This simple chore can lead to happiness and better sleep, so why not give it a shot?
Last year, Naval Adm. William H. McRaven — the man who commanded the SEAL team that hunted for Osama bin Laden — gave University of Texas graduates some unusual advice during his commencement speech: If you want to change the world, start by making your bed.
He acknowledges that this statement may seem “a little ridiculous,” but says, “the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to [him] many times over.”
Indeed, while making the bed may take just a minute or two each morning, the payoff is long-lasting and surprisingly far-reaching.
I – Word Understanding
Chore – a task that needs to be done regularly
Pay off – good result
Far-reaching – unexpected
II – Have Your Say
If making your mother proud isn’t motivation enough to get you to smooth the sheets and fluff the pillows, maybe these reasons will be:
1. Completing the simple chore of making your bed can be the start of a productive day.
2. Happy people make their beds. In a survey of 68,000 people by Hunch.com, 71 percent of bed-makers consider themselves to be happy.
3. A National Sleep Foundation survey (pdf) found that people who make their beds every day or almost every day were 19 percent more likely to report getting a good night’s sleep than those who don’t make their beds.
4. It can reduce stress.
5. It just feels good.
