Can you believe that Christmas is this week?! Even though there were several points when it felt like 2020 might never end, here we are – we made it! While the holidays undoubtedly look very different this year, it's important to remember that this is still a very special time. The holiday season is many people's favorite time of year and more than ever before, we should embrace our most cherished traditions and make things especially memorable.

If you're not getting together with your family and friends as you normally would during the holidays, it's easy for it to feel like any other day. However, that's exactly why you should make it a point to do something extra special! Even though we may not physically be with our loved ones this year, there are several things we can do to feel more connected with them and boost our own moods in the process.

Recently I conducted a poll on my Instagram account, where I asked if everyone was really just wearing loungewear these days. I was shocked at the final result: all but one of the answers was yes! Believe it or not, how we dress – even if we're not leaving the house – has a tremendous effect on our mood, self-esteem, and even productivity.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, "Researchers studying links between clothes, brain activity and productivity have long found that dressing up for work can improve your performance." This phenomenon is called enclothed cognition and I actually discussed it in an older blog post, "I. Feel. Pretty." Essentially, enclothed cognition refers to the signals that clothes send to the human brain. It goes far beyond just work and productivity; enclothed cognition research proves that simply getting dressed can pull you out of a funk and completely turn your day around.

In today's world when so many people work from home, children are in remote school, it's cold and dreary around much of the country, and you can have virtually anything delivered in a matter of hours, it's fairly common to not leave the house for days at a time. Add to that the totally normal "winter blues" and Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, defined by Mayo Clinic as "a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons," and you have a perfect recipe for rarely getting dressed. There is no hard data available yet, but experts believe the effects of the winter blues and SAD will be compounded in the face of the pandemic because so many people are spending this year's holidays in isolation.

This is exactly where enclothed cognition comes into play – something as simple as getting truly dressed for the day can be an instant mood lifter and have a domino effect of positive wellness benefits.

What to wear for the holidays when you're staying in

Now that we've discussed the many benefits of getting properly dressed, let's talk about how to put that to work during the holidays. Unless your family has a long-standing tradition of staying in matching Christmas pajamas all day, put on "real" clothes early in the day. It helps you get in the right mindset for whatever you're doing, whether it's having a small family meal, hosting a Zoom get-together, or even just watching holiday movies on the couch with your partner.

Your outfit doesn't necessarily have to be fancy. I've previously given tips for how to dress when you're hosting a party and many of the same rules apply here.

Comfy_Fashion Do 3x3 V2.jpg — **Wear something comfortable**

This includes shoes. You don't want to be too cold or hot, or spend the day adjusting straps or hiking up your bottoms. I'm a huge fan of layering long duster cardigans and as a bonus, they instantly dress up an outfit.

Flutter Sleeves_Fashion Don't_3x3 V2.jpg — **Don’t wear anything fussy**

For example, no long, fluttery sleeves or loads of jewelry.

Holiday Dress_Fashion Do 3x3.jpg — **Go festive!**

Wearing red, green, silver, or gold feel a bit extra special and can go a long way in helping you feel like this is still a “normal” holiday. The same goes for more luxe fabrics like velvet and faux leather.

Not Confident_Don't_3x3 V2.jpg — **Don’t wear what you don't feel confident in.**

You want to be in something you know fits you well. A special day isn't the time to debut an outfit you've never worn.

I've come up with several creative ideas for sharing special moments with your family and friends this holiday season – no matter how many miles may separate you. Thanks to modern video conferencing technology (i.e., Zoom and Google Hangouts), you can still "be together" in a sense. Believe me, I know that Zoom gets tiring, but it really is one of the best ways to connect with loved ones you can't physically be with. Personally, I always feel so much better actually seeing those people I love and miss dearly, even if it is through a screen. I'll take what I can get! Here are some of the things my family is trying out this year.