when this whole quarantine thing started, i was barely getting out of bed in the morning and had a wardrobe rotation of three pairs of leggings, four hoodies, and two pairs of sweatpants. i was the pinnacle of fashion…

for a homeless man.

my mom always told me, “if you look good, you feel good.” and boy, did i not know how true that was until i would wonder why i felt like a piece of garbage in a sweatshirt i had been wearing for three days straight. i realized that not having a routine (getting up before noon, yoga, eating a balanced breakfast, getting dressed, etc.) was making me extremely unmotivated to go to school or work or even just get out of bed. and to make matters worse, i looked horrible. it was not a pretty sight in the slightest. very under-the-bridge-troll chic.

but what could i do?! if i’m inside all day, what’s the point of squeezing myself into a pair of jeans just to go to my online class? do i want to hate my life even more? if i’m gonna be sitting in my house all day, i’d much rather do it in comfort.

here’s the thing, you can do that without sweats. and you’ll look ten times better.

i’ve had a thing for ~fun pants~ for a while now. they can instantly dress up an entire look and make you look like you tried, even if you only got ready in five minutes. and get this: sometimes they’re even comfier than sweatpants.

i know, right.

there’s something about changing out of your pajamas, especially during corona-geddon, that gives you the power to do anything. i’m not even joking. the second i slip into a comfy pair of pants that aren’t sweats, i feel instantly recharged and motivated to do things. and i can’t say the same about wearing sweats.

especially the ones i had worn for literally an entire week. i know it’s gross. don’t judge me. i know you’ve been doing it too.

and if you’re anything like me, take-out has been your best friend. about three times a week, my family and i order food from a local restaurant (support small businesses!). craving some type of freedom and normalcy, i always volunteer to drive and pick up dinner. and while there’s nothing wrong with picking up food in your sweats, there’s also nothing wrong with doing so in style.

and trust me, leaving the house looking like you actually give a sh*t will boost your confidence to the max.

that’s what it’s really about: feeling good about yourself. i don’t know about you, but up until recently, i’d been feeling really crappy about myself! without my typical motivation, i wasn’t taking care of myself the way i should’ve. a lot of us are used to having routines and this whole quarantine thing has really disrupted that. it almost feels like we’ve lost complete control of our lives.

the second i started taking care of myself again, i started seeing improvements in all aspects of my life. i was doing way better in classes, had the drive to write and create, and i started to feel like i was getting my life back.

it’s really silly to think that changing out of your sweats can change so much, but it truly does. and i get it, sweatpants are probably the most comfortable item ever created! i’d be lying if i said that i wouldn’t want to live in them every day. however, there’s no denying the way that sweats make us feel: lazy, unmotivated, and overall “bleh.”

yet there are still ways to live in comfort and still feel good about yourself. since i’ve been getting out of bed, getting changed, and getting a start to my day, my long days inside haven’t felt as long anymore. and that’s a really good thing. i can confidently say that i can go about my day and not feel like a piece of garbage.

so if i have one piece of advice for you during quarantine it’s this: change out of your sweatpants. you seriously won’t regret it.

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