Working from home undoubtedly has many perks, from flexibility to the freedom to manage and organise one’s time, to the opportunity to reconcile work with family and your own commitments and personal needs.
People tend to imagine those who carry out their business from home, instead of going to the office every morning, as an individual who stays all day in front of a computer in pyjamas and slippers, all unkempt and always with a face of someone who has just woken up even though it’s eight in the evening. But is this really so? Even if your office is at home, it doesn’t mean that your appearance shouldn’t be taken care of.
Why should you dress well to work from home
First of all, to have a greater self-perception. The way we dress is influenced by our state of mind and at the same time affects it. They say the way you dress up in the morning reflects your mood: If you’re not too fit you tend to choose slightly worn out garments and dull colours. It is equally true that if you put more effort into it and decide to dress more elegantly and colourful, the attitude with which we face the day is different. When we’re in a good mood we tend to wear our favourite clothes, but if we try to wear them even when we’re a little down, this gesture helps us to feel better.
Getting up every morning and getting ready as if you were going to the office also helps to give a rhythm to our day. It represents some sort of ritual, it’s like a way to start your day off on the right foot. Having a neat image of yourself is certainly more pleasant than seeing yourself sloppy every time you pass in front of a mirror. And because of course, of psyche is affected.
The first idea each of us make of the people we meet is influenced by how they are dressed since it’s the first thing we notice. So, what do we think of us when we see ourselves working from home behind our untidy desk, in pyjamas, with scruffy hair and a curved back?
In general, a resigned attitude leads to low performance. The way we dress affects it at least in a small part. We should remember that if we’ve chosen to work from home, specially in COVID-19 times, our success in the work field depends solely and exclusively on us. It’s better to adopt all the little tricks that allow us to maximise effectiveness and efficiency and, therefore, bring satisfaction to our clients.
What psychologists think about it
Dressing well helps increase self-esteem and makes us feel good about ourselves. By reading the article “The Psychology of dressing well: Why looking good is strategy not vanity” we can get a slightly clearer idea of what has been said and apply it to our everyday life, both in the workplace and outside.
How about you? How do you prefer to dress to work from home?
Comments