Dress For You
Posted in Work at Home
1 Comment »
By Amanda Quraishi
One of the greatest benefits to working from home is that you don’t have to invest in and wear an expensive work wardrobe. In fact, as many Work At Home Women will tell you, it’s possible to work in bed, in your jammies without anyone being the wiser. But dressing up for work isn’t just about pleasing your co-workers, clients or superiors. It’s about putting on a “game face” and feeling your best.
Obviously there is no reason to wear suiting, or to dress like you’re going to an important client meeting if you’re just going to be sitting at the kitchen table with your laptop all day. What I’m talking about, however, is getting up early enough to take a shower, put on a little makeup (if you wear it), fix your hair and wear something that is both comfortable and professional so that you are psychologically prepared to take on the day.
There have been numerous studies done on the effects of what you wear on your overall psychology and outlook on life. This is the reason more schools are adopting a dress code or uniform policy. Human beings can be as affected by our clothing choices as we are by our environment. A new pair of shoes can make you feel vibrant. A favorite lipstick can make you feel powerful. An ironed ensemble can give you a sense of purpose.
Many of us put off this conversation with ourselves and our friends because we don’t want to appear superficial. After all, women have enough of being told how to look with the unreachable icons presented in media. But this is about looking your best. It’s not about fashion, or sex appeal.
A good rule of thumb is to dress each day in a way that would not embarrass you if a client just happened to “stop by” to see you. Granted, that may never happen—especially if you do most of your work online, but ultimately YOU will know how you look and that can have a big effect on the choices you make throughout the day. And let’s not forget the increasingly popular video chat that will become more and more ubiquitous the longer we continue to do business online.
Working at home takes a great deal of discipline and it’s not for everyone. To be successful you need to be able to take it seriously. Dressing in a way that promotes focus, assertiveness and professionalism—even when you are sitting in your dining room—can be an important element to your work at home success.
Amanda Quraishi is a writer, blogger and activist living in Austin, Texas. She works as the Web & Database Administrator for Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a non-profit organization addressing the issue of homelessness in America. For more information on Amanda, visit Amanda Quraishi.com
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Amanda, I love how you said, “To be successful you need to be able to take it seriously.” When you take yourself seriously, others will, too. I have always dressed and done hair, makeup and jewelry. When you look better, you feel better, When you feel better, you work better. I think many WAH women don’t take this seriously enough. You can still be comfortable, but look nice. Wear a t-shirt, but wear a nice t-shirt. Wear jeans, but wear nice jeans. Thanks for the reminder.