How Dressing Well Helps Your Mental Health
By Brandi Goodman
Whether you're putting on an Easter dress, dressing up for Sunday church, or just going out on the town, dressing well can work wonders for your mental health. You may find yourself feeling more confident and better prepared to encounter others when you feel well-dressed. Dressing well can help your mental health in a number of ways -- and you don't have to wait for a special occasion or time away from home to do so.
Look Good, Feel Good
You may have heard the saying, "look good, feel good." It's a true sentiment in many cases. If you never take the time to dress nice, or even put on a matching outfit at all, it's easy to let feelings of depression and isolation take over. Say you're stuck at home with nothing to do for a few days. You have nowhere to go so you just stay in your pajamas and lounge around. What may seem like an ideal lazy weekend can quickly turn into despair. You may start to feel lazy, ugly, and lethargic because you haven't gotten up, gotten dressed, and done anything with your day. Put on a nice outfit and make yourself look good and you'll be more likely to feel good and want to get something accomplished.
Colorful Inspiration
More than just getting dressed, make sure you're choosing the right colors too. You want to pick something colorful if you need a real pick-me-up. Bright and colorful clothes are often associated with happiness, cheerfulness, and energy. Wear something bright and fun if you want to have a sunny day no matter what the weather looks like.
Prepared for Anything
Sitting around in your pajamas may seem fine when you know you have nowhere to go and no one to see. What if something unexpected happens? Would you want to rush out of the house in just pajamas, or be dressed and ready for anything? It's good to be prepared. You may feel better knowing you're dressed and presentable in case anyone showed up unexpectedly or you had an emergency and had to leave the house ASAP.
Don't wait until you have somewhere to go to get dressed. Dressing well can be great for your mental health. Get up each day and maintain a routine of getting dressed and ready so you feel more like yourself. It can give you the boost you need to stay out of a mental funk and find something productive to do.
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