I don’t often make my bed properly. I aim to, but there is usually a cat on it when I’m in a bed making mood so I leave it all undisturbed. I love the feeling of smooth clean sheets though and when a friend reminded me of this video I thought it would make a good mini challenge.

Adm. McRaven said it felt mundane to start with but making your bed every morning gives you a small sense of pride and encourages you to complete more tasks. He says that the little things in life matter and coming home to a bed that is made gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better after a bad day.

How to make a bed well

I was possibly one of the last to get domestic science as a subject in school. I was taught how to stock a store cupboard and menu plan but I’ve never been taught how to make a bed. If you want to go back to basics this is a good little instructional video. Personally I don’t have any cushions other than pillows and I generally just have a duvet and a blanket but it is still interesting to watch.

Hospital corners

This is a way to fold the sheets under so they hold everything in place. Ignore this if you have fitted sheets!

To air or not to air?

My excuse for leaving a pile of bedding has always been ‘it has to air’.  There is a lot of sense in this, trapping dust mites and stale air into your bed cannot be good. There also has to be a balance so I’ve decided to compromise. I’m going to smooth out the bottom sheet and pillows and shake out and turn back the duvet instead of fully making it. I hoover and turn my mattress every now and then too.

How to futon traditionally

I have a futon mattress on an ordinary bed. It is hard and relentless and I like that! If you were futonning properly though it would be on the floor and made up like this. The whole lot gets put away every day too.

Have you got an extra 5 minutes?

I love the idea of starting the day with a bit of yoga, but 5 minutes seems like a long time first thing. For anyone who has a bit more morning motivation than me, this looks good.

The bed making challenge

For 5 days, I am going to air and make my bed. I’m going to write how I feel in my Trigg Life Mapper and see if just 5 days later I’m any more productive or happier.

I will report back!