Habits are a two-edged sword. They aren’t great if they keep us small, or cause distress. Much space is given to discussing the impacts of bad habits and the benefits of quitting them. Much space is given to writings about freeing oneself from their hold and its rut.

Leaving harmful habits behind does improve one’s life – my only quitting smoking regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. But I occasionally abandon good habits as well, and those changes are less positive. In that they often cause harm.

Not all ruts are bad. Sometimes a habit is a good thing. And I’ll usually find my way back. Except for string flossing. I hate it. Happiness is a hand-held water flosser.

Did you make your bed?

My mother asked me that nearly every morning when I was growing up. The answer was either “yes,” or “I’ll do it” because leaving it undone wasn’t possible in our house. Leaving it for my mother also wasn’t an option. She raised us to do chores. She raised us to be responsible with and for our things.

I’m not sure it was the bedmaking that made me gentle with my things – there’s a lot of nature in that behaviour for me, as well as a certain compulsivity that’s beyond this scope. But making my bed and setting my bedroom to rights every morning is a small behaviour that has big payoffs for me in terms of mood.

My mother was also big on doing things now as opposed to later. Procrastination often means it doesn’t get done. One reason I’m successful at making my bed nearly every day is that it’s the first thing I do in the morning. The bed is made before I leave my bedroom.

I work hard to make sure it’s done regardless of my life circumstances. I persist even in the face of depression and grief. It makes me happy when I walk into my bedroom and it’s just so. It makes me happy knowing that no matter what, I’ve accomplished that one thing.

When my bed is made, and everything in my room is neat, clean, and tidy, things feel a little bit better. My life feels a little more manageable. That’s not a bad return for two minutes of work. Though I’m getting a smidge tired of the overall appearance.

The bed is made daily, that’s true, but it’s no longer a thing of beauty in my eyes. Much about it seems tired. That I do the work makes me glad. That it looks as it does is starting to irritate.

Part of the issue is that I’m over the rustic farmhouse look. My mother would be pleased – she believed that one should choose timeless over trendy. Trendy gets on the nerves after a bit. The bedspread has also seen better days. Trendy isn’t usually the best quality.

I hate that mostly, you get what you pay for.

On the bright side, it’s time for one of my favourite fall habits. Not pumpkin spice. Cooler nights are coming, so the heated mattress pad is back on the bed. Doing that every autumn is a habit that sparks joy.

A tidy room and a well-made bed bring me happiness, but crawling into a prewarmed bed on a cold winter’s night is bliss.

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