You are now working from home, managing the freedom and the distractions, and focused on being productive. There’s just this one thing: You’re not going to the office or engaging with customers, and it’s not the weekend, so, how do you dress for the day?  Consider these four strategies to identify the ideal “work from home wear” for you:

Forget the pajamas.  Okay, let me reel that in a bit. Go ahead and have a fling with your pj’s for a few days. Indulge in the sheer novelty of not having to get dressed and enjoy the fuzzy all-day comfort of your “snugglies.” Then move on because staying there for the long term is:

Disorienting. Your brain associates your pajamas with bedtime, sleep, or a legit sick day.  This makes it harder to shift into a focused work mode and, some psychologists suggest may make you lazy and less motivated to work.

Limiting. When you never get out of your sleepwear, you are literally stuck in the house all day. As if social distancing wasn’t enough, why self-select isolate?

A little gross. How long do you intend to be in those things? 24 hours? 48? It’s not as if they stay fresh. Enough said.

Go for comfort and practicality. Establishing a work from home routine from the beginning is important and getting dressed for the day should be part of it. Why? Because it transitions you from pajamas-induced sleep and rest associations and helps to kick your brain into gear for a day at your home office. There’s also the fact that your life and your work are more integrated when you are immersed in both from home. Once you establish your work rhythm, you may find that you can get that laundry folded on a break and run out to the post office during lunch. That’s why selecting clothing that is both comfortable and practical makes a ton of sense.

Express yourself as you dress yourself. Your clothes are a form of communication. They speak for you and they also speak to you. Now is the perfect opportunity to give yourself permission to evolve a look that feels just right for your work from home life. For me, that means being “pulled together” with at least a little makeup and some cool jewelry. While your look may be quite different, here are a few “formulas” that feel right for me:

• Yoga leggings with an oversized sweater, a funky scarf, and cool sneakers
• Skinny jeans and a flowy, boho top with boots, slides, or sandals
• Wide-legged or harem pants with snug, patterned tops or tees

Buy items that round out your work from home wardrobe. While most bricks and mortar stores are shuttered, there is no end to online options. Consider adding one or more of these items as you pursue comfort, practicality, and self-expression:

• Sneakers in a variety of colors and patterns. Apply fabric protector to keep them looking sharp!
• Flat mules or slides that you can kick off as you hit the keyboard.
• “Crazy” leggings that make you smile.
• Graphic or patterned tees that add some zing to a casual look.
• Blousy, boho-inspired tops, caftans, and short dresses that lift your mood and make you video-call ready…at least from the waist up!