If you are like the millions of people on this Earth who love sleep as much as they love life, then you probably realize how hard it can be to get out of bed earlier than normal. For many workers, they would much rather sleep in an extra 10-20 minutes instead of getting up to shower, put on make-up, or even eat before they make their daily work commute. No matter how often you tell yourself you are going to wake up early enough to put on a full face of make-up along with doing your hair, your promises often fall flat the minute your alarm blares.
Sometimes, however, you are faced with a situation where you have to change your daily routine to include doing your hair and makeup or maybe you just wanting to look more polished for work than you usually appear. No matter what reason has forced you to start waking up earlier than you want to, we are here to help. Through reading this article, you will find a perfect morning routine that will allow you to look professional and polished while still allowing you to sleep in as late as possible.
Without further ado, here is a brief guide to help you get ready for work in 10 minutes, allowing you to sleep as long as you want.
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Shower and blow dry your hair at night
With the average American shower lasting 8.2 minutes, it is easy to see how much time can be saved and rededicated for sleep when you cut out the morning shower. This fact becomes especially true when you consider the fact that you won’t have to deal with drying and styling your wet hair after the shower, as well.
Showering at night does not only allow you to sleep in longer, studies have also reported evidence that nightly showers have a positive influence on your circadian rhythm. Sleep experts have found that the nightly shower raises the body’s natural temperature in such a way that allows for an easier time falling asleep and staying in a deeper sleep than those who do not shower at night.
As explanation, your body’s natural temperature is the highest during the day and drops as it gets nearer to your regular bedtime, which is why you begin to get drowsy. When you shower at night, your body temperature raises quickly and decreases rapidly when you get out and go to bed, allowing you to fall asleep much quicker than usual.
Another plus for showering at night, is its positive affect on the health of your skin. Dermatologist recommend a nighttime shower because it cleans the skin before sleep. This tip is especially helpful for those of us who suffer from allergies and can have their sleeping ability hindered from a stuffed nose or pressure filled face.
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Plan your outfit and lay it out before bed
Another aspect of your morning routine that can take up a large chunk of sleeping time is choosing the perfect outfit for your work day. Picking out the perfect outfit can be a crucial gamechanger for how well, or horrible, your workday will go. Many will agree with the fact that a good outfit can make your day infinitely better, giving you a huge increase in both your mood and your confidence.
Give yourself ample time to plan your perfect outfit by choosing it out at night, instead of in the morning when you are crunched for time. In theory, choosing your outfit at night gives you ample time for trying on different outfits, items of clothing, and shoes, to decide what you want to wear for the following day.
The perfect steps to planning your outfit the night before are as follows: 1) check the weather for the following day and plan accordingly; 2) pull everything out that you need for your outfit, including non-clothing items such as your shoes, socks, underwear, belts, sunglasses, hats (if necessary), watches, ties, or other accessories. Next 3), iron any of your clothes that are wrinkled, such as your pants and/or shirt. After your outfit is decided and has been ironed, you should 4) hang your outfit back up in your closet to prevent losing or wrinkling any of the garments.
This way, when you wake up in the morning you won’t have to deal with having to put a perfect outfit that fits your mood in a short amount of time. If anything, all you have to do is make a few quick changes if you aren’t feeling an aspect of your laid-out outfit, without running the risk of being late for work because you couldn’t decide on what you should wear for this particular work day.
Related: How to Get Out of Work Without Getting Into Trouble
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Do a light/natural make-up routine
Any amount of make-up can immediately give you a confidence boost and can be the perfect final touch to your polished look. You may be surprised to find out that a quick makeup routine is possible and can give you the same level of confidence as your regular full-faced routine.
Here are the steps to follow for a light/natural make-up look that only takes 3 minutes to complete:
- Immediately after washing and drying your face, apply a thin layer of tinted moisturizer that is designed for your specific skin type (dry, oily, or combination) and your skin tone.
- Apply one layer of light or medium coverage foundation to your problem areas, such as the areas that are prone to redness, and on your eyelids. Whether you want to use a light or medium level coverage is dependent on your preference and how your skin looks.
- After the foundation is set, add a thin layer of a neutral toned eye shadow to your lid to add a touch of brightness to your face.
- Swipe on a thin coat of mascara to your lashes.
- If you want, dust a thin coat of blush to your cheeks.
- Finish off with a coat of lip gloss or balm to bring the look together.
