Make your bed, start ahead. A small act, with big consequences. Now it might seem about as exciting as watching paint dry, but trust me, there’s more to it than meets the eye! Making your bed starts your day off right. With a small accomplishment to start your day, you’ve already set yourself up with a bit of momentum. Today I’m going to talk you through how this simple, yet effective act can make you more productive, boost your mental well-being and help towards building habits.

Improving Productivity

• In life, the first move we make can set the tone for what is to come. Be it a first impression, the first stride in a run or even completing the first task of the day. All these factors can impact how the future is laid out which emphasises the importance of our first actions. Therefore, if you can start the day by making your bed, you’ve already succeeded in your first task and made a positive first impression on the day.

• A clean and tidy workspace is paramount to ensure we can concentrate on our tasks. With there being a shift towards working at home a lot more nowadays, many of us result to working in our rooms which means making the bed is even more important than ever. Having a tidy bed creates a more organised environment and therefore allows you to focus better.

Boost Mental Wellbeing

• Admiral McRaven, the godfather to bedmakers, states ‘if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed’. McRaven speaks of how making your bed can give you a small sense of pride which will encourage you to complete another task, and another, and another. This knock-on effect can have a real impact on how our day goes, so giving yourself the best chance to have a positive day could start with you making your bed!

• A poll taken by the National Sleep Foundation found that people who made their bed were 19% more likely to receive better sleep than people who did not. This goes to show that making your bed could have an impact on your overall mental wellbeing. Getting a good night’s sleep can help boost your mood, reduce stress and therefore make your day that little bit easier.
  
  

Enhancing Habits and Routines

• Habits remain an essential part of our life. Building a healthy habit such as making your bed brings you one step closer to a successful outcome. The combination of all our daily habits determines the outcome of how the day will go. Writer Marty Nemko highlights how a routine is a task that you know you can do well at and gives you the opportunity each day to get continually better at it. This goes to show that by implementing a positive habit, you are actively shaping a better possibility of a good day.

ACTION PLAN

• Starting tomorrow, when you wake up try and make your bed before leaving your room. Fluff those pillows and straighten those sheets, then take a step back to admire your first achievement of the day.

• As Admiral McRaven said, if by chance you have a miserable day, at least you will come home to a bed that is made. That you made.