The Problem with Pizza Clothes

The Problem with Pizza Clothes

By Dixie Andelin Forsyth

These are difficult days and most of you, like me, are spending as much time at home as possible to fight the spread of illness. I am grateful for those who work and support our economies and critical infrastructure. Many of us are confronted with a strange mix of monotony and anxiety. The days can blend together and it’s easy to fall into some bad habits.

Much of the all too casual, or sloppy look( pizza clothes as we say in Fascinating Womanhood), is spoken in jest these days on social media, but people are talking about wearing their pajamas all day while generally looking and feeling frazzled; or, they talk about changing from daytime pajamas to nighttime ones. I certainly think there are important things to be concerned about besides just looking fabulous all the time. But taking care of our appearance doesn’t always require a lot of effort or time. And it carries many benefits to you and those with whom you are in regular contact, especially your man. At a time of great emotional and physical stress, it’s even more important to fortify ourselves as much as possible.

The image we have of ourselves impacts our emotional well-being. You could think of your identity as the product of a running story you are told by yourself and others. You contribute to that story every day through habits. When you have a lot of days run together where the face in the mirror looks a bit haggard, you begin to think of yourself that way and so does everyone else. When you put effort every day to look your best, you optimize your image for your benefit and others’. Feed your soul by feeding the idea of a better you. Try it. You’ll notice the difference!

Looking bad and letting yourself go can also contribute to stress and negativity, which in turn lowers your immune system and reinforces bad habits. Self-care on the other hand, energizes and reassures your opinion and confidence in yourself which boosts general health and immunity, and also reinforces good habits.

When we are at our best emotionally and physically, we have more to give to others. Remember that self-care is at the heart of caring for others. And anyway, looking good is something fun to do! No more pizza clothes!

Ideas to improve your look:
Change your hair color with an inexpensive kit from the grocery store. Or paint your nails even though the only place you’re going is to another room in your house.