Slowing Down — One Pair of Pants at a Time

I didn’t realize how fast life had gotten until one morning, I caught myself speed brushing my teeth. Not literally running, but everything felt rushed—washing my face, throwing on clothes, heading out the door like I was late to something… even when I wasn’t.

Then one day at the subway station, I saw my reflection in the glass. My face looked tense, shoulders hunched, pants digging into my waist like they were trying to remind me I’m alive. And I thought—why am I always in a hurry?

So I started doing small things to slow down. I gave myself 15 quiet minutes each day to do absolutely nothing. I took the longer route home after work just to hear the birds and notice which cat was loafing outside the corner store that day.

And—I swapped out my pants.

Yeah, it sounds silly. But something about slipping into a pair of wide leg pants just… shifted things.

They weren’t stiff or trendy or trying too hard. Just easy. Breezy. Like they belonged on a slower version of me.

I randomly came across this pair online and didn’t think much of it. Light beige, soft fabric, nothing flashy. But when I put them on, I immediately felt it—space. Not just in the pants, but in my whole body. Like I could finally breathe again.

I wore them to the park on a warm afternoon, stretched out on the grass, eyes closed, and felt the wind tug at the fabric around my ankles. It sounds small, but in that moment, it felt like peace. Like my body wasn’t bracing for anything. Like it was okay to just be.

Look, I’m not saying pants are life-changing. But sometimes, when everything feels a little too tight—mentally or physically—it helps to give yourself a little room.

Sometimes, it starts with something as simple as a pair of wide leg pants.