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Did you want to stay in bed today, or was it simply you got up?
In the early weeks of Shelter-In-Place, I took an optimistic approach to each day with grand plans to accomplish a laundry list of items. I would jump out of bed, make the bed, and then I would get busy. There was so much to catch up on, so many projects to complete, and a workout routine to renew.
As the days passed, I found some mornings staying in bed felt pretty good, so I would permit myself to stay put a little longer. Other mornings I would find myself with my phone in hand, scrolling through social media, looking to connect with a world I could not have physical contact with, and I was okay.
Then there were those mornings when my optimism was faded. The nagging and tugging would start as my mind engaged in a battle of wills. Listen up; you've got to get your butt out of bed. You've got things to do, blog posts to write, the COVID-19 five pounds to rid yourself of, you NEED to go for a walk, you know if you don't do it now, you might not do it. All while the other half of my mind was exclaiming, "no," just a little longer. It won't hurt anyone or anything; you could use more sleep. Blah, blah, blah.
I'm betting I'm not alone in the battle of wills, as I'm sure there are plenty of us engaging in the nagging and tugging of the mind's blah, blah, blahs. That led me to ask myself questions I might ask of a life coaching client if faced with a similar situation.
You get the idea.
Asking better questions and using a different way of thinking dispels the negative talk and shifts a person’s perspective. Permitting yourself to either stay in bed without guilt or simply get up, make the bed, and then get moving will go a long way in feeling better about your days.
A note about making the bed – I know for some people that coffee is the first ingredient of the day, and perhaps making the bed isn’t even on the list of priorities. However, before you throw the idea out the window, consider Retired U.S. Navy Admiral SEAL William H. McRaven, who wrote the New York Times bestseller “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World.” He believes making the bed is one of the more important things he learned while training to be a Navy SEAL. He also believes that you’ll have accomplished one small task that can bring meaning to the little things in life.
For me, it feels good to make my bed EVERY morning. So, if you’re not a bed maker, give it a go. See if it changes how you feel about your day and if it doesn’t lead to a sense of pride and move you on to another task that will encourage you to do another and then another.
During quarantine life, I even went so far as to make this video of me making the bed. When I was a kid, my mom taught my sister and me a particular bed-making method, which I do in this video and still do each morning. I hope you enjoy the lighthearted silliness of the video and perhaps make the bed this way and see if it puts a spring in your step.
If you permit yourself to stay in bed, then stay in bed, guilt-free. Set some parameters for yourself, lay back, relax, go back to sleep, read, listen to music, write in a journal, snuggle up with your partner, or whatever your heart desires.
Rid yourself of the guilt and enjoy the time in bed. One thing is for sure. Time is something we have right now.
If you are not a bed maker and give this a go, I'd love to hear from you about how the experience of making your bed changes things for you.
Happy bed making,
Vonie
