As morning alarms jolt us awake, beginning another busy day often feels chaotic - rushing to get dressed, wrangling kids out the door for school, skipping breakfast again and just trying to stay afloat. But what if starting on restful footing didn’t need to be so stressful every day? An abundance of science-backed physical, mental and even emotional benefits exist from one simple morning habit - making your bed.
Beyond tidiness, taking under a minute to smooth out sheets and arrange pillows actually triggers a cascade of positives for your mood, mindset and wellbeing both short and long-term. Intrigued how straightening sheets boosts whole life straightening? Read on to understand why making your bed daily drives so many gains that compound throughout your day.
The Accomplishment Mindset Advantage
Ironically, even small, completed tasks light up our brains’ reward circuitry through dopamine secretion much like big achievements do. So straightening bed linens helps give a sense of purpose and accomplishment to start the day, as it is completing a small but meaningful task.
This momentum then inspires capturing the next triumph which progressively builds the two most influential mindset drivers of all productivity:
- Sense of Accomplishment
Belief in your competence and abilities grows each time you organize sheets flawlessly. It seems minor but unconsciously confirms “I did that!” bolstering confidence to accomplish greater challenges ahead without a self-doubt drag.
- Sense of Control
Feeling your days spin wildly out of control leads to crippling stress when demands overwhelm. Yet neat bed corners re-instill stability, giving you steering power over some aspect in your life amid chaos. When people believe they have the ability to influence events and outcomes in their life, it greatly lessens feelings of anxiety and depressive thoughts.
The Wellbeing Windfall
Mental health gains only scratch the surface though. Consistently tidying bedding daily serves up these other well-documented benefits:
- Deeper, Faster Sleep Onset
Getting into straightened covers at bedtime feels inviting. The mind associates smoothness with it being time to unwind because you completed your final task already. This response cues quicker transitions into deeper circadian rhythms.
- Improved Relationships
Making the bed each morning sets the tone for a tidy household and shared habits with your partner. Research shows that couples who take small acts like this to contribute to the home tend to get along better overall. Working together to start the morning creates positive momentum that continues through the day.
- Healthier Heart and Weight
People who regularly tend to neatly made beds benefit from 30 percent greater cardiorespiratory fitness. They also average lower BMI presumably because structure cultivates additional positive lifestyle effects day and night.
Clearly beyond appearances, crease-free bedding sets off reactions that smooth out far more areas of life once you adopt the effort as a non-negotiable habit.
Make It a Family Ritual
Beyond personal gains, making your bed can be a quick, fun activity the whole family looks forward to together each morning. Not only does it get kids into the habit of responsibility, but it also fosters togetherness before everyone heads separate ways for the day.
Some tips for how to make bed making a rewarding family ritual:
- Challenge each other with speed races to straighten beds fastest. Laugh together at silly attempts.
- Let little ones earn Responsibility Rewards like screen time for successfully making their bed all week. You can even record streaks for how many days in a row they succeed.
- Make musical morning alarm playlists to play during bed making time so everyone wakes up dancing.
- For young children, use favorite character sheets and blankets to turn tidying up into playtime about lining up the zoo animals or arranging princess dresses. Imagination transforms chores.
Integrating this 60-second habit into children’s routines early develops lifelong organization skills while connecting family first thing each morning. Parents get a neater house while kids build confidence through meaningful contribution creating harmony all around! While seemingly micro, consistently carving out under 60 seconds after getting grounded each morning to flatten sheets pays big dividends for your mindset, motivation, health and relationships.
Adopting small habits yields huge wellbeing improvements! Begin your days by transforming messy, unmade mornings into restorative order through this effortless 1-minute ritual. Committing to this effortless 1-minute ritual for 30 days can start you off with a sense of control and accomplishment day after day.
Written By: Chris Gardner, OMF Marketing
Sources and References:
- https://blogs.webmd.com/depression/20220803/how-making-my-bed-every-day-changed-how-i-deal-with-my-depression
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-candy/201208/make-your-bed-change-your-life
- https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/people-with-high-financial-security-make-their-bed-more-often-spend-less-time-on-social-media.html
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