Wanna Be Happier at Home? Make Your Bed

Work starts in fifteen minutes, you're out of coffee and your water heater went out mid-suds. Your day may be off to a bad start, but there's a quick and unexpected way to give yourself a jolt of happiness – make your bed!

It may seem like a pain, but making your bed in the morning is directly correlated with increased productivity and happiness throughout the rest of the day. Plus, today is National Make Your Bed Day, so there's no better time to adopt this habit!

As a modern day mommy Zen priest said, “The state of your bed is the state of your head.”

This three-minute task increases happiness because it's what experts call a keystone habit. Keystone habits, like cooking dinner or exercising, can have positive effects on other parts of your life, such as your diet and energy levels. Essentially, keystone habits lead to other good habits. If you make your bed, you're more likely to get other small tasks like washing the dishes out of the way, which decreases your daily stress.

So if you need a smile, straighten up your sheets in the morning! Who knows where it will lead?

If you're already a bed-making master, try maintaining your mattress!