Make your bed.

I’m working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone’s project will look different, but it’s the rare person who can’t benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday’s post will help you think about your own happiness project.

A few days ago, I was writing my list of tips for how to keep your surroundings uncluttered, and I included the extremely important tip, “Make your bed.” But I realized that making your bed is an act important enough to deserve being its own resolution.

Now, it’s true that some people thrive on a little chaos. They find a disorderly room to be comfy and casual. When one of my friends was growing up, her mother made such a big deal of keeping the house clean that now my friend has gone far in the opposite direction. Very far. Most people, however, even if they may find it tough to keep things tidy, prefer to live in orderly surroundings.

I love a calm environment, and making the bed is one of the quickest, easiest steps to keeping our bedroom orderly. Also, I get a real feeling of accomplishment from having completed this small task. It’s nice to start the day feeling that I’ve crossed something – however minor – off my list. It starts me off feeling productive, disciplined, and efficient.

Especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed, picking one little task to improve your situation, and doing it regularly, can help you regain a sense of control. Making your bed is a good place to start. It might help you build momentum to keeping other, more significant resolutions.

*
Interested in starting your own Happiness Project? If you’d like to take a look at my personal Resolutions Chart, for inspiration, just email me at grubin, then the “at” sign, then gretchenrubin dot com. No need to write anything more than “Resolutions Chart” in the subject line.

Comments

[Peggy Hoffman]

Permission to show my kids?? :) I've always been a bed maker (even smooth over the hotel bed)and never quite sure how to explain this to my kids ... you know why it's important, why it makes sense. Now I can articulate it! Thanks.

[Jeff Frank]

Hi Gretchen,

I am a graduate student of economics who is developing a way to use the methodology employed by companies like Pandora, Netflix and the like, to predict the combination of variables that produce happiness.

A deeper explanation. The algorithms used by those companies to predict that you'll like Forest Gump, if you liked What's Eating Gilbert Grape are based on identifying the clusters and strength among different variables found in those movies, songs, etc. What I'm doing is replacing the 30 or so variables of the song or movie (timbre, beat, melody, and so on) with the prevailing contributing factors of happiness coming out of positive psychology research (family, extroversion, satisfying employment and so on).

Next my theory is you can survey individuals for their happiness and the strength of these variables and then apply the similar algorithms being used to predict consumer choice, to predict what groupings of these "happiness variables" will make people happier.

It's a project in development for my thesis but I wanted to at least get in contact to see if you, or anyone else who is interested in this type of research would offer suggestions or ideas for my work.

[Mary Ellen]

The FlyLady has this as the central tenet of her philosophy. I think, not only is the bed a good example which makes the whole bedroom a little cleaner, it is also a tool. Once the bed is tidy, you can fold clothes on it, you can take a nap on it, you can sort your books on it. It can serve as a giant table to sort out a large paper project on.

The FlyLady also suggests keeping the sink clean, as the central feature of a kitchen. Not only does it serve as a good example which makes the whole kitchen a little cleaner, it is also a tool. When the sink is empty you can use it to wash things at a moments notice.

It's like oiling the pruning shears before we put them away; pruning shears are a tool that we want to keep ready for the moment when we need them.

[beth_nc]

Yes! Of any cleaning chore in the bedroom, making the bed gives you the most bang for your buck. It only takes a couple of minutes to do, but because the bed is the biggest piece of furniture in the room, it makes a huge difference in how the room looks. (The same amount of time rearranging stuff on my night stand might be good to do but - not such a great impact.)

Everyone's so busy -- when we think about these activities, it's helpful to consider the greatest return on your energy. Gretchen mentioned closing cabinets and drawers. Again, that only takes a few seconds, but it makes such a difference.

Even if you don't do any other tidying, you just feel a bit better.

[Fionnuala]

I think I must have picked this up from you, Gretchen. Since childhood, I have not been a fastidious bed-maker, but in the past few months I've been doing it every single morning and it's extraordinary what a difference it makes. Even when I feel overwhelmed at the mess concealed in drawers and cupboards and all the books and college notes that need studying, if the bed is made, I am not absolutely drowning in the mess!

[Allison]

I was never a fastidious bed maker until I lived in my sorority in college. I discovered that just by making my bed every day, I was able to create a bit of calm amid all the chaos and mess of 25 other women, and I've made it a habit ever since. I think it's related to the "control what you can control, and don't worry about what you can't" philosophy. It's amazing how such a seemingly small task can work wonders!

[HeatherSmedley]

I can so relate to your remark about picking one small task, doing it daily and finding a sense of accomplishment and some order amid the chaos.....but for me it isn't the bed....it's the dishwasher! Clean dishes and an uncluttered sink/counter all in one (almost) painless operation!!

[Sarah]

I like your comment, but may I add not to make it up as soon as you get out of bed. You perspire in your sleep, as much as a half cup or more, and that moisture is often captured in your sheets. So let your bed air out while you get dressed and have breakfast, then come back and make it up.

[andrea from the fishbowl]

I hereby resolve to be a better bed maker!

In my world it's the bathroom sink. It gets so gunked up after four people use it. I bought one of those microfibre cloths and keep it under the sink. Everyone is under strict instruction to wipe the sink after using it. This keeps the sink and faucet area shiny, and it really only takes 30 seconds of wiping to get it like that. And it's so easy the kids can do it too... and there are no cleaners involved. Just the cloth.

It's a small thing, but a shiny bathroom sink makes me incredibly happy.

[HP van Duuren]

Yes, it's only a few seconds work with instant results.

All the Best,
To your Happy Inspiration,
HP

[PNWGal]

I started making my bed again when my first child was born. It was something quick and easy and I could always managed to get it done no matter what the baby threw my way.

[Ubiguchi]

Having recently stumbled across the magic of making my bed in the morning, I thought I'd google for like-minded souls and stumbled across the Happiness Project. What a perfect advert for instant karma!