I get dressed. Every day.

Long COVID has sapped a lot of energy from me for months. It’s tempting to stay in sweats or pajamas all day, especially when I wasn’t really going anywhere.

However, except for the time when I was the very sickest and could barely get out of bed, I get up every day and take a shower, get dressed, and even put on a nice shirt.

Some days the shower and getting dressed is the big event for the day. That’s all I had the energy for. Some days I have to take the shower in the afternoon because I have an appointment in the morning and need to conserve energy before the appointment. Now if I don’t do it, I feel off.

I call this routine, “If I can’t feel good, I can at least look good.” I really think doing this routine improved my outlook. It’s like I’m sitting by the front door telling my body, “I’m ready to go when you are!”