This year has been tough on everyone. National lockdowns have been hard and many of us are still working from home, away from the normality we desperately want. However, in order to feel good and productive whilst you’re still at home, it’s beneficial to get dressed and have a routine. We spoke to specialists from Mental Health Matters and a member of public who has been working from home over the past months, to find out if dressing up helps improve your mental health.
Mental Health Matter’s Learning and Development Team said: “There has been research into whether getting dressed when working from home can benefit our mental health.
“We are more likely to feel active and ready to exercise if we put on a pair of trainers rather than a pair of slippers. The same applies to our choice of clothes when working from home; we are more likely to feel productive if we are dressed in clean, work-appropriate clothes as opposed to wearing our pyjamas.”
They continued to say: “A routine will mean different things to different people. However, having a routine that is positive and healthy, has been shown to bring about benefits to our wellbeing. Having a positive routine can provide a structure which may help us to manage our day more effectively and manage our stress levels.”
File photo dated 04/03/20 of a woman using a laptop on a dining room table set up as a remote office to work from home. A survey of almost 1,000 members of the Institute of Directors (IoD) found that three out of four would be keeping increased home-working after coronavirus.
So, when we’re working from home, getting ready for work and keeping a routine similar to our work life, pre-pandemic, is very helpful.
“For those of us who are working from home, we may find that the physical boundaries between work and home become blurred. By introducing a routine that tries to introduce distinctions between work-life and home-life, such as working in a designated workspace and allocating sufficient breaks, can help us to manage more effectively.”
In order to see how effective getting dressed whilst working from home is, we spoke to Lisa Green, a health visitor who has been working from home. Ms Green said: “I dress for work as it helps me to feel ‘normal’ and it also helps to motivate me to work. It helps me get into the mindset to start working. It definitely improves my mental health and well-being and I feel it helps me to be more productive.”
She then went on to say: “Sometimes I do find it hard to keep focused when working from home as it feels that you never ‘switch off’, which can be tiring. I feel I have been doing more work from home however, sometimes it is hard to concentrate with home life distractions; therefore, at times I feel I can be less productive, however dressing up for work helps.
“I always do my hair and makeup. It makes me feel better and helps with my mental health.”
There are many other ways to help improve your mental health whilst you’re working from home but dressing up is an easy way to establish the routine you probably need. Tweet us @Fashion_North to let us know how you’re coping whilst working from home.
