Holiday or Winter Blues? Try Dopamine Dressing!

This silk blazer thrifted from Regeneration feels so luxe against my skin!

This is a Love Letter to everyone who struggles with depression, grief, SAD, anxiety, or general holiday blues. As one who has experienced extreme loss and dealt with a few challenges within the last few years, I want you to know that I see you and I love you. You will absolutely make it. The sun will shine again.

I’d like to offer a few tips that will help you through this season and beyond. Guess what? These tips don’t require you to even leave your house or go shopping (if you don’t want to). The only toolkit you need is your CLOSET!

Studies show that a person’s mental wellbeing is informed heavily by the clothing they wear. If this is true, that means that elements of their clothing is what actually affects mental wellbeing.

I want to talk about 3 of those elements. COLOR. TEXTURE. FIT.

COLOR

It’s the surges of energy for me! Color provides a surge of energy that your extra potent vitamins could NEVER (but don’t stop taking those lol)! Being intentional with fashion and wearing purposeful colors will give you an immediate mood adjustment. For instance, if I need a little more energy to complete a project, I'll wear yellow.  Yellow is said to make you feel optimistic, spontaneous and cheerful.  If I'm feeling a little "blah," I'll add a pop of red on my lips or wear a red shirt or dress and viola: I'm all excited and powerful feeling and ready to conquer the task at hand!  If you could care less about the science behind this, just do me this one favor: Next time you throw on a top, pay attention to how the color immediately makes you feel. If you don’t feel a jolt of joy DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT wear it.

Other “happy” or mood boosting colors to consider are: pink, orange, and turquois.

TEXTURE

Clothing texture plays into mood boosting (or the lack thereof). For instance, silk and satin feel amazing against the skin and also gives an individual a sense of comfort and luxury. I literally feel like I’m on cloud when I wear these textiles. I invite you to explore other textures and wear more of what feels good against your skin. Why? If you feel good, you’ll look good AND if you look good, you’ll feel good. *wink inserted*

FIT

The proper fitting of clothes is essential to our mood boosting goal. There is almost nothing more horrible than wearing something that is either too tight or too loose. Having clothing that fits properly cuts down on the decision-making process while getting dressed, making it seamless and essentially cuts down on unwanted stress. Phew. Isn’t that a sign of relief?

Obviously there are many other ways clothes can improve your mood. However, these 3 components are at the top of my list.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or other unmanageable mental health concerns like severe depression, SAD or anxiety, please reach out to someone or text/call 988.