By Jacquelyn Brooks
Remember when your mom nagged and nagged until you made your bed? After hearing “you can go when your bed is made,” you probably came up with a million reasons for why it’s a pointless task. It’s just going to get messed up again. Your bed is pushed against the wall, and it’s difficult to make the bed. You just don’t feel like it. However, maybe there was a method to her motherly madness.
Currently my bed is unmade. I see a book, my cellphone, three hangers, and the rejected outfits from this morning. However, I do notice there’s a huge difference between when I make my bed and when I don’t. I’m a list person. I love lists. I love crossing things off of lists. Making my bed is the first checkmark on my To-Do list, and it’s immensely satisfying. Here are some other reasons to make your bed every morning:
1) You will be more productive.
Like I said, for me, it’s the first check on my To-Do list. Making your bed in the mornings can serve as the first completed task of the day, and can help you be more productive in the coming hours. Why stop with productivity now? You already have one task complete. U.S. Navy Adm. William McRaven says it can even help you change the world: “It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.” Aye, aye, Captain.
2) Your room will instantly look cleaner.
This is especially true in tiny bedrooms—I’m talking to your dormers and those living in cozy city apartments. It’s a chore, but your bed is probably the biggest item in your room. If it looks tidy, the rest of your room starts to follow suit. Conversely, when you come home from a busy day, you won’t have the underlying stress of an unmade bed. You can just roll down the covers and sleep tight.
3) You will start to develop other good habits.
As previously mentioned, your room will begin to look neater with a made bed. In turn, you may actually want to keep the rest of your room clean—dusting once in a while, keeping your clothes off of the floor. It might also spread further than the bedroom. One simple task first thing in the morning could lead to other small but good habits like putting the dishes in the dishwasher, folding the laundry when the dry cycle has ended, etc.
4) You get to show off your fabulous bedding.
I know I spent $85 on my duvet cover (I had a distinct vision). Some spent more, some less. No matter the worth, you didn’t spend precious money on your bedding for it to be wadded up in disarray. Chances are your bedding is something you like. You like the colors, the print, the texture…meaning it serves as a kind of self-expression. Do you want your self-expression to be wrinkled and in a ball? Probably not.
5) You can help keep allergens at bay.
A made bed ensures any dust, allergens, or dirt stays on the top layer of the bed. It also stands for pet hair—unless your pet is particularly rambunctious and likes sleeping between the sheets.
Do you make your bed every day?!