As I write this, it’s September. The weather’s getting colder and the light is fading. And I am utterly, totally unmotivated.
It happens every year. A feeling of ennui settles over me like a drawn-out yawn, and I struggle to summon up even a flicker of enthusiasm for work or play. It’s not a depression or sadness, just an insistent voice saying “Meh” to all my ambitions.
I’ve had some success in the past with exercise (it works because it boosts serotonin) and I know that bright lights are supposed to be good for motivation too, but this year I’ve discovered a new trick: dressing up in a tiger costume.
The first time I tried it was when I was procrastinating on the sofa, midway through writing this article. Up until then I had been struggling with my productivity, but now that I was dressed as a tiger – complete with ears, tail and stripy orange onesie – everything seemed different. Work suddenly felt a lot more appealing; it was fun again!
You are what you wear.
Dressing up everyday in a similar way, that is dull and boring. It gives no positive effect to the person wearing it. Unless you have the mindset of “This is my style.” If that’s the case, then I salute you my fellow well-dressed person.
But not only clothes help us in achieving more productivity. Dressing up as our favorite animal does too. Yeah, you read that right. Wearing something that gives us a warm fuzzy feeling helps us in being more productive.
So if you want to be more productive, dress as your favorite animal
It may sound silly, but wearing a tiger costume for a few minutes a day can increase your productivity.
You’re probably thinking that I’m crazy. But here’s the science.
In 1995, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, studied how dressing in costumes affected productivity. They found that people who wore costumes (in this case a tiger outfit) were more productive than those who did not.
The reason is that dressing up activates your imagination and puts you in the mood to imagine being something else. You know how your imagination works: when you are thinking about one thing, it’s easier to think about other things too. That’s why you’re more likely to come up with new ideas when you’re dressed as a tiger or another animal.
But it doesn’t have to be an animal costume — any costume will do. You just have to wear something that makes you feel like another person or animal for a short while so that your mind starts thinking differently.*
You’ve probably heard of the book [What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20](https://www.amazon.com/What-Know-When-Was-20/dp/0307463368) by Tina Seelig, a professor at Stanford’s business school. In it, she compiled advice from many successful people about what they wish they knew as young adults.
One piece of advice in the book that stuck with me is from the co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone: “Dress like a tiger.”
Stone suggests that we can have an impact on our productivity and mindset by changing what we wear. If you dress like a tiger, he says, you’ll feel more confident and powerful and thus be more productive. When you’re dressed in your best clothes and your nicest shoes, you’ll feel more ready to take on the world.
When I was a child, I used to dress up in my father’s clothes and pretend to be him. It made me feel more confident and smarter. It still does.
There are many psychological studies that show the power of clothes on the wearer.
This is not about wearing a business suit or dressing for success. This is about how certain clothes can change your perception of yourself, how others perceive you and what effect that has on your productivity.
I have been trying to figure out what it is about certain clothing choices that have such an impact on my productivity and well-being. I found some scientific explanations, but I also think it might be something deeper than that.
Sometimes I spend the whole day in a tiger costume. As a writer, I often need to be alone with my thoughts. But as a founder of a small startup, I also need to be around people: to brainstorm, collaborate, and build relationships.
So sometimes I go into the office and write for eight hours in our conference room, wearing a tiger costume. It’s not because I’m crazy (though that’s debatable). There are actually several reasons why this works well for me:
1. If I have an idea or question, I can get feedback right away, without having to take off the suit first.
2. My employees know when they should leave me alone and when they should come get me.
3. No one is allowed to interrupt me unless it’s important. At most companies, employees are expected to keep their phones on them at all times and reply immediately whenever someone texts or calls them. But if you’re wearing a tiger suit, everyone knows that you must be working on something extremely important or time-sensitive, and that they should think twice before interrupting you.
4. It helps me concentrate better; just knowing that there’s something weird going on makes me
I am not the biggest fan of attires and the reason is that I never feel comfortable in them. However, there is one attire that I love to wear – a tiger costume.
The first time I wore this costume was at my sister’s birthday party. Everyone made fun of me and said that it suits me best. My friends also started calling me Tiger because of that costume.
I have no idea why but wearing this costume brings out the best in me. Whenever I am wearing it, I feel more confident and comfortable in whatever I do.
I think it must be the boldness of a tiger that makes me feel this way but that’s just an assumption because there is no research on this topic (that is why I decided to write a blogpost about it).
As you can see in the image, there are some good things about this costume:
1) It is not uncomfortable: The fabric used in making this costume is very soft and breathable, which makes it very comfortable to wear.
2) It has a hood: This might sound silly but having a hood helps a lot when you are trying to concentrate on something. For example, if someone is talking too much and distracting you then simply pulling the hood over your face will make