Making my bed
This isn't my bed
I hope I don’t shock you when I share with you that, until recently, I never made my bed. Here’s why: My husband typically gets up after me, so by the time he was up and around my day had begun and I didn’t give my bed another thought. (And he’s not into making the bed.) At bedtime, I’d pull the sheets and blanket up so that we could comfortably sleep in it, but throughout the day it was unmade. No big deal. But certainly not beautiful.
A couple of months ago, I read this post, Former Navy SEAL and I Agree on a Important Habit. Not What You’d Expect, on Gretchen Rubin’s blog and it inspired me to start making the bed. I decided I’d do it when I noticed it unmade. No pressure. Just a little experiment, to see whether it made a difference.
You know what? It does make a difference! When I go into our bedroom throughout the day, for one reason or another, I feel better about the room. When I’m tired and wanting to go to bed, I don’t have to take the time to make it.
I’m not big into lots of pillows and decorative items on the bed (that’s probably obvious), so making it takes just a few moments. It’s a small effort, but it turns out it has a big impact.
Making the bed, for me, is one of those small habits like clearing off my desk each night, and putting my keys in the same place that can make a big difference, especially when it comes automatic.
What small thing do you do regularly that makes your life easier?
Photo © 2010 by Maegan Tintari via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License
Tagged with: bed, clean desk, gretchen rubin, habits, keys
Comments
I agree Janine! I have made mine for quite a few years and it does feel good to see it during the day. It also makes me aware if there is anything in the bedroom sitting around…shoes, clothes etc. Wanting it to look nice helps. My husband jokes that as soon as he gets out of it, Ii’m making it.
Have you read The life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo? I bought it and have barely started it but I told my husband about it and he started reading it. He is purging like crazy! I think we got rid of several hundred pounds of paper yesterday. Stuff you used to print out, warranties for stuff you don’t have anymore,. Now he’s on to other stuff! In his office!
Vickie Sheridan July 6, 2015 07:28 AM
Vickie, I’ve read parts of Marie Kondo’s book and have certainly noted it spurs people into action. The professional organizer in me bristles at its directive nature and the absolutes in the text, but if it helps people get started purging, that’s fantastic!! I need to read the whole thing, get past my objections and figure out how it can help me help others.
Janine Adams July 6, 2015 09:03 AM
I heard the same objections on a podcast about it making them mad but it still got them to do something. We haven’t agreed with everything but my husband is motivated….that’s a good thing!
Vickie Sheridan July 6, 2015 09:46 AM
About Janine
Hello! I’m Janine Adams — a certified professional organizer based in St. Louis, and the creator of Peace of Mind Organizing®.
I love order, harmony + beauty, but I believe that the way that you feel about yourself and your home is what truly matters.
If you’re ready to declutter with a purpose and add more ease to your life, you’ve found the right blog — and you’ve found the right company.
read more »Links
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- Metropolitan Organizing
- National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals
- NAPO St. Louis
- Organize Your Family History
- Getting to Good Enough podcast
- Institute for Challenging Disorganization
Funny. I realize this post is from last year, but making my bed is my current new thing. Not that I’ve never made my bed before, but I had let it go most days in recent months. I still think it’s less important if you truly don’t see your bed between the time you get up and the time you go to sleep, but I realized I see my unmade bed MANY times per day. It makes such a difference to walk into (or by) my bedroom and see it made. And it takes so little time to do. It truly makes me happy!
Hazel Thornton March 16, 2015 05:54 PM