Signal to Shift Gears
No. 47
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Clothing is a signal to the brain. It turns on joy and feeling good (retail therapy is real). Conversely, it may trigger anxiety and negative self-talk. It flips the switch on novelty seeking, an assortment of expressions and feelings based on sensory or memories provoked, and even becomes armor, shielding you from your vulnerabilities. Clothing can also be used to transition you throughout your day.
What’s central to utilizing clothing as an effective tool to delineate the 24-hour cycle comes from visual cues—changing and swapping. Getting out of your pajamas and into your “day clothes” (anything from athleisure to pants with zippers) tells your brain it’s time to wake up and get on with the daily schedule and tasks. Makes sense. This outfit change is pretty straightforward and goes hand in hand with brushing your teeth. It should. Except for the occasional Sunday, of course (where yes, I, too, stay in my matching sleep set reading the paper, slowly savoring my cup of coffee).
The signal for turning the day off comes in numerous forms. You may change into something more comfortable (insert joggers or loungewear) after being at work or specific affairs on your calendar, but that may only sometimes be enough.
Earlier this week, I met with a consultant and executive coach with her Ph.D. in Psychology (geek-out time for me 🙌🏻), and we discussed the power behind visual cues. It doesn’t take much. She advises her clients to remove their watches or jewelry before they get home, even in the car in the garage, or to pull their hair back. Shed the day. Make one tiny, slight change to what’s on your body to help you move into a different mindset once you walk in the door.
It could be that you’re immediately bombarded with your kids or household needs, or you’ve had a day of high demands and challenges. No matter the circumstances, before you walk in the door tomorrow evening, try making a tiny change (remove something small) and see how that goes.
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🌸 Art in Bloom at St. Louis Art Museum returns next week: The most popular weekend in SLAM’s programming is returning in person on March 2-5, 2023. Come join in on the fun and flowers and kick off the weekend!
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