Wake Up Late and Still Make It on Time

Sleep is precious to most people, so it’s understandable if you want to get the most of it before you have to go to work or class. However, if you’re a procrastinator when it comes to getting out of bed, it can be hard to make it to places on time. By having an alert mind and managing your time well, you can prevent yourself from showing up late even if you hit the snooze button too many times.

Steps

Cutting Out Time Wasters

1. Skip the shower. Showering in the morning can be a huge time waster. If you’re waking up late you should get in the habit of taking showers or baths the night before. It’s hard to keep track of time in the shower, so what feels like five minutes could be longer. A good alternative to taking a shower is to splash cold water on your face. Cold water increases your alertness and will wake you up in the morning.
   • Make sure that you apply underarm deodorant and wear cologne or perfume so you can still smell fresh.
2. Don’t waste time with makeup. We all want to look good in the morning, but you can do your makeup when you get to wherever you need to go. Don’t risk being late when a quick trip to the bathroom could save you precious minutes!
   • Avoid doing your makeup in the car while you drive. It’s dangerous and could cause an accident.
   • Have a separate handbag for on-the-go makeup supplies so that when you need to rush you have all of the essentials available to you.
3. Do your hair the night before. If you take a shower the night before, allow your hair to fully dry before laying down for bed to avoid having frizzy hair in the morning. By tending to your hair the night before, you don’t have to waste time doing it in the morning, which can take up most of your time.
   • To achieve straight hair in the morning, pull your hair back behind your ears and wrap it around your head in one direction, securing it with bobby pins. Then wrap a silk scarf around your head tightly.
   • For curly hair, either use a foam styling donut, or tie your hair into two doughnut buns on either side with bobby pins.
4. Drink cold water instead of coffee. While some people prefer a caffeinated beverage in the morning, a tall glass of cold water is a healthy alternative that doesn’t require any brewing time. Other than raising your alertness, it’s also a good way to get hydrated in the morning. Another good thing about drinking water is that you won’t need to brush your teeth after drinking it.
5. Don’t check your social media. When we check any messages that we receive, it’s natural that we want to respond immediately. To maximize your time, refrain from checking your social media until you get to your destination.
   • Turn off cell phone notifications for your social media if you find that they are distracting you.
6. Pick clothes that don’t take a long time to put on. Knee high boots with elaborate laces aren’t exactly the most time efficient thing to lace up in the morning. If you know you are going to wake up late, choose clothing that will aid you in getting out of the house faster. Instead of boots, consider slip-ons as they take far less time to put on.
   • Blouses with buttons on the back or jewelry with intricate clasps will slow down your morning tremendously. Try to avoid clothes and accessories that have these.

Managing Your Time Effectively

1. Don’t underestimate your time. When a person first wakes up, they experience what’s known as sleep inertia,which interferes with a person’s ability to do basic tasks efficiently. You should allot extra time to basic things like getting dressed and brushing your teeth, as these tasks take longer to complete than if you were completely awake and alert. Make sure to constantly have an eye on a clock so that you can determine if you are running late on a certain task.
   • Break the morning into small, identifiable tasks. You should set a time restriction for each thing you have to do in the morning when you wake up. Limit your time on the other things you need to do.
2. Prepare the night before. If you choose your outfit the night before it will eliminate extra time spent searching for something to wear. If you work in a professional environment make sure that your clothes are pressed and ready to be worn the night before.
   • Remember to put things like your car keys or bus pass in the same place every night so you don't waste time looking for them.
   • If you need to bring things with you to your appointment like paperwork or notes, make sure that you organize them the night before.
3. Turn off distractions. Distractions make us less efficient and effective at tasks. Even simple things like having a television on or answering text messages could make us take longer to do certain things. Eliminate all distractions to maximize your time.
   • Even if having the television on in the background is a habit, refrain from doing it if you are late. You don’t want anything to be able to divert your attention from getting to where you need to go.

Combining Tasks to Save Time

1. Brush your teeth while you do something else. Dentists say that brushing your teeth should only take two minutes, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be stationary while you do it! You can turn on the coffee maker, take out the trash, or do something else while you are brushing your teeth.
   • Carry around a paper cup with water, so you can rinse your mouth if you are walking a pet outside or taking your things to the car.
2. Eat something on the go. Eating breakfast increases alertness, which will allow you to get to where you need to go faster. Luckily there are a lot of different varieties of breakfast foods that you can eat on the go like granola and protein bars or different varieties of fruit. It might be tempting to skip breakfast altogether, but eating in the morning will give you more focus and will help you throughout the day.
   • Try eating something healthy or filled with protein so that you have the energy to get to your destination quicker.
3. Take your bags to the car while you drink your water or coffee. If you have things to prepare for where you need to be, like a briefcase, backpack, or bag, make sure that while you’re packing up your car you’re also getting your morning drink. You don’t have time to sit down and relax, you need to be somewhere on time.
   • If taking your bags to the car is the last thing you do before you leave, put your morning beverage in a to go container so you can drink it on your way there.
4. Tend to pets while you check your emails. If checking your email is part of your job, there’s a likelihood that you can’t ignore them in the morning. If you absolutely must check them, you can do it while walking your dog or feeding your cat. Tending to a pet in the morning is a huge time waster, so try to combine it with something productive.
   • If you only use your email for personal reasons, you can drink your morning cup of coffee or eat your breakfast while you tend to your pet.

Tips

• Rushing could result in making a mess or having an accident, which might take longer to clean up and make you even later. Calmly manage your time and stay disciplined and within your time-frame for each task.
• If your alarm doesn’t wake you up and you live with someone else, see if they can try to physically wake you before they leave the house.
• Make sure that you look in the mirror before you leave the house so you look presentable.
• Getting more sleep, exercising, and eating right, will help you stay energized throughout the day and help you wake up earlier.
• If you know you are going to be late no matter what, call the person and let them know.

Related Articles

• Wake Up On Time
• Wake Up Without an Alarm Clock
• Be Punctual
• Know How Much Sleep You Need
• Wake up Late and Still Look Great

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Productivity a Habit
• Find Consistency in Life
• Have a Routine
• Avoid Unhealthy Habits After Losing Your Job
• Plan a Postpartum Beauty Routine
• Form a Good Habit
• Have a Good Daily Routine for School Days
• Be Punctual
• Read More
• Stay Organized

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What links here

• Stop Hitting the Snooze Button
• Think Fast
• Wake Up Easily