The Bottom Half Doesn't Matter

I've become lazy. So incredibly lazy.

In many ways, this is understandable.

Without the added impetus of socializing, or having to commute to work, or... well, anything else, really, days merge into each other. In fact, without consulting my phone, I'm not always sure what day it actually is.

Vaccination may be underway, but - so far - 2021 isn't much different from 2020; I'm stuck in one long, meandering, never-ending day that revolves around Netflix, teaching English online, and trying to eke out an article or two. It's like 'Groundhog Day' on Prozac.

I do what I need to do, but, with few external stimuli forcing me to adhere to any sort of timetable, I do so at a pace that can only be described as 'leisurely.'

I wear a metaphorical cloak of lethargy.

And this is never more clear than in how I dress.

I've never been a devoted follower of fashion, but I did used to have standards. Not anymore. In the past I liked to see what Daniel Craig was wearing; nowadays I appear to be mirroring The Dude from 'The Big Lebowski.'

For example, given that the only time I need to leave my apartment is for food, and also that the nearest supermarket is only minutes away, and rarely busy, I can get away with wearing my lounge (i.e. pajama) pants on my occasional forays.

Comfort has trumped smartness, and - on the one hand - that's perfectly okay. After all, it's not as if I'm the only one who now does does their shopping in their nightwear: No-one else is popping to the shops in a ballgown and tiara.

We're all trapped in an infinite 'dress down' day, and considering what we're all dealing with, that's cool.

Except...

At some point it stopped being about comfort. For me, this isn't about being 'cosy' anymore. It's now become sheer laziness. 2020 turned me into a slob.

A year ago, I would never have left the house without at least putting some jeans on. Now my default sartorial thought seems to "I can get away with wearing my lounge pants" in most - if not all - situations.

I even teach with them on.

You could argue that it doesn't matter what I'm wearing on my lower half. My students don't see it. And, given some of the attire they wear, should I really care anyway?

You can also argue that - like the whole shopping in one's pajamas - everyone else is doing it. I know for a fact that in the majority of meetings I have had via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, the other participants haven't exactly pulled out all the stops.

I had one interaction with someone who, although was wearing a shirt and tie, also had a pair of garish, Hawaiian surf-shorts on.

My sartorial laziness isn't unique, nor is it worthy of damnation.

However, the fact that I'm now doing this EVERYDAY is worrying.

And I've grown to hate it.

It's time to begin dressing properly again. It's time to have standards, and say, "Just because no-one else sees it, it doesn't mean that the bottom half doesn't matter." It does. The WHOLE thing matters.

Why?

Firstly, because it's a slippery slope.

It started off with me quickly nipping to the supermarket once in my pajamas because it was late and I was too tired to put some proper clothes on - a few months later and I'm spending most of the day in my nightwear. Granted, we're not exactly discussing an end-of-days escalation here, but I'd rather nip it in the bud before it goes any further, and I ever find myself debating whether clothes are actually needed at all.

And I need to do this because this 'relaxed' attitude permeates everything else; left unchecked, laziness infects everything else. A short time after I decided it was okay for the citizens of Liverpool to see me in my nightwear, I'd also - sub-consciously - decided it was okay if I didn't shave.

That was an incredibly bad idea.

For a start, beards are hard-work. Honestly, I don't now how hipsters find the energy to maintain them; you need a degree in Topiary to keep facial hair looking good, and have to set aside twelve hours everyday for grooming.

Given my acquired laziness, this was never going to happen. After a week, I looked less like a trendy barista, and more like a man who lives in a shopping trolley.

No more.

Secondly, I'm not good-looking enough to be vain, but making an effort makes me feel good. It's a way of telling myself, "I'm worthy of this investment." Caring about how you look is an indicator of your self-esteem. Taken too far, yes, it becomes self-absorbed narcissism. But, knowing you've taken a bit of time to look as good as you can possibly can? That's healthy; it shows you value yourself enough to be deserving of that effort.

It's no surprise that my levels of self-confidence directly mirror my physical appearance. And it's even less of surprise still that I've got more lazy as the pandemic has progressed; like most people, self-isolation has dented my self-esteem. Exhibit A: My lounge pants.

It's time to start caring again. I'm worth it. I'm worth the few extra minutes every morning it'll take to throw on some 'proper' clothes, and groom myself adequately.

Thirdly, getting dressed as if I am actually having to go to work will help me - mentally - differentiate between 'working hours' and 'downtime.' One of the worst things about the 'lockdown' is that whole days are spent at home - home is not somewhere I come to relax anymore, it's where I spend all of my time.

As a result, working hours, and non-working hours, merge into one big, long, meandering slab of indistinct time. A blob of time, if you will.

It's time to wrestle that blob into a more coherent shape. Although only a small thing, dressing appropriately will help me to. If I'm working, I'll dress like I am; if I'm relaxing, then... well, lounge pants.

I may be helpless when it comes to so, so much regarding Covid, but I am still in charge of my own time. Dressing as if I am is one way I can prove it.

Finally, it's a productive way to start the day. There's a wonderfully uplifting video on YouTube called 'If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.' It's an ode to doing those little things, those small actions that give you momentum, and therefore inspire you onward.

It might be easier to just tumble out of bed, drag myself straight to the laptop, and start teaching, but it's a lazy way to begin the day. I want to begin setting the tone for the day ahead from the moment I awake. Taking the effort to shower, groom, and pick out some smart, professional-looking clothes will give me that.

It's not just a way to arrest the slippery slope I'm sliding down, it's not just a way of boosting my self-worth, it's not just a way to begin neatly separating my day, it's the right way to begin the day. It's positive action, and should give me impetus to tackle the rest of the things that come my way.

The bottom half matters. It always did. I just didn't see it. It's a metaphor for the Corona-infused laziness that has crept over me. It's time to start taking pride in my appearance again, and banish that metaphor.

It's time for a fresh start.

It's time to get dressed.

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