Best Morning Routines for Men to Stay Looking Sharp
How you look and how you feel are closely interconnected. Looking sharp involves taking care of your insides just as much as your outsides. There’s nothing wrong with strictly aesthetic pursuits, but you’ll always see the best results if you’re thoroughly taking care of yourself.
A healthy morning that boosts your confidence can set you up for a great day. If you show up at work looking and feeling great, it’s easier to carry that feeling with you in everything you do. So, here are the most important parts of the best morning routines to start your day the best you can.
Give Yourself a Luxury Shave
You can’t hit the barbershop every morning. The best you can do is replicate the experience in your own bathroom. Using the right tools will help you achieve the luxurious look and feel of a barbershop shave at home.
If you don’t use a straight razor, you might want to learn to shave with one. Straight razors allow barbers to get a clean, close shave with minimal irritation to the skin. They’re able to tilt the blade to lift and cut the hair shafts as close to the surface of the skin as possible, delaying the appearance of stubble and reducing the risk of redness and bumps that come with frequent razor passes over the same spot.
Barbers also use hot lather. That warmed up lather helps the skin to absorb and retain moisture, softening your beard and bloating up the hair fibers just a little bit, making it easier for the razor to lift and cut when they’re warm and wet. Get yourself a hot lather machine for a smoother shave (plus, our starter pack even includes the shaving cream to go with it).
Take Great Care of Your Skin
Before you shave, you should be washing your face with a decent cleanser. Exfoliating your skin at least once a week will help get rid of the dead skin cells that become trapped in your beard. When the dead skin is gone, your shave will be a lot closer and smother.
After you shave, you’ll want to moisturize your skin. Morning shavers benefit from a moisturizer that contains some type of sunscreen. Shaving can increase skin sensitivity. If you already have very sensitive skin that you’ve made more sensitive by shaving, sunlight is going to make the problem a lot worse. A high SPF moisturizer will help to soothe your skin while protecting it from harmful UV rays.
Choose Breakfast Wisely
Skipping breakfast generally isn’t a good idea. Unless you’re utilizing something like an intermittent fasting program, you’re likely to feel sluggish and have low blood sugar far before lunch rolls around. You don’t want to feel so hungry that you overeat. A little bit of breakfast can help you moderate your healthy eating habits throughout the day.
In the morning, you want a decent balance of protein, healthy fats, and unprocessed carbs. This will keep you full until lunch. Something like eggs and whole grain toast with avocado will provide you with a great balance of nutrients. If you don’t have time or you don’t fancy yourself a cook, there are plenty of alternatives.
If you want to be able to grab something and go, microwave some fiber-enriched protein oatmeal and mix in a small spoonful of coconut oil to enhance the flavor and provide some healthy fat. If you have berries laying around, tossing a handful on top will give you a little bit of a vitamin boost.
Don’t forget to drink your water, either. When you’re not properly hydrated, your body won’t work efficiently and you’ll look and feel sluggish. You can see the effects of chronic dehydration manifesting as dry or dull skin and hair. Topical products can help, but nothing is quite as effective as providing your body with moisture from the inside out.
Make Some Time for Physical Activity
Do you always promise yourself you’ll hit the gym after work, and then find yourself not following through? This doesn’t mean you're a procrastinator. If work is tiring and stressful, you probably want to relax for a little while when you’re off the clock. It’s really okay if you don’t feel like you have it in you to run for a couple miles or lift weights when you’re finally ready to chill out.
That’s why it’s better to work out in the morning. You aren’t exhausted. You haven’t been faced with the stresses of your day. You’re ready for some motivation.
Get your blood flowing with half an hour of physical activity. You can alternate between lifting weights and running to get a good balance of cardio and strength training. When your workout is over with, it won’t be stewing on the backburner all day. You’ll be completely free after work.
Another benefit of getting your workout in early is that working out produces endorphins. Rather than wiping you out, it helps to energize your body and improve your mood. You might find that you’re a little more optimistic about your workday if you clock in after a good workout.
Pick Out Your Clothes the Night Before
If you tend to stumble around in the dim morning light to get dressed, you might not wind up with the ensemble you intended. You don’t want to get to work to discover that your shirt is wrinkled, your shoes and your belt don’t match, and your tie is a completely different color than you thought it was.
Plan your outfits ahead and set them aside. You’ll save some time in the morning, and you won’t have to worry about any surprises that might come as a result of getting dressed in a hurry. When you plan to look sharp, sticking to the plan requires a lot less effort than winging it.
Use the Right Shower Products
Men love multitasking products. It feels more efficient to use the same product for everything. The problem is the sacrifices that have to be made when one product is designed to perform so many functions. What you’re left with is a soap that’s a jack of all trades, but a master of none.
A shampoo/conditioner/body wash/face wash combo can’t really do much. What if you have dandruff? You can’t put dandruff fighting ingredients on your face, so you’ll have to make a concession that will leave you with an untreated scalp. What if you have an oily face and a dry scalp? One product can’t solve both of those issues simultaneously.
Pick separate shampoos, conditioners, face washes, and body washes that are designed with your primary concerns in mind. You’ll notice better results that make it easier for you to maintain your desired appearance. It’s a little more work to use different things, but how good you’ll look is worth the effort. At the very least, start your change by adding in a face wash specific to what your facial skin needs.
Conclusion
Looking sharp isn’t a matter of one or two choices you make with your outfit or haircut. It’s about taking great care of yourself and showing your body the respect it deserves. Eating right, moving around, grooming properly, and managing your skin are just as important as the other choices you make.
If it seems daunting, remember that you deserve to take that time to do something for yourself. You work hard, and you deserve to feel happy, healthy, and confident. Build a morning routine that empowers you -- looking sharp will make you feel sharp.
Sources:
https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19537348/how-much-fat-and-carbs-should-you-eat/
https://www.prevention.com/fitness/g20466043/working-out-every-single-morning-for-a-month/
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen/how-to-select-sunscreen