This is kind of embarrassing: After way too long of working at home in yoga pants or sweats, a few months ago I finally learned the lesson that my appearance affects my ambition. guess what? lazy clothes make me feel lazier, and work clothes make me feel like working. Groundbreaking, I know.
A few months ago, a friend very graciously shared with me that she was reading this :
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13832/why-my-husband-told-me-to-stop-wearing-sweatpants.html
and after many half-hearted attempts since I’ve started working from home, I decided to give it a real honest effort. I was truly surprised by the difference it made! Unless I’m sick or truly having an off day (then I try to wear workout clothes instead of lounge clothes, at least they feel somewhat productive), I really do make an effort with my appearance now, and I feel so much better about myself, I’m thriving in my work, and overall I just feel better off.
Some days I get really invested and dress up in business attire or a pretty dress. Most days, though, (especially in this summer weather) I’m quite casual- still making an effort to at least put some cute jeans on, apply some simple makeup, give my sometimes-unruly hair a little love, maybe put on a piece of jewelry and some sandals. I also try to hang a blazer, cardigan or a cute pashmina off the back of my chair- even if it’s too warm to need an extra layer that day. The whole concept of ‘getting dressed for the day’ is obviously totally basic , but unless you regularly stay home all day, it might be hard to understand that ‘getting dressed’ for a long time felt optional to me! If I’m not careful, every day for me can feel like the ‘day off’ of someone who works outside the home.
Several years ago I worked at a call center where we had to dress business formal. like, suits. It sounds crazy, but the theory was that it came through in our attitudes and behaviors. And now that I am making an effort to dress for work at home, I think they were on to something. In all seriousness I work alone all day, yet I make more money when I wear a blazer. Kind of remarkable.
A few other benefits to ‘ dressing up to stay home,’ are that my husband gets to see me looking nice every day, and I have a truer sense of my current weight and of the clothes in my closet that fit best at any given time.
Now I know that many people who stay home during the day are busy parenting (which is some seriously important work) and this may or may not apply in that situation, I don’t know and it’s not for me to say. The only life I know how to live is my own {for the record, this sentiment applies to any and all topics discussed on this blog}, and I have no babies (yet) – just a home-based career that needs me to be focused and professional, and dressing for it helps me to do that.
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Hey Thirties 