Working from home amidst the COVID-19 pandemic gave the world the benefit of convenience and hassle-free life. We are provided the option of whether to dress up or stay in pajamas all day while getting the daily workload accomplished. Yet, we need to shed some light on the fact that the choice to actually dress up for work or not can affect one’s mental health in shocking ways.

After almost two years of locking ourselves in the comfort of our homes, it is not without much surprise that even the fashion fanatics amongst us have shifted to a lower-maintenance appearance. Women have downgraded their hair and makeup routines to the bare minimum, and some have totally eliminated the tedious task of doing so. Fair enough. If no video meeting or conference is anticipated, how could one be motivated to dress up and dazzle up for work?

Feel Better and Happier with the Right Clothes

Did you know that putting the right clothes on can improve your overall mood and boost your confidence and productivity? 

In recent studies of psychologists, it is believed that even when we are not presenting ourselves to the public, dressing up has the ability to greatly influence our mental health. Dressing up or down is simply our daily mechanism that implicitly says we are showing up to the world every waking moment anew as if welcoming the day with a whole new different mood or tone each day. The effect of getting dressed up or down is relative from one person to another, experts say.

Dressing one’s worth can affect a person in a positive or negative way. Try to picture yourself wearing that plaid shirt and you start to imagine carefree days under the bright sun, driving upstate and having fun. Then try suiting yourself up with a blazer, a coat, or a shawl, you start to think of the office. And just right there, the overall ambiance of your day starts to feel a little more like your workplace’s environment. Don't you feel more motivated to get all those workloads done?

Dress to express, not to impress

The cliche adage proves to be true in these times. Dressing up to express your mood and to influence your overall wellbeing is the priority rather than trying to impress anyone else. After all, it’s just you and the couch and laptop all day!

Another proven happiness hack is wearing your favorite dress or whatever article of clothing – it enhances your mood quadruple times and makes you feel extra beautiful and youthful so you’re empowered to accomplish more. According to Tracy Thomas, an emotional scientist, psychologist, and interventionist, putting extra effort to enhance our outward appearance – even the smallest effort – is one of the most important things a person can do for his/ her own mental health.

It doesn’t have to be posted on Instagram or any social networking site, you just want to further explore and rediscover yourself, your body, your figure, and your personality. In experimenting with different classes of outfits, you’re actually getting more in touch with your inner self. You’re also getting to know which article of clothing suits you and flatters you most. So when the world recovers from all the cries and clamor brought by the pandemic, you’re ever ready to beat your previous version and slay with much confidence.

Dress up to feel better and accomplish more

Sheva Assar, a licensed clinical psychologist in California, believes that the simple effort of getting dressed up first thing in the morning, before the daily grind, may “increase our motivation to do other things throughout the day, to experience more energy and to want to do more things.”

So if you’re expecting a long, busy, and tiring day ahead, you might want to dazzle yourself up and exert extra efforts to be aesthetically presentable to the whole wide world, even when you’re just in your bedroom! This boosts your confidence and gives you an extra push to run the extra mile. Some productivity booster garments include blazers and sweaters to warm you up and keep you out of your blankets during cold, lazy mornings. A cute and preppy loungewear can do the trick too.

Dopamine Dressing: Dress up to feel happier

Years 2020 and 2021 have been extremely challenging for most of us. But the real trend as Vogue puts it is everyday exuberance – being lively and full of excitement, in fashion, and in inward behavior.

It is remarkable how Julia Roberts shared a photo of her in her bathroom, wearing a black-and-white tiered ball gown with a catchy caption that says, “Here’s me... not going to the Met Ball tonight. #stayhome”

The famed actress obviously wants to encourage the general public to slay and look their best to keep the positive vibes coming and be more enthusiastic despite pandemic imposed limitations. Dressing your worth means allowing your outfit to expose the innermost of you while you feel all the more happy, contented, and comfortable in your fashion statement.

Further, choosing to dress up according to your style and personal preferences not only boosts productivity and confidence but also increases dopamine levels! Don’t deprive yourself of the privilege of slaying that sassy, classy dress just because you think it might be exaggerated to be glammed up for the day. Plus, not wearing your closet staples and fabulous dresses doesn't do good to your clothes. 

Sometimes, dressing up may simply mean wearing your favorite shirt color, getting your hair done, painting some glam shade of color in your bare lips, or putting those sparkly jewels or earrings even when no one sees them.

Here’s a factual statement: Gazing up at a beautiful live portrait of yourself in the mirror is more rewarding than getting compliments from others. Your self-worth should not be compromised while staying at home and should be prioritized to keep oneself mentally sane and stable. Keeping yourself happy and at peace, and feeling inwardly and outwardly beautiful is the simplest happiness hack that no one can steal away from you.