We all have our sense of style. The way we dress is one of our basic rights and privileges. We know what we look good in, and our compass tells us what looks and feels right for us.
If you are familiar with Marie Kondo’s philosophy, she guides us to only wear clothing that “sparks joy.” I think that is a great rule to live by when caregiving. We should look and feel our best, and the person we care for should look and feel their best as well.
You might be saying to yourself, “while this might be a nice thing to consider, with caregiving, beauty and fashion is not really a priority right now.”
But what if I told you that your day would be enhanced if you gave some attention to your wardrobe and the loved one that you care for could improve their day, too? We all feel better and have more enjoyable days when we feel comfortable and know that we project our best selves.
The key to dressing authentically is to wear what you feel comfortable in. Wear what suits you in expressing your true, authentic self. We all have a sense of style that we can dress up or dress down, depending on the occasion.
One important area to consider is to wear your favorite colors. There are colors that you feel great in and colors that you don’t believe represents your best self.
You and your partner probably know what colors you prefer. Certain colors energize us. Certain colors calm us. And believe it or not, certain colors agitate us.
If you haven’t given it much thought, go through your closet with a keen eye, and keep the colors that you feel great in. Donate the colors that you never wear or you just don’t care for.
Make sure that your haircut projects your best self, too.
When we feel great about ourselves, we can go out in the world and be our best as well as expect the best.
I will leave you with this quote from Maria Sharapova: ”When you look good, you feel good. Confidence with what you’re wearing is very important. If you feel good, you will always perform your best without worrying about anything.”
Laura Nissen is a passionate Alzheimers Association volunteer who enjoys advocating for those with memory disorders. She works with families to help them learn the skills of caregiving. She also enjoys serving as a community educator, caregiver support group leader and Memory Cafe leader for the Alzheimer’s Association.
