Why you should get dressed today

And I don’t mean so your neighbours don’t catch you naked through the windows (although, yeah, that too).  You should get dressed.  As in dressed for work, dressed for a lunch date, dressed for errands – even though you are staying HOME ALL DAY.  Here’s why…

CREATE BOUNDARIES

My home has been my office for quite a few years now and one of the things I have found most important is figuring out that divide – the divide between home and work.  If you find yourself newly working from home (and I do not just mean the office workers, I mean the mums too) then it can be oh so tempting to slide out of bed into loungewear and onto the couch thinking ‘I’ll jump in the shower later’ but what I have found is this – those days have a bad habit of becoming a bit blurred.  There are no boundaries between home and work life, there is no start point and equally no joy in ‘clocking off’ at the end of the day.  Trust me, as soon as it hits 5pm I am straight back into my activewear for a dog walk and it feels great; my mindset shifts, I am done with desk work, the laptop is shut and my thoughts are ready to shift to family and home time.  I actually call the husband The Pyjama Ninja because somewhere around 8pm he magically appears in his PJs, it’s almost like that game where people touch their nose and someone always misses the cue and winds up last – do you know that one?  Well that someone is always me but I catch on eventually and race upstairs to find my robe because then the real downtime begins – Netflix, chai tea, icecream, the whole hog.  And I can attest to the positive benefits of creating those boundaries.

AMP UP YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

There is a reason the saying ‘dressed for success exists’; get clean, get smart, spritz on perfume and your mindset will shift. Psychologically, what you see in the mirror matters – a well dressed self inspires productivity. On the flip side, pyjamas or sweatpants looking back at you present someone not ready to face the world and instils the notion that you are not yet ready to start work.

AVOID SOCIAL HIBERNATION

If ever there was a time to bring back video calls this is it.  Over the coming weeks and months we are going to crave that social interaction with family, friends and colleagues.  Messaging is a great way to keep in touch but it simply does not compare to that face to face time.  And who wants to jump on a screen looking their worst?  So you put it off another day.  And another.  Now I am not saying that if you’re struggling you shouldn’t share that because you absolutely should but if you jump on a video call with a friend and she doesn’t look herself then it can really be a worry.  Keep your sense of self, stay connected and share positivity.

BECAUSE YOU CAN

All those things lurking in your wardrobe that are oh so impractical – now is their time to shine.  Wear those satin, open back mules, the knit with the obnoxious sleeves that refuse to be stifled under a coat, the maxi skirt that trails on the ground and gets a soggy, limp hem every time you step outside in a month other than July; this is what your unworn wardrobe has been waiting for – embrace it.

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic throws us deep into unchartered waters but we owe it to ourselves not to drown in them.  I keep seeing this meme that says ‘Your grandparents were called to war – you’re being asked to stay home’ and that really does put it into perspective so let’s get up, get dressed and face this together, from home.x

P.S.  The husband made me laugh there in that photo, I absolutely can’t remember what he said but we all need a laugh right now so here I am, laughing so hard my eyes screwed shut.

This post contains some affiliate links and gifts.

OUTFIT DETAILS

knitted hooded jumper – H&M (ON SALE)
jeans – Zara
mules – Boden
scarf scrunchie – H&M
belt – Zara
skinny torque bangles – Rox

 

 

ROOM DETAILS

scott 3 seater green velvet sofa – Made (ON SALE)
afaw berber rug – La Redoute (ON SALE)
abstract print – Lola Donoghue
vase – H&M
Shona Harcus abstract painting – Green Gallery