A strange thing happened a week an a half ago. I couldn't find my shoes (that's not the strange part, I am in search for them most days). Instead I found hiking boots I forgot I bought about a year ago. (still not the strange part). They would go with my outfit and be practical for the snow. So I put them on. Later that day I realized I felt different. I could imagine what I wanted in my life more clearly - vivid and crisp. It was like I was connecting with the version of me I most want to be and the life I want. It felt possible. It felt like hope.
I thought this was strange. Where did this come from? How can I keep hold of this vision of myself and my life? It took me until the next day of wearing the boots for the thought to occur to me that it might have something to do with the boots. For a moment I wondered and chided myself at the thought ... but then I couldn't ignore the truth of it. It was the hiking boots!
If you look up the "psychological effects of clothing" you'll quickly see there has been lots of study around the impacts of clothing. It can be an intentional expression to signal to others or can be a reflection of our moods. BUT it also works the other way around - our clothes can not only change others perception of us, but our clothes can change our own patterns of thought, our self-image, our behaviors and actions. I think we have all experienced this - dress up and you feel and behave differently. There have been studies that show how we "live up" to our clothes.
But for me this was more - what opened up inside me was a clearer, more tangible vision, it seemed possible. So why did the hiking boots stir up in me clearer visions of who I want to be and give me hope? I think because they reminded me of who I was in my early 20s - I had hiking boots then. I would seek out new trails to explore and go on little adventures. That adventurous way of being spilled out into so many other parts of my life.
This boot-iphany got me thinking about all my clothes and shoes. I'm not going to ask if they spark joy and bin them if they don't, but I am going to be more conscious of how they make me feel. Because seriously, if changing my clothes can help me live my best life, I am all in.
To my family and friends: The boots are back, baby ! Buckle up, we about to have more fun.
For those curious read on -
How Fashion Impacts our Mental Health
In this article - Look Good, Feel Great they describe a study where they put people in doctor's lab coats and had them do some tests. People in the coats did better on the test than people not in the lab coat. They were more focused and less mistakes, unless the participants were told it was a painter's smock and then they didn't do as well. OH MY! those sayings might be true - dress for the job you want, clothes make the man, etc. Most of all though we should be, do and wear whatever makes you happiest!
Comments
Post a Comment