Getting Dressed Anyway

This post has been jingling around in my brain for…I don’t know…3 years?? I have so many thoughts on this topic both lighthearted and heavy. Today I decided I’m just going to dig in and not let it live in my brain any longer.

Getting Dressed Anyway

Instead of living in your pajamas or exercise clothes, I’m talking about picking out an outfit and getting ready for the day.

On the days you aren’t leaving the house.

On the days you don’t feel your best.

On the days your jeans don’t fit right.

On the days you’d rather stay in jammies.

I want to start by saying this is alllllll about knowing yourself. There are days when I need jammies. Heck, there are WEEKS where I need jammies. (And I’m not talking about a single week…I’m talking 3 weeks on end, sometimes longer). I’m a gal with a life long illness, so I know a thing or two about the stretches of couch/pajama life. That is OKAY. Sometimes wearing pajamas is taking care of yourself. But sometimes, it is not. I’m gonna talk about the difference in a minute.

I work from home and rarely even see people through zoom/facetime, I am sick 8/10 days, and have EVERY reason not to “get dressed for the day” because there simply is no reason TO get dressed for the day. But here is what I know

Getting dressed & ready helps by….

Telling my brain it’s time to work: When I sit down at my desk I am more focused. I just am. I don’t even have to explain with facts or science because you all know what I mean.

Giving me momentum: I really struggle with tiredness and fatigue and an object at rest tends to stay at rest (and there are times this is okay and good!! I’m talking about the other times…). If I get my body in motion (by getting dressed, doing my hair & makeup) it will keep moving (unload the dishwasher…through a load of laundry in…). Once I get going the day is so. much. easier.

Making me agile throughout the day: If my sister calls and asks if she can swing by, or if I can watch her baby so she can run to the grocery store – I am ready. If a client books a last minute consultation – I am ready. If I need to grab an ingredient for dinner, it makes running to the market (shoot why not make it Target!) a fun “outing” rather than a quick errand.

Thoughts on getting dressed w/ long term illness

When you live with an illness or sense of discomfort in your body it is very easy to tell yourself it isn’t “worth it”. I am bloated all. the. time. I get asked if I’m pregnant nearly every time I leave the house (and have since I was a young child). The world, the devil, and my own mind tell me plenty of times a day that my body is *all wrong* and nothing is worth it.

Every time I get dressed, I tell myself that God is using me. That my day is not wasted. My body is not wasted. I am worth it, not because I am pretty or because I look good in those jeans, but because God has declared me as His child. He has given me a mission on this earth and He is USING ME through every moment of my day and gall darn, I want to be READY for it. When the enemy tries to slow me down by sending person after person to ask if I’m pregnant (which gets old real fast) I can remind myself that it doesn’t matter! Because Christ has defeated the enemy and He is writing a powerful story through my body.

So who cares if the jeans don’t fit perfectly. Who cares if the outfit is leggings for the 18th day in a row. I want to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your labor is not in vain“. (1 Cor 15:58)

If this isn’t the same for you, that’s okay. But for me, personally, when I get dressed despite being frustrated with my body…it feels like defiant joy and a battle cry that I will use every bit of the vessel God has given me.

Knowing Yourself & Asking the Question

On the days where I wonder “is this a jammy day or a clothes day?” I ask myself this:

Which one is better taking care of my body?

Because either can be right or wrong depending on the day.

There are days when a cup of tea, fleece old navy Christmas jammies, a big hoodie, and a blanket on the couch are exactly what I need. On those days resting is my defiant joy and battlecry that God is the one who will sustain and carry me. All I need to do is rest.

There are other days where I cling to my comfort out of pity for myself. I tell myself that nothing is worth it. That everything is extra hard for *me*. That It won’t matter if I put jeans on because I’ll still look pregnant (and get asked if I am).

There are days where I force myself into clothes that don’t fit, through messy tears and frustration, hating what I see in the mirror. Those are the days I should probably take it easy. Those are the days I need to look back to my Father who tells me He loves me whether I’m in a cute outfit or not.

But the days that are the most frequent are the ones where my mind follows my actions. Step one is getting moving, getting ready, and the steps that follow are full of action and joy. It’s not about how I look, it’s about what the act of getting dressed does for my spirit.

One final note

Buy clothes that you want to wear. This is a whole blog post in itself, but I’ll keep this brief. If the jeans don’t fit, pack em away and buy a bigger size. If you’re like me and have a larger stomach, buy shirts in tall sizes for a little extra length. A few months back I borrowed a couple pairs of maternity jeans from my sister to get me through a stretch of extra bad distention (wearing in the pic above, you can’t tell the severity of the swelling as much from straight on, but just trust me😉). At first I was embarrassed to put them on, and then I remembered all the things we’ve already talked about. I put them on, got ready, and it changed the trajectory of my day. Having clothes that actually WORK makes all the difference in the world.

I think, at the end of the day, it all comes down to knowing yourself, recognizing thought patterns, and doing what is best for you, each individual day at a time. Maybe I’m overthinking this, maybe I’m not! I would love to hear any thoughts you have on the topic!

As always, cheering you on!