I’m sure that most of us have heard this phrase at least once before. We all know the type of people who can roll out of bed, grab the first pair of pants and sweatshirt that they see and run out the door (and surely some of us are that person.) On the other hand, there are the people who always look impressively put together. Whether they are dressed in nice clothes, or have perfect hair and seem to have escaped from having those seemingly inevitable bags under their eyes, they always seem to manage to look good. What I’m wondering then, is how these two groups of people compare when it comes to how they feel during their day?
I, for one, am certainly not someone who can just wake up ten minutes before I need to be somewhere. On a normal day, I like to wake up, shower and look presentable, and have a leisurely morning where I can get my day started off on a good note. There are mornings, however, if I had been up too late or if I slept through my alarms where I am forced to get ready in 5 minutes, and have to grab all of my stuff and run out the door to make it to class on time. I know for a fact that I do not feel as good on days where I was rushed. By no means am I claiming that if you look good you will automatically feel great that day, but I would say that there is a correlation (not causation) between taking the time to get ready in the morning and feeling more confident that day.
I began my studies with researching what ways taking a shower when you wake up in the morning impacts your day. I came across an article called “8 Ways to Relax and Boost Your Mood in the Mornings.” I was not surprised to find that the first tip on the list was to take a hot shower, proven even more effective in starting off your day right than even eating breakfast of getting a full nights sleep. Showering is proven to have calming effects, and it washes away your grogginess leaving you feeling awake and ready to start your day! Most importantly, showering in the morning leaves you feeling clean and fresh, more than you can say for those who rolled out of bed without leaving enough time to shower.
I found this discussion on The Todays Show very interesting, the hosts debated whether showering at night was better or showering in the morning was better. The Todays Show started an online poll through social media to find out how many people shower in the morning and how many shower at night. The poll found that an overwhelming 62% of Americans shower in the morning, while the other 38% shower at night. So, there has to be some reason why so many people prefer to shower in the morning. One talk show host even asks another, “how do you wake up in the morning without taking a shower?”
Once I learned more about how your morning routine affects the rest of your day, I was still curious as to why the way you actually look affects the way you feel. One interesting article that I found focused on how the way you are dressed will affect your confidence. The article discussed how wearing clothes that you are uncomfortable in (whether it is the way the clothes fit or the type of clothes you are wearing in the particular situation) means you will be spending more time thinking about and being self-conscious than you will be spending engaged in what is going on around you. No matter what your day entails, it is important to present yourself in a way that will allow you to be at ease. I’m sure that it is extremely difficult to feel confidant when your hair is greasy from being slept on, or if you accidentally threw on a sweatshirt that has stains all over it.
Despite the evidence and reasoning behind why being more put together can lead to you feel good, this is a situation in which we cannot rule out reverse causation. Although it is possible that looking good causes one to feel good, it is also possible that people who have a better attitude to begin with like to look more presentable.
Given that each individual has very different habits and routines that work the best for them, I am curious as to what other opinions people have on this matter!
I believe this has a lot to do with psychology. When you try to make yourself presentable, not only do you feel better about yourself and the way you look, which connects to how you feel, but also you tend to feel better about how others view you, also helping to raise your self-esteem. This can also have to do with body image- if you work out and take care of your body, you tend to have more confidence than if you don’t feel healthy and good about your body. How you feel is what you project outwards to the world, and it’s nice when you feel good enough to project positivity and confidence, and taking the time to look good helps with that. It’s not too much efforts, and has lasting and huge effects, after reading your post. Here is why psychologists have to say on the matter. Great post!
-Claire
This is a great topic to blog about! I for one, like waking up 40 minutes before I have to leave for class because I like to take my time, find an outfit and get myself to wake up. However, I do not shower in the morning. Regardless, I am one that feels better about the day ahead if I have an outfit on that I feel confident it, being put together helps me focus more on whatever task I have to complete that day; just like you said in your blog. Not only does dressing nice make me feel good about myself and the day to come, but it also gives other people a good first impression. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2644076/You-DRESS-Clothing-significant-effect-self-esteem-confidence-claims-expert.html. It makes people think that you care about what you are trying to accomplish. Dressing for the occasion that you are going to, I find to be very important.