a noun after it.
Does мне становится легче mean “things are easier” or “I feel better”?

It can be either depending on context:

  • things are getting easier for me (tasks, situation)
  • I’m feeling better (health, emotions)
    Without more context, it’s slightly common to understand it as feeling better, but both are possible.
Why do we need себя in я чувствую себя?

Russian normally says to feel oneself:

  • я чувствую себя хорошо = I feel good
  • я чувствую себя увереннее = I feel more confident
    Without себя, я чувствую usually needs an object (I feel something), or it sounds incomplete.
Why is it увереннее and not уверенный / уверена?

After чувствовать себя, Russian commonly uses:

  • an adverb: уверенно (confidently) → comparative увереннее (more confidently)
  • or more + adverb: более уверенно

Using an adjective like уверенный/уверенная is possible in some contexts (чувствовать себя уверенным/уверенной), but in this sentence the comparative увереннее is a natural, concise choice.

Could I replace увереннее with более уверенно? Any difference?

Yes:

  • увереннее = more confident / more confidently (more compact, very common)
  • более уверенно = more confidently (a bit more explicit, sometimes slightly more formal)
    Meaning is essentially the same.
Why is there a comma before и?

Because и connects two independent clauses with their own subjects/verbs: 1) Со временем мне становится легче 2) (и) я чувствую себя увереннее
In Russian, a comma is typically used in this case: ..., и ...

Can the word order change? For example Мне со временем становится легче?

Yes, word order is flexible:

  • Со временем мне становится легче (time phrase emphasized first)
  • Мне со временем становится легче (emphasizes that it’s to me)
  • Мне становится легче со временем (time phrase as an afterthought)
    All are grammatical; the choice affects emphasis and flow.
How do I pronounce the tricky parts, especially становится and чувствую?

Approximate pronunciation (stress in CAPS):

  • со ВРЕ-ме-нем
  • мне (like mnye, one syllable)
  • ста-НО-ви-тся (stress on НО; -тся sounds like -ца)
  • ЛЕГ-че
  • ЧУВ-ству-ю (the вств cluster is real; many speakers reduce it slightly in fast speech)
  • се-БЯ
  • у-ве-РЕН-не-е (stress on РЕН)