It’s likely that if you are a ‘bed-maker’ you had a mother who heavily influenced this habit. For a period in your life you may have cursed her for enforcing this daily practice, but when you consider the potential benefits of this simple practice you may want to reconsidered your position and thank your mother profusely.
In a survey by hunch.com1, only 27 percent of people make their beds on a daily basis, 59 percent of people don’t make their beds each day and 14 percent pay a housekeeper to make it for them. Probably the most interesting part of this survey was that 71% of bed-makers considered themselves happy while 62% of non-bed-makers admitted to being unhappy. Bed makers were more likely to enjoy their jobs, own their own home, exercise regularly, and feel well rested. Whereas non-bed-makers tended to dislike their jobs, rent their homes, avoid exercise and wake up feeling tired.
A National Sleep Foundation Poll found that people who regularly made their bed were also more likely to say that they got a good night’s sleep most nights. This may coincide with the Foundations finding that sleep environment, including cleanliness influences how well you sleep each night. 3
So is there more to this simple habit than first meets the eye?
I have always considered ‘bed-making’ as one of those ‘keystone habits’ that lead to the development of multiple other good habits such as cooking your own food, exercising regularly, getting to bed on time and practicing Yoga or Tai Chi. Bed-making seems to have a chain effect in your life that produces a number of positive outcomes.
- Bed making helps you to start your day off on the right foot
- It gives you a sense of accomplishment and an instant feeling of success
- Bed making as a habit has a domino effect and helps you form other positive habits
- Bed making puts you in a positive state of mind first thing in the morning
- It helps you to be ‘mindful’ of how you are starting your day. If you believe in the law of attraction then this simple action will lead to other positive outcomes throughout your day.
- Bed making gives you a sense of pride and demonstrates that the little things in life matter
In his book “The Power of Habit”, Charles Duhigg stated that “Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget.2″ For such a simple task, it would seem that there can be significant benefits.
I have read many great books that discuss how physical clutter, at home or at the office, is often a concrete representation of mental or emotional clutter as well. One excellent book on this topic is “Unstuff Your Life” by Andrew Mellen who states that “making your bed helps declutter your space and mind.4″ These types of findings may be the reason why Youtube Channels such as ‘Clean my Space’ have become so popular. Finding ways to organize your bedroom can lead to greater productivity throughout your day.
I have always found that making my bed helped me to gain a sense of control, feel organized and lowered my stress levels. I don’t find myself wasting mental energy and I can centre my attention on the tasks at hand. I find a tidy space very calming and it gives me the mental clarity to be mindful of what I’m really trying to achieve.
People have often quoted the phrase “The state of your bed is the state of your head” and for some reason this statement has always reminded me of the movie ‘Definitely Maybe’ when April (Isla Fisher) is sitting down talking to Will (Ryan Reynolds) and says “Your Shit is a Mess”. I am pretty sure she was referring to more than just the state of his bedroom however Will’s entire apartment was a pretty good representation of his life at that point in the movie.
I will never forget the first time I read “The Common Denominator of Success” by Albert E.N. Gray. This masterpiece was delivered in 1940 and has been quoted and referenced by millions of people all over the world. In this document Albert E.N. Gray states that “discipline is the trait to all successful people” and that “although hard work, good luck and astute human relations are all important, the successful person has formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do. They may not like doing them either necessarily but their dislike is subordinated by the strength of their purpose and their vision.6″ I have often wondered if keystone habits such as making your bed, arriving early, preparing your own food, following a budget, and reading broadly fall into this same category.
So begin creating this powerful habit for yourself right now. Research7 suggests that it can take some people as little as 18 days to ‘solidify’ this habit so why not set yourself the goal of completing this task for one full month.
References
- Make Your Bed, Change Your Life?
- Charles Duhigg
The Power of Habit - National Sleep Foundation Survey
- Andrew Mellen
Unstuff Your Life - Clean My Space – How to Make a Bed – Bed Making Tutorial & Other Great Bed Tips!
- Phillippa Lally*, Cornelia H. M. van Jaarsveld, Henry W. W. Potts andJane Wardle. 2010. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology. Volume 40, Issue 6, pages 998-1009. October 2010.