Making the Bed Every Day
What smoothing out bunched-up sheets can do to smooth out bunched-up resisting behaviors
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
—US Navy Admiral William H. McRaven
I love making the bed in the morning. I love smoothing the bunched-up sheets at the foot of the bed, shaking and restoring the comforter, fluffing up the pillows, placing them back, tucking the bedspread over them, and finally, like a maestro putting the last flourishing touch on her art, laying the silk accent pillow in the middle. Voilà! I step back and take it in. I love looking at it every time I pass by the bedroom.
It takes, what, five minutes to practice this daily ritual and meditation? It is pure pleasure, and it sets me up for the rest of the day.
It seems I’m not the only one who has a thing for making the bed. (Retired) US Navy Admiral William H. McRaven has a thing for it, too. In his now famous commencement address at the University of Texas, this former Navy Seal cuts right to the chase. In less than two minutes he makes a very compelling case for how making one’s bed can change the world. While there is no mention of extra-comfy refinements that can make a bed feel nurturing and inviting, his message has real merit. You can find a link to my favorite clip of his speech at the bottom of this page.
Whether you’re a fan of this daily ritual or not, here’s what I can tell you:
there’s making the bed and there’s making the bed.
The first is the way most people approach it: in a rush, on autopilot, or not at all. The other, lesser-known way, is slower, more mindful, made with love.
Adding mindfulness to something you do (or could do) every day gives you a bounty of clearing benefits, too. It can give you an inside peek into your resisting patterns. It can show you where you feel stuck in your body. It can reveal the torrent of unconscious commentary running unchecked through your mind, as one participant of my online courses shares here:
As I fluffed the pillows, thoughts of people wronging me would pop up, as well as things I wish I would’ve said or done. Regrets, getting pissed off at myself and others, worrying about the future—all this popped up in less than five minutes. This was also mental clutter I needed to clear. So I practiced breathing as I smoothed the sheets, noticing the silky texture and warm colors. That was when my body relaxed. Because for once, I was in the present!
You see, without naming what we’re thinking and feeling—as it is happening—we cannot begin to clear it and heal it. 1
Ahhh 🏡
Simplifying Challenge
What you’ve just read comes from “Make the Bed,” Chapter 14 of A Year for You — the book we are using to cultivate the five steps to spaciousness.
It’s not too late to join us in this ongoing journey.
The excellent video I mention on making the bed — with weekly nudges from me and access to this clearing community — is being made available to all paid subscribers.
Learn more about the“Spacious Way to a Lighter You” clearing series HERE.
Make the Bed
