The Morning Routine

The morning is considerably easier when its first half-hour has an established order which can be followed before one’s judgement has fully reported for duty.

Working from home has made it possible to move from bed to sofa in pyjama trousers and remain there until the morning has nearly passed. The convenience is genuine, but the day is seldom improved by beginning it in clothes which still belong to the night.

Attend first to the face, then the teeth and body, and dress last. Following the same sequence each morning saves the small, unnecessary decisions by which an already hurried departure becomes confused.

Begin at the basin with cool or lukewarm water, according to what the skin will comfortably bear, and a mild cleanser. Dry by patting with a clean towel; vigorous rubbing serves no useful purpose and leaves the face red before the day has provided any cause for it.

Brush the teeth and gum line for two minutes. It is worth timing this for the first few mornings, since what feels like a thorough interval before breakfast is often closer to half a minute.

The shower should be warm rather than scalding and long enough for a complete wash, which need not make it a place of residence. Dry thoroughly before dressing, especially at the feet and beneath the arms, because damp skin under clean clothes is an arrangement which the afternoon will expose.

Dress in clothes which are clean, fit properly, and suit the business of the day. An orderly wardrobe reduces this to five minutes, and even on a day spent at home the change from nightclothes makes a useful division between private indolence and work.

From rising to readiness, the whole sequence should occupy about half an hour, with another ten minutes allowed when shaving is required.

The two usual objections are that nobody will see the result and that the person concerned has never been good in the morning. Neither circumstance alters the work very much. A routine becomes easier by repetition, and the standard kept in private is often the one upon which a man can most depend when the day becomes unexpectedly public.