Growing up my father always said, “Get up, get dressed, and get going!” He did not believe in sleeping late or pajama days unless you were truly sick. This advice has stood me well over the years, keeping me focused and moving forward during life’s challenges and especially now during a Pandemic. It might not be popular but I would challenge you to get and out of your pajamas!
These days the distance from your bed to your work area is just down the hall. There’s not even a commute. We just roll out of bed and into our workspace in an endless work-from-home days or as my husband says “blursdays”. Another would be time saver these days the feeling that there is no reason to get dressed. Or go through the full-on grooming routine. Shaving, daily showers, – even make up is optional.
A few days of comfort were alright, but now it’s been six-months! You’ve been doing your assignments in your finest lounge-wear, and you never have to fully worry about looking 100% presentable. On a good day, you’re taking an above-the-waist approach with a button-down shirt, blazer, and hair products; every other day, though, you’re living in your pajamas from the couch.
At some point, a hazy, lackadaisical sensation passes over you. You complete the basic tasks for work or toggle between your full-time job and helping your kids with their homework. You don’t feel like moving or putting in anything more than a minimum amount of effort.
NOT DRESSING WELL DECREASES MOTIVATION
Truly though, the “Why bother?” attitude stems from a breakdown of routine. Alarm clocks are just a suggestion as long as you’re up to start working on an assignment, your couch doubles as both a desk and eating area, and on the subject of meals, you’re either grazing on whatever’s in the fridge or living off your weekend meal prep. In short, your once-structured life has no clear demarcations, turning into an extended blur of working and sleeping, with the occasional meal in between.
Getting dressed – and, when I say this, I don’t just mean changing out of your pajama bottoms into a pair of sweats – starts establishing some kind of routine, no matter how insignificant. Studies have shown that putting effort into your appearance directly correlates with your mental and emotional state.