In case you didn't know, the act of dressing up can improve our mood and overall be great for our mental health and physical health. I remember when I was sent to work from home because of COVID-19, I was dedicated to sticking to a routine. I was still committed to wash my face, put sunscreen on, brush my teeth, do something with my hair and, most importantly, get out of my pajamas every day. Even if I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, I still made the attempt to not look like I just rolled out of bed. Automatically I felt better, ready for the day and I more dedicated to tackle all the things in my to-do list.

However, psychologically, these were hard times on all of us, especially not being able to leave the house. Therefore, there were a few days that I wasn’t in the mood, I just wanted to lounge around and I neglected getting dressed and ready. On these days, I saw a significant difference in how I felt, it was like I had not fully woken up yet and I also had a harder time concentrating on what I had to do and, eventually, I would have to stop what I was working on and give myself some attention, a shower, and fresh clothes in order to be able to restore my energy.

So I went on to do some research and I found that there is a “link between clothing and emotions”. Not only we can use clothing to be creative and express ourselves, dressing up can release dopamine, actually not just dressing up, but the colors we choose, the textures and the fit can have this feel good effect on us. But it doesn’t end with the clothing we wear, getting ready everyday can also boost our confidence and let our brain know what to focus on. Meaning that when we get dressed for the gym, we are mentally preparing to exercise, when we get ready for work we are thinking of what needs to get done that day and so on.

When I was nearly depressed after losing my arm, the last thing I wanted to do was to get ready for the day, because days were pretty miserable. So I came to associate feeling sad and depressed to lack of self care. As soon as I started to take care of myself inside and out I automatically started to shift that feeling. Subconsciously, little did I know but I was also working on boosting my confidence and creating courage. I remember I went to Arizona and I barely had clothes that fit me for the trip. Because I felt so sad all the time I stopped caring what I looked like, this caused me to gain weight, acne and overall let myself go. During that trip I had a wake up moment, and I made a commitment to not keep giving up on me. I kept working and working on myself, making the effort to “get ready” even when I didn’t feel like it and voila, five years later I feel confident and I have even accepted my new body.

So regardless of what you choose to wear, taking a few minutes each and everyday to “get ready” can really help us feel better about ourselves. Even when we don’t feel like it, we should still make an attempt to try and commit to taking care of our how we look. Wash your face, dress up, put on makeup or your favorite perfume, but don’t neglect yourself, even if you are just staying home all day. I stand by how important self care is and how it can have a positive impact on our mental and physical health.

Supporting link:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-getting-dress-affects-your-mood_l_5ffdccf1c5b691806c4ce049