Get Dressed: A Simple Shift That Changed Everything
When you’re faced with a moment that shakes you to your core—diagnosis, heartbreak, postpartum, depression—there’s one piece of advice I never expected to help as much as it did: get dressed.
I know. It sounds silly.
But when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was in shock. Frozen. Numb.
I didn’t know how to move or think or feel. So I did what many of us do—I retreated.
I put on my “whoa is me” uniform: baggy pajamas, fuzzy slippers, curled up under my comforter. That’s how I planned to walk into my very first oncology appointment.
But thankfully, I wasn’t alone that day… My best friend walked in the door, took one look at me, and said something I’ll never forget:
“This isn’t a death sentence. You look like you’ve already decided it is. You’ve lost nothing. Now go upstairs, wash your face, and put on something you’d wear to a job interview. We are approaching this like a health strategy consultation.”
And you know what?
I did.
I got dressed.
And it changed everything.
When we’re hit with trauma, every instinct can scream to hide, to shut down, to disappear. But what I’ve learned is: the smallest act of self-respect can spark the biggest shift.
Getting dressed that day didn’t change my diagnosis. But it changed me.
It helped lift me out of fight-or-flight and into clarity. It gave me just enough energy to stand tall, listen, ask questions, and meet the moment with presence and power.
For You, This Might Look Different:
For me, that “hell yes” outfit was one way I reclaimed my strength.
For you, it might be taking a shower. Or making the bed. Or putting on mascara.
It’s not about the clothes—it’s about what they represent:
That you are still here. That you are worth the effort. That you get to decide how you meet the moment.
Your journey—whether it’s a diagnosis, postpartum, grief, or anything that rocks your world—will test you. You’ll feel like giving up. You’ll feel like crawling under the covers and hiding forever.
But if you can do one simple thing:
Get dressed.
Put your shoulders back.
Meet the day with whatever strength you have, even if it’s just a flicker.
Because the way we show up for ourselves matters.
And that energy—that frequency—has the power to shift everything.
Much Love,
Kate Fain
Founder of Find Your Light
