Yep and yep.
There is a certain pleasure to be had in occasional slovenly days… my preferred writing clothes, especially in the summer, are not exactly high fashion. But there’s a lot of value in even taking just a few minutes to maintain yourself, to change your clothes, to give your “work self” a touch of formality.
My therapists over the years have emphasized the importance of staying in touch with transitions and boundaries. That sounds highfalutin’, so let me break it down. It means trying to stay aware of the date, the day of the week, the condition of the outside weather. It means listening to stuff like NPR, if only for a few minutes, to hear news and a voice from the outside world, to reaffirm that days change and things are happening. Because that sense of “futurelessness,” that sense of “eternal now” that grows from depressive isolation, is one of the most damaging things about the whole condition. Maintaining a calendar… listening to the news… looking out the windows… wearing different clothes for work times… these are all tiny elements of what you might think of as ritual maintenance of one’s sense of place and self.
Also, even when you’re all alone for a long time, you should change your underwear regularly. Because, damn.