Casual Mondays

If you're like me, you are not a fan of Mondays.  But instead of whining about it, I have adopted a new practice to help me ease into the work week.  It is known as the Casual Monday.

Some people feel refreshed after a weekend.  That may be true, but honestly I am not going to feel that refreshment until about 2 in the afternoon.  I just got done sleeping in until 11:30 two days in a row, and now I am supposed to get moving a full 4 hours earlier and drag myself into work.  I don't know about you, but I prefer to eek out every second of sleep I can on Monday mornings.  Getting up in time to shave, make breakfast, pick out matching clothes... It just doesn't sound like fun after a weekend of reckless abandon.

My guide to starting this unavoidable part of your week:

Hygiene:

A shower is still essential.  I have been blessed with hair that completely greases over if I sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time.  Plus, if someone forgets to change the setting on the shower, that cold water on your back wakes you up with a scream and a dance that proves you are still more limber than you thought.

As far as brushing your teeth... you did that last night.  Bring a toothbrush and bit of toothpaste to keep in your desk and work it into the first 5 minutes of your work day.  Mouthwash should tide you over if you feel the need for an emergency chemical wash.

Shaving? Ha!  Best part about Casual Monday.  You and your 24 o'clock shadow are going rugged today.  Stay in your cubicle and stay out of well lit areas.  No one will notice or care, and you won't cut yourself trying to get that silky smooth chi..... CRAP! Missed a spot... and it is the first thing you noticed when you sat down at your desk.  The 24 o'clock shadow does not miss spots.

Wardrobe:

The public face of Casual Mondays. Hopefully you don't work in a place where you need a suit.  Also, I feel most meetings land in the Tuesday-Thursday range, so chances are you don't need to impress anyone today.  As you finish drying off, try to land the towel on something where it can hang for the day and not clump in a ball.  You could take the 5 seconds to put it on its hook, but that is 5 seconds of sleep you just can't budget for.

A pair of dark jeans and the first shirt with a collar in your closet will do today.  Every color goes with jeans (or so I am told) so it doesn't ultimately matter what you grab.  The collar does class it up a bit over the classic t-shirt and you might even fool someone into thinking you spend more than 5 minutes getting ready this morning.  A pair of shoes and you are done.  Dressed in 50 seconds... make that a minute flat, let's put some underwear on.

Breakfast/Lunch:

The most important meal of the day should be filled by the most important food... grain.  Everyone eats it, and bread has a few grains in it, sometimes as many 12.  If you can time it right, drop this in the toaster on your way back from the shower.  If you have some cinnamon/sugar prepared, some pb, or some j, you have yourself something to keep your stomach busy until you can hit the vending machine or secret stash of snacks at work during your morning break.

If you are going to prepare a lunch, you better have done it earlier.  Something you can grab out of the fridge and throw in your bag is about all there is time for.  I like using those containers that Chinese food comes in. Not the real paper folded up and you can hold like a bag a 2 year old girl would skip gleefully around with, I mean those black plastic containers with the clear top.  Those things are amazing, and microwaveable to boot.  Don't have anything prepared? I think you can justify eating out one day of the week.

So you and that now 25 o'clock shadow are out the door and on your way to a week of work.  You aren't looking sharp and ready to go, but no one is looking for or wanting that sort of enthusiasm at 9:00am on a Monday morning.  Drink your coffee, slam that energy drink, and take Monday to start revving your engine.  When you squeal the tires it takes a while for the car to get up to speed.   I find I am more productive as the week goes on and my wardrobe reflects that.  Fridays are great and if there is any day to look great why not make it the end of the week?  Hit the bars in style or just take joy in the satisfaction of throwing those dress pants in laundry, knowing you have two days that are all yours.

Care to refute, repudiate, or refrigerate my argument? Leave a comment below and suggest your friends do the same.