Dressing for Success -- Reducing Stress by Taking Charge of the Little Things

If you've noticed me walking around the halls at school lately, you've seen that I've put some serious work into my outfit game. As in, I haven't worn yoga pants with boots for almost 2 weeks. As in, I pulled out a blazer and a dress for school today. And so lest you think I've decided to spontaneously redirect my career aspirations from medicine to fashion (it wouldn't work, I have terrible color sense), I thought I'd take a minute to explain myself. One of the things I've learned in the past couple years is that there is no way to control the timing of our lives; there is no way to say, "Wait a minute, I have 10 tests and quizzes and the SAT the week before finals." Stress is a by-product of our inner hustle and the inevitability of timing, but how we choose to deal with stress can determine how well we emerge from the situation in the end. I've learned that prioritizing mental health and state of mind is one of the greatest tools to combating stress. For me, this means dressing nice and feeling comfortable in the clothes I'm wearing. When I wake up in the morning and pick out a nice outfit instead of just pajamas, I set the tone for the rest of my day. It makes me feel confident and in control of something, even if it is small. I've also been trying to take charge of other areas in my life that might cause avoidable stress: not being late, for example (it feels pretty good), or creating a clean, refreshing work environment in my room (still a work in progress). It's important to note that feeling confident in a situation is highly personal. While for me, it might mean dressing nicely, for someone else it could mean feeling confident in their sweatpants and sneakers or being more aware of their nutrition. What's important in the end is being able to ground yourself in the idea of "yes, I can do this. It might be hard right now, but it will work out in the end." I'm a firm believer in the self-fulfilling prophecy; I believe that our results depend heavily upon the attitude with which we approach a situation. Reducing the unnecessary stress factors at points of high stress in our lives and gaining a sense of self-control are essential to managing stress. And so although it may seem like I'm being extra with all of my over the top outfits, trust me it works!