Making the bed in the morning: good or bad daily habit?

When it comes to making the bed in the morning, the debates are lively. First of all, there are those who cannot start the day without perfectly arranged sheets, duvets and pillows. But there are also those for whom there is no hurry. They can even go an entire day without their bed being made. And if certain studies published more or less recently guarantee that this last gesture is the most practicable level of hygiene, other personal development experts say that making the bed improves mental health.

Making the bed in the morning – a bad habit with one condition

According to a 2016 study by researchers at the University of Kingston Immunology Center in England, making the bed in the morning when you wake up would be a very bad habit. For what ? Note that on average, each bed contains over a million dust mites. These microscopic little animals generally feed on our dead cells and have the particularity fear the light of day. When you make the bed and put the blanket back on the sheet correctly, we contain these famous mites. The latter are therefore protected from light and can proliferate gently in our cozy nest.

But does that mean you have to leave your bed unmade all day? Of course, do as you please! But you should still know leaving the bed “in the air” for an hour or an hour and a half is more than enough so that the mites do not survive contact with the air from the rest of your apartment and the sun’s rays.

A beneficial ritual for mental health

Life is made up of small daily gestures that can guarantee our well-being. When you suffer from anxiety disorders or depression, it may happen that certain daily tasks seem impossible to carry out. A difficulty that can affect different areas of life such as taking a shower, getting dressed, leaving the house or even making the bed. But these small acts, more or less significant, all have their interest, why animate the daily life and allow getting out of the state of “impossible task”, a precursor of depression or anxiety which is characterized by “the impossibility of acting and carrying out daily tasks” according to INPES (National Institute for Prevention and Health Education).

To prevent depression, it is obviously important to discuss this with a specialist. But trying to structure your day with mundane daily activities can be a big help. That’s what Gretchen Rubin, author of the bestselling books “Better Than Before” and “Happier at Home,” says. She tells the media Elite newspaper :

“The bed is a symbol of oneself. When you’re done, your mind feels organized.”

While this topic is the subject of very little study, there is evidence that having an orderly environment can be especially important for older adults. A tidy space could therefore improve or maintain their brain function and improve their overall quality of life.

That’s why making the bed, in anything else, is advisable. But again, this gesture is not an injunction and depends entirely on you, but more importantly on your mental health. The button ? Above all, don’t blame yourself no matter what!