January 30, 2019
8 Comments

What Happened When I “Got Ready” Everyday For One Week

Winter is the worst time of year for me. Oh sure, Christmas is fun and sparkly, but once the tree comes down, it’s just crawling to the finish line of a warm spring day. I usually suffer through the winter months and have gotten used to feeling a bit blue and moody without much sun (which I think is pretty normal for most people) and the early sunset, but I realized lately that when I would get up from my office chair halfway through the day and go put on some cuter clothes and makeup, it kind of made me feel better about the bleak weather. I mean, I wasn’t doing cartwheels around the house, but I could tell my disposition was a little sunnier in general.

Based on that, I thought it would be interesting to try getting fully dressed at the beginning of each day for one week (real clothes, hair done, makeup, and some jewelry) to see how it affected my mood. Now, by saying getting fully dressed was a change means that it’s not usually something I do on a regular Tuesday morning (especially if it’s gloomy outside). Most of the time it’s leggings and a sweatshirt with crazy hair and no makeup on the weekdays (unless I have a photo shoot) and I save the effort for the weekends or hanging out with friends, but the possibility of a better mood seemed worth a little extra time spent on getting ready. And the results??

Days 1-5 actually went really well! There were a couple of mornings where it was extra gloomy and I was standing in my bathroom tired and feeling a bit grumpy, but by the time I finished my hair and caked on the bronzer (and I mean, like, a lot of bronzer!) I really did feel a ton better than when I started. I began the morning feeling like Gollum’s sister from Lord Of The Rings and left the bathroom waaay more Arwen if you know what I mean…she knows what’s up with that dewy elf glow….

A few of the days I did have to be in leggings for a morning physical therapy appointment (working my way through some back issues the past 6 months), so I changed back into jeans when I got home, but as long as I got fully ready at least halfway through the day it seemed to help. We did have more sun out that usually that week too, but like I said, the mood change was pretty dramatic on the cloudy days so I really do think it helped.

Day 6 Todd and I went on a Staycation here in town while his parents watched Lola for us at the house. I excitedly packed a bunch of cute things for outfit options, but I came down with a stomach virus that’s been working it’s way around town soooo we had to cancel all our plans and I spent the day in sweats and pjs. Weirdly enough, before I caved and realized I was indeed too sick to go anywhere, I had already gotten all my makeup on and I think once the main wave of stomach cramps passed, I actually did feel a little less gross while sick since I had already made half an effort to get ready that morning.

Day 7 was easy to get dressed for as it was a sunny Sunday and I was feeling so much better so Todd and I went out for a leisurely brunch before going home to Lola. Waking up and getting ready for a weekend brunch date is totally a ritual from a more “care-free” time in my life so it was fun to do that again…

Anyways, hopefully I don’t have to spend too long explaining that it’s not outer beauty that counts and all that jazz and I’ve had my fair share of times (like everyone else) where I’ve had to use my inside (brain) to convince my outside (facial expression) to feel confident and proud but I think it can totally work the other way around too. Sometimes you can jumpstart your grumpy mood by projecting an outside image that looks fresh and put together and bronzed and dewy (thanks shimmer bronze highlighter stick!!!) and the interior mood will follow—maybe not every time and not for every person,  but it still seems worth a try if you haven’t tried it before.

So, will I do this every day? I’m going to try to! Realistically it probably won’t happen everyday, but any day I do put in the effort and notice a difference is time-well-spent if you ask me. The only downside to it is that I hate washing my face every night and I can get away with not doing it if I didn’t wear makeup that day (I mean, I probably still should even if I didn’t put on makeup, but sometimes I  don’t). You may not need this challenge if you live where it’s warm and sunny all year round (lucky ducks) but for those of you who are tired of eating your 5:00 dinner in the dark next to a space heater, well, I hope this idea helps boost your mood a bit too!

xo. Laura

8 thoughts on “What Happened When I “Got Ready” Everyday For One Week

  1. Mary

    Glad to read this was a positive experience for you! I think I subconsciously figured out in high school that I’m in a better state mentally when I get ready (which is why I wore a skirt and heels to take the sats, haha), but I’ve become so much more consciously aware of that now that I’m a mom! I feel like it helped me feel more ready for each day, ready to be a better parent, and more like myself.
    That being said, winter still totally sucks and here’s hoping for an early spring!!

    Reply
  2. Kat

    This is totally true! Although my job has a dress code (I’m a lawyer and go to court nearly every day), I’ve worked in less structured jobs and even at home for a year. I tend to feel wayyyy better when I’m dressed and made up. I’ve also found that being around people when I’m in a bad mood almost tricks my brain into being in a good mood. It’s kind of fake-it-till-you-make-it!

    Reply
  3. Caro

    Just curious, how cold does it get in Nashville? I live in Ottawa where we’ve had 97cm of snow this month and regular lows of -30Celcius (About -20s F) so my regular wardrobe from November to April (Yup, snow till November. Sigh!) are parkas! But good on ya for this expertement!!

    Reply
    1. thebandwifeblog Post author

      It can get into the 20’s but usually seems to hang out in the 30’s-40’s in winter 🙂

      Laura

      Reply
  4. Savannah

    I’m also trying to feel like my best self again & get that extra kick of energy that I need to get back on top of my game! I didn’t get to get all prettied up every day this week with ya, but when I did, it made ALL the difference! Plus, I just moved & I’ve got my fingers crossed I make some progress with a new job next week. This little challenge will keep me interview ready on the spot! We both needed this at the same time it seems! Thanks for sharing, even simple, sweet posts that just share little tips to make you feel better are very much appreciated! I’m the one who grabbed your “MEH” clutch, btw! I’ve been feelin that way for a while now… lazy graduate (well deserved), so many unexpected mishaps holding me back! Thanks for the motivation to MAKE myself feel better! ?

    Reply
    1. thebandwifeblog Post author

      Aw, thanks for buying the clutch! So glad the challenge helped make your week a little brighter!

      Laura

      Reply
  5. Carolyn

    I used to do this in college on the weekends when most of my friends spent the day in pjs! They always made fun of me, but I was able to be way more productive writing papers or studying in jeans than sweats. Something about the effort of changing made me feel more ready to tackle the day and put me in a better mindset.

    Reply
  6. Mrs.K

    Yes! I’m in total agreement! I get up EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. and at least do mascara,concealer,eyeliner,lip… something gloss,shimmer,whatever. Clothes… I have the privilege of having my granddaughter at night so mornings are leggings and a very washable shirt (4months) lol. But afterwards I definitely put my version of”proper” clothing on & then go care for my mother who has lung cancer. I feel like getting” ready” in the a.m. is my armor for whatever the day brings. I’ve had people say I’m so vain for doing this but I really don’t think so. I feel like it is an incredibly important & overlooked aspect of mental health. Everyone’s ” ready” might be different but it’s still so important to gird yourself up lol.

    Reply

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