The Power of a Made Bed and a Shower

Morning is a busy time for us. Rupert (rabbit) needs food, hay, fresh water, litter and a towel. He also needs some supervision while out of his cage during this morning ritual. Gypsy (dog) needs a walk and breakfast. I fix lunch for hubby to take to work, get some breakfast for myself, make the bed and see him off. While I'm still up and moving I get myself into the shower. By the time this is all said and done I'm exhausted and ready for a nap. 

For the most part this morning ritual is made up of necessary tasks like caring for our animals, eating breakfast, fixing a lunch for hubby. Tasks that, by the way, only get done every single day because I have hubby helping out and picking up the slack when my pain just won't allow me to function. Also included in this morning ritual are a couple things that I chose to do like make the bed and take a shower. These two tasks have a surprisingly large impact on me, large enough to make them important to each day.

Making the bed is a quick way to make a big visual impact. Even if there is a pile of clothes on the floor and I can't see the top of the nightstand the bedroom looks fairly put together when the bed is made. Plus, I have to admit that pulling back the covers of a made bed at night gives me the feeling that this night is a fresh start. As if making the bed erases all the difficulties of the night before when maybe I couldn't fall asleep, or couldn't get back to sleep, or woke up feeling terrible. It doesn't actually impact my sleep but it gives me some hope at bedtime - and that is a very powerful thing.

Taking a shower is other thing that I feel is important for me to do every day. Much like making the bed, for me, the shower is a fresh start. It might be the only thing, or one of only 2 things that I get done in a day but it makes a big impact on my frame of mind. I've tried skipping the shower a time or two but I found my mind is constantly distracted by my greasy hair. My hair is quite oily - no exaggeration it looks almost wet after about 24 hours. Outside of the aesthetic, my chronic migraines have left me with an incredibly sensitive scalp that becomes pained by the cooling effect of wet hair, even if wet from grease. As a result I can't let my hair air dry and I need to wash it every day. 

On any given day, if I am to have any hope of accomplishing anything, I need that shower - even if I need to nap immediately after, even if nothing else gets done, even if the process is painful (it usually is). It may sound a little silly but it makes that big of an impact on me. It makes me feel fresh and semi put together. Everything else might still be a mess, I might still be in lots of pain but at least I'm clean. For whatever reason that is enough to put me in touch with my humanity and that is a very powerful thing indeed. 

Call me crazy but it works for me.