You’ve heard the axiom before – the clothes make the person. Although not consciously considered, what you selected to wear today has a strong correlation of how you were feeling at the time you selected it.
Some days you might have been feeling depressed or bad about yourself when you selected what to wear. But on a day you do care or you have something special to dress up for, you take extra time to look your best.
Examples about how clothing reflects your feelings:
In the hospital. You feel vulnerable as soon as you don that shapeless hospital gown – exposed and vulnerable. Your physical symptoms may even worsen. No one feels wonderful wearing a hospital gown.
New active wear. Remember when you wore some new workout wear? Did you feel like you had your best workout ever when you were dressed in your new active wear?
You likely gave your best effort and felt more serious about what you were doing.
Maybe you believed you were looking pretty buff that day and that you were on your way to your strongest body yet.
Research supports the connection. When a researcher had some of her students put on Superman T-shirts and then take a survey about how they felt about themselves, those wearing the Superman shirts reported they were more likeable and even physically stronger than those not wearing the Superman shirts.
When dressing up, you feel stylish. For most of us, putting on our “Sunday best” to go to a wedding or special occasion brings out our best manners and gives us a feeling of confidence.
The better you think you look, the better you feel about yourself. That’s surely a vote for looking your best whenever you can.
Wear a wide variety. A recent study found that women with depression selected clothing from just ten percent of all the outfits in their closets and drawers rather than looking at and considering their entire wardrobes.
If you find yourself wearing your jeans often, you may be depressed. According to additional research, women who were feeling down in the dumps just grabbed their jeans and put them on.
So, when you’re repeatedly slipping in to those old, comfortable jeans, examine how you’re really feeling.
Think back to when you wore something you disliked. If you’ve ever thought your pants were too tight, your behind looked too large, or the bright colors showcased your flaws, you likely experienced negative feelings rather than positive ones about your clothing. How you feel about your outfit can negatively affect your day.
Now, consider how you feel when you wear your favorite clothes. Maybe it’s that light blue shirt with the gray pants. Or the red polka dot dress with the white scarf and navy heels. You feel fantastic when you wear clothes you love.
As it turns out, your feelings are closely connected with the clothes you wear. When you have a wardrobe that’s appealing to you, you’ll live a happier, more confident life.
Consider going through your closet today and donating those outfits that seem to bring you down. Who knows, those same clothes might lift the spirits of someone else!
For more information about how hypnotherapy helps, contact me.