Making Your Bed: Big Healing Power in Small Steps

Healing power of making your bed

I'm a psychotherapist. I often tell new patients about the value of making your bed in the morning.

They are often shocked that I would say something so mundane when the real issues were their anxiety or depression or relationship difficulties or their PTSD.

I respond that when you have such issues, making your bed in the morning is even more important.

Anxiety and depression affect your life at home, at work and everywhere you go because you are hiding.

Small constructive steps at home can be a big help. 

You focus attention, call on your inner discriminating power, make decisions and improve your life.

For example, clean out one drawer or part of one closet every day. You do the discarding. You wield the power. You make the decisions about what is relevant and irrelevant, of value and not of value now.

This can empower you in life so you are allied with the part of separation you choose.

When you make your bed you bring order to disorder. 

You improve the look of your room. You smooth disturbances. When you make your bed you are planning for the future. You are making yourself a welcome homecoming. You are creating comfort and peace for your sleep. When you return to your made bed, regardless of the day you’ve had, you remember your competence and respect for yourself. 

Brava to the bedmakers in our world! Next is dishes. Then on to laundry. 

And on and on until you clean up and organize your life. Your business and relationships with others are cleaner and healthier. You develop more confidence and greater self-esteem.

Attention and Action

You pay attention and take action on issues that are important to you as you honor your life, the lives of others and life itself. 

One little task at a time will fuel your recovery from many issues that have impeded your progress. 

As you proceed on this bed making path you have continual validation that the improvements in your life began from your own efforts. And that's your undeniable source of new strength and confidence.

Joanna Poppink, LMFT, psychotherapist, speaker, and author of Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder, is in private practice and specializes in Eating Disorder Recovery for adult women and with an emphasis on building a fulfilling life beyond recovery. She is licensed in California, Florida, Oregon, and Utah. All appointments are virtual. Website: EatingDisorderRecovery.net