Definition
Making your bed every morning may improve your mood and productivity throughout the entire day.
How to Do It
Make your bed.
Make sure your sheets are fitted correctly to the mattress. Then adjust pillows, blankets or quilts, in an orderly fashion.
Benefits
- May make you happier[1,3]
- May boost productivity[2]
Time Commitment
Less than 5 minutes
Why it works
- Starting the day with the successful completion of a task gets you into a productive frame of mind that may last throughout the day[2].
- Completing a task can make you feel happy, and a messy environment can cause your mood to worsen[1,3]. So, making your bed may improve your mood.
- Making your bed can act a mindfulness ritual[4].
Suggested Frequency
Daily
Supporting Studies and Articles
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-candy/201208/make-your-bed-change-your-life
- https://www.today.com/home/will-making-your-bed-every-morning-change-your-life-t40961
- https://www.simplerecovery.com/making-bed-makes-you-happier/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-010-0015-4
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10493-006-9003-8#/page-1
Side Effects
- A made bed provides a better home to dust mites than a messy one[5]. Make sure you wash your linens regularly.
- Scientists haven’t really investigated the claims made by proponents of bed-making. Still, there is no harm in trying it out and seeing if making your bed helps you feel better and work more effectively.
Gurus/Celebrities/Doing it
Jordan Peterson
Admiral William H McCraven
Category Health/Productivity/Mood:
- Mood
- Productivity
Suggested Time of Day
Morning
Notes
According to Randall Bell, Ph.D., a writer who has investigated successful people for over 25 years, people who make their beds are 200% more likely to be millionaires. Other habits of successful people include waking up early and reading books.
