I am a big fan of being comfortable.
In fact, the older I get, the more comforts I seek in my life. I will only put certain cotton sheets on my bed, I prefer shoes that feel good on my feet, and I find a direct link to my mood and the temperature in our house. It’s human nature. We like to feel good.
Some days, what “feels good” is to wear really stretchy, comfortable clothes. Some days, as a person who primarily stays at home with her children–those comfortable clothes can resemble pajamas or yoga-pants-that-never-go-to-yoga. Am I right?
It is easy to fall into the mindset that since you are going to be staying home most days that there is no need to put on clothes fit for wearing out of the house. Why bother with wearing something that may need to be ironed? Why bother fixing your hair and applying makeup?
It’s true, real beauty comes from what is on the inside of a person, but there’s no denying that most of us feel better about ourselves when we have taken the extra time and effort to dress for the day.
Recently, one of my favorite authors and podcasters, Gretchen Rubin had a segment on her show that discussed the science behind this very idea. This phenomenon is called “enclothed cognition.” What you wear changes how you feel and think!
The term “enclothed cognition” is used to describe the effect that our clothes seem to have on various psychological processes like emotions, self evaluations, attitudes, and interpersonal interactions. Clothes affect our behavior and our moods because of the symbolic meaning that we (as a society) ascribe to different types of attire.
We consider some clothes to be powerful, some to be fun, and so on. We even evaluate people whom we have just met based on their clothes and the occasion. It would seem that we also evaluate ourselves and our roles based on what we are wearing at a particular time; because of the way they make you feel. This means that the experience of wearing something subtly affects our attitudes and our choice of behavior.
[source]
How does this relate to “the modest, daily ideals and routines of successful, happy, and fulfilled military spouses,” you might wonder?
I’m so glad you asked.
If we are to take the idea that how we dress affects how other people perceive us as well as how we think about ourselves, I’d say this has huge implications for fostering more productivity, greater health, increased creativity–and overall–more happiness.
Dress for more productivity!
Can you trigger your brain by what you’re wearing to help get more done? Do you have a favorite t-shirt you wear when you’re cleaning house? Do you signal to yourself that it’s time to cook dinner, by tying on your apron? Ever sit up a little straighter at your desk once you put on your reading glasses?
Dress for better health!
What if you actually put on your yoga pants and visited a yoga studio or practiced at home? Can you lace up your tennis shoes and take a few laps around the block? Have a sturdy one piece swimsuit? I bet there is an indoor pool you can use on your military installation.
Dress for increased creativity!
Are you a painter or sculptor? Put on that smock and get to work. Maybe you’re a writer type and get inspired when you are wearing your favorite cardigan. Growing your work-from-home business? Wear those shoes or that necklace that make you feel more confident and successful.
Dress for more happiness!
If there is indeed a connection to the clothes we wear and our emotions and attitudes, why not give it a try? If getting dressed for the day can give you a boost in your joy, in the way you feel about and perceive yourself, then what do you have to lose?
At my house today, we’ll be sticking around most of the morning and getting out to run errands in the afternoon. I’m going to finish off my jeans and t-shirt by putting on my leopard print flats and some fun earrings.
Dependent Diaries would love to hear your take on the idea of enclothed cognition. Do you think there is any truth to the idea that how you dress affects your outlook? What is your favorite thing to wear when you need a little happiness jolt?
Dependent Diaries 