It’s common to sluggishly and reluctantly roll out of bed, leaving behind a cluttered pile of sheets and pillows. After drowsily walking or even sometimes crawling out of your room, it seems like making your bed is a pointless and tedious chore. However, there are numerous unforeseen benefits:
#1: You will start your day right.
Making your bed evokes a sense of accomplishment. Making your bed creates the same feeling as completing a homework assignment. In addition, it feels good to start off the day with an item completed off the check list within the first minutes of waking up. Luckily, making your bed is a simple and easy task which only requires a few minutes. Anyone can start off the day on the right note, establishing a positive tone for the rest of the day.
#2: You will start a domino effect of positive outcomes.
Making your bed is known as a “keystone habit.” Keystone habits are habits which lead to the development of multiple good habits. Thus, it starts a domino effect that produces a number of positive outcomes. Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, writes, “Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget. It’s not that a family meal or a tidy bed causes better grades or less frivolous spending. But somehow those initial shifts start chain reactions that help other good habits take hold.”
#3: You will improve the quality of your sleep.
Results from a survey commissioned by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) suggest that people sleep better in cleaner and more comfortable rooms. Specifically, the survey found that “seven out of ten people said they made their bed every day or almost every day. The bed-makers were 19% more likely to report getting a good night’s sleep on most days.” NSF Chief Operating Officer David Cloud explains, “People reported sleeping longer hours and feeling better about going to bed when their bed was made, their sheets were fresh, and their bedroom was comfortable.”
If these reasons aren’t convincing enough, take the advice of retired Navy SEAL commander, Bill McRaven. His words have gone viral as he believes it is essential to make your bed in order to be successful. Check out the graduation speech he gave at the University of Texas.