Whether you are working outside the home or work as a full-time homemaker – life is busy and can be hectic. My goal is to write articles that will help make the household chores you face more enjoyable. This month is a simple way to give yourself a gift.
For many of us, mornings are hectic. Do the kids have their chores completed, homework, jackets, release forms, and all personal crisis resolved before they hit the schoolhouse? What do you need to do to plan a healthy dinner when the day is done? Maybe you are a single parent. I get it. You are busy especially in the mornings but may I offer you a simple tip to help make your evening just a bit more enjoyable?
Sometimes, it’s the smallest gestures that can make an impact, like taking just a moment out of your morning routine to do something special just for you. The gift to you that I am suggesting is a freshly made bed that you can come home to find made up and inviting when the day is finally done and you climb into bed. I started doing this simple trick year ago when I was working for the State of IL in the physical therapy department of a state-run institution. My mornings were a mess! Two young boys to get off to the sitters plus getting myself ready and trying to load the crockpot and take in the last minute instructions from Jim on the bids he needed completed as soon as I got back home for his construction company. Life was busy.
I took a look at how I could do just one small thing to nurture me in all this busyness and decided on giving myself the gift of a pristinely made bed. Making a bed? Why bother when all you are going to do when you get home is crawl back into it at night. I understand but that is not the point. I wanted to find a productive, quick-to-accomplish way, to do something pleasant that I could enjoy at the end of a busy day. Making the bed fit the bill!
I started researching the effects of clutter on our sleep patterns and found out that we sleep less soundly when we are surrounded by piles of messes in the bedroom. In a study by clinical psychologist Pamela Thacher, one conclusion was that the more clutter a person has in the bedroom, the more likely you were to have a sleep disorder. I spent several hours one weekend de-cluttering our bedroom, reducing the piles of clothing and papers that had accumulated in every chair and nook and reducing the number of electronic gadgets plugged into sockets in the bedroom. My research also showed how we sleep less sound when we are not in a dark room. How many do-dads are charging and dimly lighting up the area where you are sleeping?
I “refresh” my linens as I make my bed by using one of Grandma Bea’s Essential Oils available at your area Buchheit store. Since I sleep with a manly man, I use citrus or frankincense mixed in a spray bottle with water. The exact amount of essential oil to water just depends on your preference. Remember to use a good quality spray bottle as the essential oil is still a concentrated product. A quick spray over the pillow cases and sheets as I make the bed assures a pleasant encounter when I lay my head upon the pillow at night. It is a special gift I give myself. One of life’s little luxuries is to fall asleep upon scented linens. Lavender or sage essential oils work well too. This low-cost indulgence always makes me smile as I lay down to sleep. I hope you will try it soon! Be kind to yourself, life is too short to not enjoy each day. Be blessed! Anne May
