I know that the ‘Tine has been rough for all of us, and I’m sure many of you aren’t feeling yourselves or lack motivation to even get out of bed some days. I sure feel that way sometimes. But how can we remedy that feeling while in isolation with nowhere to go? How do we make ourselves feel better and motivated when there is nothing to do?
I’m not sure about y’all, but how I dress and look determines how I feel and how my day is going to go. The best remedy to the Quarantine Blues that I’ve discovered is dressing up even if you have nowhere to go.
For the days I am on the clock and working from home, I try to dress as I would if I were going into the office. I feel motivated, professional, and ready to go when I am wearing professional attire, even in the comfort of my own home as I wrangle three hyperactive cats in the morning while on the clock.
If I need to work out and eat better, I will put on my attire I would normally wear to the gym, so when I have a moment I can feel free to do some at-home workouts to stay motivated and get the blood pumping. Wearing workout clothes also encourages me to eat healthier and drink more water and be more productive.
Putting on a full face of makeup may not be the most cost-effective thing to do when you have nowhere to go, but I will say not getting done-up and going out to show off how I look really has done a number on my self esteem during social distancing. I miss my lash salon, nail salon, I’m due for lip fillers, my roots are two inches long, and don’t even get me started on how much I miss the gym. But even if I don’t feel like myself in full glam, the best I can do is put on a nice face of makeup, take some selfies, and relish in online praise and attention.
Back when I used to do costume design for theatre, I quickly learned that what someone wears determines how they feel and who they are as a person. Are you going to let 24/7 pajamas dictate your personality and livelihood?
Wearing sweats may seem like a great idea, but two months of loungewear can really bring a person down. My examples above are just ways for me to break my social distancing norm and feel just a tad bit closer to normal life. Dressing the part for your daily activities really does wonders, and I encourage y’all to try it during these weird times. We must cling to things that make life the most normal it can be.
Thanks for reading, we’re all in this together.
Lorraine