This quick 3-minute routine can be the perfect go to look for your work week, as you always have three minutes to do this fast routine. Better yet, as you continue to use this make-up routine, you will find that it takes you less and less time to complete, allowing you even more time to sleep in.
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Style your hair fast with a sleek bun or ponytail
If your hair is anything like mine, then you know that no matter how good it looks when you go to bed, it will be a frizzed-out birds’ nest when you wake up the next morning. If you have unruly hair that refuses to lay down flat or stay straight after you sleep, you don’t have to wake-up early and straighten or curl it to look put together for work. When you only have 10 minutes to get ready for work, you don’t have the time to properly style your hair. In these instances, a sleek ponytail or bun can make you look put together and stylish, without taking a long time.
Creating a sleek ponytail is easy to master and only takes about 4 steps. If your hair was washed the night before, you should spray a little bit of dry shampoo to your hair to give it texture and hold its style. Once you have applied the dry shampoo to your hair, gather your hair by pulling up and back; if you have layers, make sure to pull the ponytail in a place where your shortest layers will reach.
Once you have gathered your hair in the spot you want, use your other hand to comb out the tangles and smooth any bumps in your hair. When combing through, it is best to start at the front of your hair and comb back towards the gathered hair, then do the right side of your hair, also combing back towards your ponytail, and finish with the left side.
Once you have smoothed out all bumps from your hair, use a hair elastic to pull your gathered hair into a tight ponytail or bun. Take a 1-inch section of hair and wrap it around the elastic to hide it and secure the hair with a bobby pin. Finish off the look with hairspray to keep your ponytail sleek throughout your work day.
Related: How To Manage Time With 10 Tips That Work
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Pack your lunch the night before
Preparing and packing your lunch for the day can take a surprising amount of time that is often forgotten when you are running behind schedule. Ensure that you never forget your lunch again by preparing it the night before and leaving it in the fridge. This way, you don’t have to worry about getting out all of the ingredients you need and preparing them before you put them in your lunch bag, you only have to grab your lunch from the fridge before leaving.
Some of the more popular packed lunch choices, like sandwiches and salads, can be prepared the night before and still taste fresh for lunch the next day. When preparing your sandwich, make sure to pack the bread, deli meat, cheese, and any other toppings in separate containers to prevent your sandwich from becoming a gross, soggy mess. If you are wanting a fresh salad, you should also prepare the salad itself and the dressing in separate containers, keeping the lettuce crisp and the dressing fresh. Make sure to keep all pieces and containers of your lunch next to each other in the fridge, so you won’t leave any part behind.
If you don’t think you will remember to grab your lunch from the fridge in the morning before you leave for work, you can also prepare a meal the night before that doesn’t require refrigeration to stay fresh, such as a bag of chips, an unpeeled orange, apple, banana, or other fruit, or a peanut butter sandwich. Place your packed lunch near the door or inside your backpack/suitcase to ensure that you won’t forget it the following morning.
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Pack your suitcase, backpack, or purse the night before
While this step is obvious to many, making sure to pack all important items into your carrier the night before can be save you a massive headache stemming from you forgetting an important paper at home. If you need to, make a short list every night of all the things you will need the next day at work and check them off after you have placed them in your bag/purse/suitcase.
If you pack everything the night before you won’t run the risk of forgetting your computer or phone charger in your anxiety filled rush to get out of the house and not be late for work. If you don’t need anything extra for the following work day, you can also leave your backpack or suitcase in your car, so you won’t have to worry about grabbing it before you leave your house.
Related: What Should You Do if You Slip and Fall at Work
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Make sure to brush your teeth for 2 minutes
Even if you are strapped for time, you should always brush your teeth for 2 minutes, as recommend by dentists everywhere. Just because you are running late or want to sleep in later does not mean you should throw out proper teeth brushing techniques.
If anything, you should prepare 2 minutes of time dedicated to brushing your teeth in your morning routine, every time, no matter how late you are. By the way, routine trips to the dentist for an ultrasonic teeth cleaning is also essential for healthy teeth and gums on top of brushing your teeth.
In conclusion, you don’t have to sacrifice your precious sleeping time to look polished and professional at your workplace. Surprisingly, it is feasible to get ready for work in 10 minutes, including a full make-up routine, putting on clothes, and styling your hair.
With these tips, we hope you are able to sleep in until your heart desires and still look put together and make it on time to work.
