Ready in 5… with style

We all know the morning drill. That slow crawl out of our caves, tripping on last night’s whatevers and feeling rattled by that weird guy staring back from the mirror? To help you get back to respectable we’ve put together a few ‘get fresh’ hacks to get you out of the door quicker, cleaner and with a bit more panache.

1. Don’t hate your alarm.

Without it, you’ll waste the day. It’s not a dictator. Use it wisely. Put it far enough away from your bed so you can’t knock it out when the bell rings for round one. That way you’ll have to get up and by the time you’ve zombied over to it, the hardest part is over. Set a song that gets you going as your wake-up tune.

2. Lay out your clothes the night before. 

To save you fumbling around in the dark. Do yourself a favour and put your togs where you can reach them. If you’re the clean-cut kind of guy, leave them on the hanger, that way the creases will drop out. More the rough and ready dude? then just throw on whatever you find lying about. Put everything you need for the next day in your pockets already. It’s all in the preparation, my man.

3. Scrub up like you’re in prison.

We spend far too long in the shower, trying to figure out if we’ve washed everything or not. If you want to wake up quicker? Take a cold shower. It will jump-start your body and get the blood pumping. The first time you do it, you’ll wake the neighbours, but after a while, if you drop your shoulders, relax, take a deep breath, your body will thank you later. Wash only the essentials. Foam’s best. Quick in. Quick out. 

4. Shave if you want.

Check out the best way to go about it here. If there’s no time, here are some excuses you can use:

a) I’m trying out a new look!

b) I just got back from a world trip.

c) I lost a bet.

d) It’s just hair! Get over it.

5. A nice, big glass of water.

A mattress doubles as an exercise mat while your body goes through its own sleepy workout. So keep some H2O nearby to give your body back some hydration and let it wash through those thirsty cells of yours. It boosts your metabolism, fights toxins and increases the oxygen to your pillowed brain.

6. Put something in your belly.

Dreams are hard work, your body needs replenishing. Grab something, an apple, a piece of toast, boil an egg, anything to let your body know your thinking of it. This should see you through till mid-morning.

7. Kiss the kids. Pat the dog.

If you have some. Even if they’re still sleeping. This is something no little one will ever forget. Or you for that matter. Showing a bit of love to someone or something before you set out, gets the heart pumping in the right direction and takes the edge off just a little.

8. Mint in the pocket. Deo by the door.

The little lifesavers. No explanation needed. Well…maybe just this.

9. Spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch.

Do the last minute pat-down to check if you’ve got everything. Then hit the street like you’ve got something important to do. If 15 minutes later you realise you’ve forgotten something, just take it in your stride, play it cool- Do you need it? If not just improvise. Unless you’ve forgotten to take your kids to school, then you’re in trouble. Oh, and here’s a link to get some more earbuds because it’s always good to have a spare set.

10. A little ‘look at me’.

There’s nothing wrong with checking-out how well you’ve done by taking a sneaky peek in a car window, wing mirror or anything with a reflection. Just make sure there’s no one sitting in it first. The cooler and much safer way to eyeing yourself up is by using a shop window and you can do this on the move. Smart.

These tips are more like safety-pins, just small temporary aids. There’s no scientific data behind them, just good old common sense hand-me-downs. And if you got any more to add, get in touch and we’ll add it to the list here. If we get enough we’ll turn it into a nice little bookie.

If these tips don’t do it for you, then maybe try our article on how to start your day the right way, it covers the morning hours in more depth.

Let us know what you think.