The alarm rings, you groggily stumble away from the mattress, while your cat lies there cozy and curled up in the sheets. You start the coffee, jump in the shower, and your day has begun.
It can be tempting not to make the bed every morning—it’s one more thing to have to cram into a busy day, you don’t want to disturb Mittens, or yeah, it’s just going to get messed up again in a few hours. Whether you make your bed or not, says a lot about you though, and even more importantly, straightening those sheets can actually set the tone for your day.
Psychology articles like this one called, “Make Your Bed, Change Your Life?” references a survey showing “59 percent of people don’t make their beds. 27 percent do, while 12 percent pay a housekeeper to make it for them.“
What’s of further interest however is that “71 percent of bed makers consider themselves happy; while 62 percent of non-bed-makers admit to being unhappy.” Why the difference?
Accomplishment Equals Smile
Besides prying yourself off the mattress to begin with, consider bed making your (other) first accomplishment of the day. It’s not that non-bed makers can’t be happy, obviously, but an organized environment is good for our mental state.
This task of making the bed takes less than a minute (depending on how many decorative pillows you have of course), and it instantly offers calm, making the entire room look more pulled together and tranquil.
If you work from home, having the bed made early on in the day encourages you to keep the rest of the room tidy as well. Plus whenever you pass by the bedroom you’ll see that neatly made bed you’re looking forward to climbing back into.
Even if you do wait until you’ve had a few sips of coffee to fluff those pillows, making your bed each day is important! This little task is a great way to accomplish something that lifts your mood, gives you a sense of pride, and boosts productivity—all because you took a moment to pull up the comforter.