7 Ways Keeping Your Bedroom Clean Will Change Your Life
Did you know that the key to a happy, productive and prosperous life starts in the bedroom?
After all, it is where you begin and conclude every day, so keeping that sacred room clean, tidy and organized is vital.
A made bed, a tidy closet and a pile-free floor will do more than just make you feel good - they’ll change your life.
That may seem like a bold claim, but productivity experts, happiness researchers and the National Sleep Foundation all agree that a well-kept bedroom can pay off.
Reason 1: You’ll Be More Social
Let’s face it, if you’re embarrassed about the state of your bedroom, you’re not likely to invite anyone over to see it. An unmade bed, clothes strewn across the floor and an overflowing laundry basket aren’t exactly signals that you’re ready for company. In fact, being down right ashamed of your bedroom might put you off having people over all together.
An unmade bed can lead to a general embarrassment about the state of your home. Photo: Trendenser
Eva Selhub, M.D. and author of Your Health Destiny: How to Unlock Your Natural Ability to Overcome Illness, Feel Better, and Live Longer writes that “disorganization can lead to shame and embarrassment and actually create a physical and emotional boundary around you that prevents letting people in.”
When company calls to come over, you want to be able to accept with confidence and enjoy the spontaneity of unplanned guests. So keep it clean, because let’s be honest - ain’t nothin’ sexy about a mess.
Reason 2: You’ll Get to Work On Time
Do you find yourself shouting “where’s my shoe?” and “I have nothing to wear!” every morning? Are you rummaging through a pile of partly clean, partly dirty articles of clothing, watching the minutes tick by in a frenzy to get to work? How will you ever make it out the door on time if you can’t find where anything is?
Keeping your bedroom closet organized will help you get out the door faster. Photo: Stylizmo
Keeping your bedroom tidy will streamline your morning. When you have an organized scope of what’s in your closet, where your belongings are and what you need to get ready in the morning, you’ll cut that frantic scamper down considerably.
You aren’t exactly setting the tone for a good day with a run in your hose, your skirt tucked into your underwear, or mismatched socks because you spent 20 minutes looking for that blouse you really wanted to wear and then panicked.
Reason 3: You’ll Be More Productive
If you leave your bedroom without making your bed, you’re basically sabotaging your day. It really is the first organizational task of a day and the first mission you can accomplish. If you don’t cross it off the list, you’re not setting a good example for yourself and the day ahead.
Making your bed can make you a more productive person. Photo: ThinkStock
According to Charles Duhigg’s, author of “The Power of Habit”, making your bed every morning is directly correlated with higher levels of productivity and overall happiness. Ending your day by putting away your clothing and starting it with the simple task of making your bed will actually shape you into a more productive person, he argues.
Habits like these make you feel like you’re put together, on top of things and ready for the day’s challenges. A clear, organized mind is a productive mind and organizing the environment around you right from the get-go, will facilitate a feeling of preparedness and control.
Jackie Ashton from Apartment Therapy took it upon herself to test out Duhigg’s theory on bed-making and productivity, and found that she was reaping the benefits in a short, 10 day trial period.
“Making my bed inspires me to get my kids to make their beds. Which inspires me to get them to clean their rooms. Which inspires me to do the laundry, the dishes, and to pick up abandoned stuffed animals, dropped underwear (theirs! not mine), and newspapers-turned-light-sabers as I corral my two toddlers out the door to school.” Ashton says.
“I look at my watch to see that it is 8am and the house is an unusual shade of clean before coffee. I’m smiling.
Well, Jackie, we’re inspired too!
Reason 4: You’ll Be Less Stressed
Your bedroom should be a peaceful retreat. It should be a room in which you feel soothed, sexy and settled - three things you’ll never achieve sleeping in a space that looks like 10 pre-schoolers on a sugar-high ran through it.
Creating a bedroom that is a peaceful sanctuary will do wonders in reducing your stress levels. Photo: HGTV
Remember, you start and finish your day in your bedroom. It is the first thing you see, and the last, and if what you see is messy, dirty and unorganized, you’ll feel more unsettled and stressed out.
Calm your nerves and your mind by keeping your bedroom tranquil. When coming home tired and worn out, there’s nothing nicer than walking in and seeing your cozy, comfy bed made and waiting for you. It has an instantly calming effect and warrants a big beautiful sigh of relief.
Reason 5: You’ll Have Higher Self Esteem
As trivial as it may seem, the feeling of accomplishment you get when you make your bed in the morning, means a great deal. Beyond just helping set a productive tone for the day, it’s also a little opportunity to feel proud of yourself.
Every little accomplishment counts when it comes to building your self esteem. One such accomplishment is making your bed. Photo: Mad About the House
Gretchen Rubin, author of the bestselling book “The Happiness Project,” found when researching her book on the key to happiness, that the making of a bed was "the number one most impactful change that people brought up over and over.“
If starting your day with a quick, two-minute task can lead to increased happiness, then it seems foolish to skip it. Because, as silly as it may seem, sometimes you just need a little pat on the back, even if you have to reach around and give it yourself.
Reason 6: You’ll Have Better Habits
Good habits beget good habits. Making your bed leads to keeping your bedroom clean, which leads to a clean car and a clean desk. When you set the tone for your day the way you would like your day to unfold, chances are you’ll be able to follow through.
Keep your clothing off the floor - it will breed better habits throughout your day. Photo: Centsational Girl
In his book, Duhigg talks about what he calls “keystone habits.” Chris Bailey, in a piece written for A Life of Productivity, explains that “keystone habits create a chain reaction; changing and rearranging your other habits as you integrate the (keystone) habit into your life.”
Making your bed or putting away your clothing can both have that effect. Durigg believes that creating these keystone habits ”helps other habits to flourish by creating new structures, and establishing cultures where change becomes contagious.“
Related on Yahoo Makers: Style Your Bedroom for a Better Night’s Sleep
Isn’t it funny how one dirty fork left in the sink, suddenly amounts to a giant stack of unwashed dishes? Cleaning the fork right away is the easiest way to avoid the huge mess that ensues when you get lazy.
As they, “a stitch in time, saves nine,” don’t you know.
Reason 7: You’ll Look Better
Because a decluttered bedroom leads to lower stress levels, you’ll go to bed with a clearer mind and therefore sleep more restfully. It is no great revelation that a restful night’s sleep is the key to looking refreshed and replenished.
According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation, people who made their beds every morning were 19% more likely to get a good night’s sleep, and 75% of people surveyed noted that sleeping on clean, fresh sheets meant an even better night’s rest, due to a higher level of comfort and feeling of well-being.
It is clear that a clean, organized space leads to a more rested, and therefore beautiful, you.
So, tonight when you head to bed, take the time to fold your clothing, sort your laundry and tidy up, and when you wake in the morning, be sure to make your bed - your happiness depends on it!
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