My daily wake-up routine from alarm to out the door could occur in a span of less-than-10 minutes if I am only responsible for getting myself ready (which rarely the case).

My efficient morning routine isn’t because I’m always in a hurry — it’s because I am pretty no-frills when it comes to personal maintenance. And I will always try to do things at night if at all possible to make the mornings smoother.

Most nights my routine includes shower, shave, pick out clothes and shoes for the next day. When my alarm goes off, I’ve usually been awake for a few minutes already and am scrolling mindlessly on my phone. If I wake up to my alarm, I roll right out of bed. Otherwise, I find my motivation to get moving decreases quickly.

A quick bathroom break, followed by changing into my pre-chosen clothes is then met with my first look in the mirror for the day.

On days I wash my hair at night (with Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo), I let it air dry. I have super thick hair so that means on the mornings I wake up after air drying I need to use my Conair Heated Straightening Brush to smooth and reduce the volume of my hair. I’ve had this brush since November 2019 and it has seriously been a game-changer for me. Prior to owning it my solution for the thick mess of hair I’d have after air-drying was to simply wear my hair in a ponytail the next day to tame it. Now in under 3 minutes, I can easily brush my hair and be onto my next item of business.

With my hair taken care of I move on to simpler tasks:

• Brushing Teeth with my Sonicare
• Putting on Deoderant – I love this unscented Arm & Hammer Invisible Solid
• Putting on Chapstick – most days I use the “Original” Chapstick but if I need to be fancy I throw on some Burts Bee Tinted Chapstick

Once a week I’ll spend an extra 5 minutes putting on Impress Press-On Nails. I’ve been using them for at least six months now and get complimented on them constantly. The key to putting these on quickly is once you know what size each of your nails typically is — write it down and keep a cheat sheet on your vanity!

And presto-chango, that’s my entire morning routine!

I’m sure someone is thinking — “um, Katie, you totally forgot to moisturize, put on make-up, etc.”

However, since this is my morning routine, you are incorrect! I did not forget, I have found the less I put on my face and skin the less irritation and pampering it needs. I do however take time every so often to get a couple of key things done to help with looking put together. One of my closest friends, Erica, is a licensed aesthetician so I schedule time with her to have my eyelashes and eyebrows tinted; as well as have my eyebrows waxed and get a dermaplane facial. I’ll admit I’m not 100% on top of doing this regularly but after seeing the marked difference the next day after my last session I am planning to make it a standing appointment going forward. Also the best part of these sessions, an hour of laying still, chatting with a dear friend, and listening to the custom Backstreet Boys playlist she’s made for me!

What makes the difference for you in the morning? Is it prep in the evening? A tool you can’t live without? Tell me all about it in the comments! Bonus points if you’re willing to admit how long it takes you to get ready in the morning.