In my many involvements in women's organizations, charity work and social events I have had the opportunity to meet numerous women who work from home. Let's face it, the home office is a huge reality of the 21st century workforce. The question is what to wear when you are working in a home office.
I haven't met a woman yet who has told me that she gets up in the morning and gets ready just like she was going into a corporate office. She isn't putting on a suit and wearing heels into her home office. Sometimes these same women admit that they are actually wearing sweats a lot of days and look like something that the cat drug in. I can relate.
When Donna and I first moved into our office, we had weeks that we were unpacking, hanging pictures, moving more stuff in daily and moving the office furniture around regularly. We spent those first couple of weeks in sweats or jeans and a t-shirt. I started to notice what it was doing to my performance.
Every day I would come in with a list of things that I absolutely had to accomplish and somewhere around mid day I would realize that I hadn't gotten close to getting it all done. I would find myself slumping in my chair and not really feeling motivated or energized. I was talking to my business coach one day and I told her that I just really didn't feel like the CEO of a company that had accomplished so much in such a short time. She immediately asked me what I was wearing. What?
She said, "You heard me...what are you wearing?" I got quiet...I mean, you don't want to admit that you have on an old pair of jeans and a sweatshirt when you are a trained professional in personal image. I slowly told her what I was wearing. She asked me if that was what I imagined CEO's of successful companies wore. Obviously, the answer is no.
Our office is somewhat like a home away from a home. We are waiting for our space to be built out so our developer put us in a residential loft for the time being. We don't need to wear suits and heels. But, it is appropriate to wear something that makes us feel like we are the position that we are in.
These days you are more likely to find Donna and I in a dressy pair of jeans with a nice shirt and a jacket. When we leave the office during the day, we aren't embarassed if someone asks what we do. As a matter of fact, we want to tell people what we do!
So, if you have gotten into a slump and are wearing your pj's or sweats until noon. Make a point of getting up and putting on something that makes you feel fabulous. See what a difference it makes in your day and let us know. We love to share your stories!!
I haven't met a woman yet who has told me that she gets up in the morning and gets ready just like she was going into a corporate office. She isn't putting on a suit and wearing heels into her home office. Sometimes these same women admit that they are actually wearing sweats a lot of days and look like something that the cat drug in. I can relate.
When Donna and I first moved into our office, we had weeks that we were unpacking, hanging pictures, moving more stuff in daily and moving the office furniture around regularly. We spent those first couple of weeks in sweats or jeans and a t-shirt. I started to notice what it was doing to my performance.
Every day I would come in with a list of things that I absolutely had to accomplish and somewhere around mid day I would realize that I hadn't gotten close to getting it all done. I would find myself slumping in my chair and not really feeling motivated or energized. I was talking to my business coach one day and I told her that I just really didn't feel like the CEO of a company that had accomplished so much in such a short time. She immediately asked me what I was wearing. What?
She said, "You heard me...what are you wearing?" I got quiet...I mean, you don't want to admit that you have on an old pair of jeans and a sweatshirt when you are a trained professional in personal image. I slowly told her what I was wearing. She asked me if that was what I imagined CEO's of successful companies wore. Obviously, the answer is no.
Our office is somewhat like a home away from a home. We are waiting for our space to be built out so our developer put us in a residential loft for the time being. We don't need to wear suits and heels. But, it is appropriate to wear something that makes us feel like we are the position that we are in.
These days you are more likely to find Donna and I in a dressy pair of jeans with a nice shirt and a jacket. When we leave the office during the day, we aren't embarassed if someone asks what we do. As a matter of fact, we want to tell people what we do!
So, if you have gotten into a slump and are wearing your pj's or sweats until noon. Make a point of getting up and putting on something that makes you feel fabulous. See what a difference it makes in your day and let us know. We love to share your stories!!
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