Why You Should Still Dress Up in Quarantine

So you've probably seen all of those memes about how everyone is only dressing the top half of their bodies and keeping pajamas on since no one is going to know anyway. Although I do love to prioritize comfort, I find that allowing myself to become lazy in one of the most important parts of starting my day sets the tone for the rest of my it. It's already extremely difficult for me to resist putting my laptop next to my bed and simply opening it right before class. I know myself too well to think I can stay in bed for an 8 AM class without falling right back asleep--and I have to admit, this happened more times than I'd like to say!

Getting dressed into "normal" clothes makes me feel like I'm going to leave my apartment, even if I don't step foot outside of my bedroom all day. By putting on new clothes, I trick myself into approaching things with a more productive mindset. I know that if I get dressed, I have things to do. Let's be honest, in a 9-5 job, we're getting dressed to sit at an office all day anyway. What getting dressed allows us to do is change our mindset because if we look the part, we have to then play the part too.

I know there are going to be some days where the last thing you want to do is get out of bed and brace the cold to change your clothes--and I would even say that dressing up only your top half is a good compromise if you need a break. However, human beings are habitual. We rely on routines and habits, so once you break the habit of getting dressed in the morning, it could really have a domino effect on your other habits. Obviously, you can turn this into a slippery slope of: "If you don't get dressed, then you're going to become lazy in every other aspect of life." And while that is true to an extent, I just want you to take away the aspect of one small routine maintaining a bigger mindset.