How Making Your Bed Can Improve Your Mood

How many of us recall our mother’s demand to “make your bed”? If you are anything like me, you probably resisted, or at best, just threw the blankets over your pillows. But, as with many things, Mom was right.

During stressful times like the COVID-19 pandemic, political conflicts, and fluctuations in the stock market, some of my patients asked me for tools on how to manage anxiety during uncertain times. Among the many suggestions I have, one that is consistently helpful is routine. And yes, that starts with making your bed when you wake up.

The Research Behind Bedmaking and Success

Why does this small and innocuous act have such a powerful impact on mental health? After all, you’re just going to unmake it when you get into bed at night, so what is the point? Believe it or not, there is research to support the fact that people who make their bed every morning are more likely to be successful and as a side benefit become wealthy. Randall Bell, Ph.D., is a socio-economist who has been studying the core characteristics of high achievers. One of the things they all have in common is they do their chores and make their bed. In fact, people who commit to this habit are more than 200% more likely to become millionaires. This is not a causal relationship but, it is associated with other positive habits that contribute to finding success in life. It is part of keeping a routine.

Admiral William H. McRaven is a retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral who had various roles including former Navy Seal, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command and was considered by former President Biden to be his secretary of defense. Clearly, a successful human being. He wrote a book in 2017 entitled, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life… And Maybe the World. In it, he summarizes his view that bedmaking is just part of a routine that can set you up for success. He references his days as a SEAL trainee when every morning instructors would arrive in the barracks and the first thing, they would do was inspect the beds. According to General McRaven, he and his cohort were required to make their beds to perfection. As a trainee, he though it was somewhat mundane and unrelated to the fact that the trainees were working hard to become battle-hardened warriors. However, he later reflected on this requirement and stated:

“If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.”

The Psychological Benefits of Bedmaking

Making your bed can lead to an increased release of a brain chemical called dopamine, which often reinforces behavior. It has been called the “feel good chemical” and is released during pleasurable activities, and in studies is shown to be self-perpetuating. Making your bed sets your intention to follow through on other structured events during the day like exercise, prioritizing work-related tasks that are most essential to complete, and eating meals on a regular basis. Making your bed can also be part of maintaining a clean, uncluttered home environment. In one research study, investigators found that the act of uncluttering, was linked to improved mental health in older participants.

Routine helps to provide structure, predictability and importantly for those with anxiety, a sense of control. Once you have a routine, it decreases the need for you to make constant decisions or worry about what comes next. You already know, because you do it the same way every day. Keeping routines is great for time management. You can prioritize the most critical tasks first, it will prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed and conserve your mental energy. If you maintain a routine, you will be more likely to remember to take prescribed medications, exercise, and maintain a regular sleep pattern all of which are crucial for maintaining your mental health.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, regular routines were shattered. Without the need to rise at particular times, attend school or work, and remain isolated from friends and family, good habits fell by the weigh side. People lived in their sweatpants, reported increased alcohol use, disordered sleep, weight gain, a drop-off in exercise as gyms and exercise studios were closed. And mood disorders rose by at least 25%, according to the World Health Organization.

Family Routines as Stress Buffers

A study published in 2012, describes how family routines helped to buffer stress during those years. They found that while COVID-19- related stress was negatively associated with family resilience at low and moderate levels of engagement in family routines, relations between COVID-19-related stress and family resilience were non-significant when families engaged in high levels of routines.

If you are thinking about creating a routine (which I hope you are) here are some ideas for how to get started:

• Start with one practice at a time. Do not feel like you must do everything at once. Set yourself up for success, not failure.
• Create a plan—write it down and place it somewhere that you can’t avoid seeing it. I use the “Rule of Four” for my patients. Write down no more than four items you want to change and try and incorporate one at a time.
• Reframe your thinking: Creating a routine does not mean you have to change everything about the way you live day to day. Just try and incorporate some healthy habits and repeat them regularly until they happen by themselves. Start by making your bed.