Annoying, but Worth It

Today I have just three tips for you. These are things that most people find annoying, but that can honestly make a difference. I have worked to incorporate them consistently into my routine in the last few years and while they might not seem like much, they can bring a little extra (but subtle) sparkle to your day! These are things you can easily set Reminders for, so you don’t even have to work to add them to your routine.

1. Make your bed every morning. Before you groan, hear me out! When I say “make your bed,” I do not mean hospital corners, careful tucks, and the sheet folded over at the top. I mean it in the most basic sense of just pulling the sheets and blankets up so they are mostly straight and flat on the bed. What is the main focus of most bedrooms? The bed. Just having the bed look neat will alter the look of the whole room. Also, there seems to be something extra nice about slipping into a made bed. Why not give yourself that small pleasure at the end of each day?

2. Change your sheets every two weeks, your pillow cases weekly, and your towels twice a week. This is one I used to struggle with. I really hate changing the sheets on my bed. I’ve settled into a habit now where I alternate weeks for changing my sheets and doing laundry, which makes it less cumbersome than doing both at once. As for towels, they are pieces of fabric that are constantly absorbing water (and dead skin cells & germs). I know people who use new ones every day - of course that requires either the ability to buy a significant number of towels or access to in-home/free laundry, so I wouldn’t recommend that approach for everyone. As for the why - not only will your skin thank you, but the feel of fresh sheets and towels is such a pleasant experience, why would you want to deny yourself from having it as often as possible?

3. Sort your laundry as you go. Have two (or three, or however many) laundry baskets, or get one of the divided ones. I wear very few white clothes, so my sorting is more clothes vs linens, but if you regularly sort your clothes by color or fabric for washing, considering sorting them as you put them into your laundry basket. This will save time when you go to do the laundry, especially if you can only do one load at once! Who wants to dig through the laundry to pull out all the pieces for one load, when instead you could just grab one basket and dump it all in?

Are there any other annoying tasks that you’ve convinced yourself to do because the end product is so worth it?