It may seem crazy to dress up for classes that take place in your own home, but it is actually one of the best remote learning tips I have received. The reason why dressing up actually benefits you can be boiled down to one simple and well-known phrase: dress for success.

When I show up to my Zoom classes after showering and putting on a nice outfit, I feel significantly more ready for the day of learning than if I were to just roll out of bed and show up in my pajamas.

Dressing nicely gives me the confidence and motivation to tackle my day. If I were to wear sweatpants, I would want to go back to sleep, preventing me from concentrating or getting my work done.

That being said, you don’t have to wear something fancy, or even jeans. You just have to wear something that you don’t associate with sleep.

According to Forbes Magazine, people who dress well for work feel exceedingly confident and have an overall successful workday.

Scientific American conducted a study testing the idea that your clothing can alter your personal or professional experience. In the experiment, test subjects were asked to wear either formal or casual clothing before taking a cognitive test. The people wearing formal clothing performed better and had more abstract thinking, most likely derived from increased feelings of power. This concept is known as enclothed cognition.

Some of you may think that dressing nicely is unnecessary, as we are attending school from the comfort of our bedrooms, but it can make a real difference in your mood and mental state.

Also, when you dress up, you are giving yourself a reason to get out of bed for class. Forcing yourself to take that extra step gives you a task to complete first thing in the morning, which ultimately motivates you for the rest of the day.

That extra boost of confidence and motivation can go a long way during these saddening and isolating times that our entire community is experiencing.

Lastly, when dressed up, others perceive you more seriously. Just like when you show up to a job interview wearing a suit to impress the interviewer, wearing something nice to school impresses those around you.

When you go to your Zoom classes, take an extra five minutes to brush your hair, put on real pants or even just change out of your pajamas. While this may seem frivolous and silly, it will likely boost your productivity.