In many ways the bedroom should be treated as a sacred space. It’s by far the most important room when it comes to your mental health and if anything is going wrong here, it’s going to affect you sooner rather than later.
But keeping your bedroom neat and healthy is no rocket science. There are a few small changes we can make that will already benefit you greatly, both immediately and in the long-term.
Today I want to share 5 things you should NEVER keep in the bedroom – some are objects, some are attitudes, but the idea is the same. Your bedroom should be the place you can rely on to relax and rest. Thus, removing anything that clutters your mind, your space, and your sleep is always a great idea.
“Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there." – Bo Jackson
Your phone
Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking.
Most of us bring the phone to our beds one way or another and I’m certainly not guilt-free here. I’ve done this myself more times than I can count, but I have been trying to stop it.
The undeniable truth is that our phones are massive distractions, they can bleep, light up, vibrate at any time, and even if you mute notifications that temptation is always there. If you have trouble sleeping (like me) your phone becomes an addiction, that easy way out of boredom… and next thing you know, it’s 5am and the birds are singing.
It might seem weird at first, but try to leave the phone away from the bedroom. Let it charge somewhere else and be free of this useful, but disruptive device. Out of all the things to never keep in your bedroom, this is number one.
And if you’re telling me “but I need my alarms to wake up...
Buy an alarm clock.
It’s like five dollars.
Home office
OK, I know this one isn’t just due to preference – sometimes you don’t have a lot of space in your house or apartment and the most convenient place for your home office is the bedroom.
But if you have any other choice, I highly recommend moving your home office to another room – preferably its own room, but if that’s not possible, try another corner that isn’t the bedroom. You can always look up home office layouts to get some ideas.
The reason for this is simple: work is work. Imagine literally trying to sleep beside your work. All the things you couldn’t finish in the day bothering you, right beside your bed. Or just the work mentality annoying you while you’re trying to relax and sleep. Trust me, it’s not easy letting go of work when it’s physically right beside you.
If you have no choice, I totally understand – not everyone has a spare bedroom or a big living room. In that case, I highly recommend setting up a good routine and still doing your best to respect a work schedule, so that at least when the clock says it’s over, it’s over. That way you can turn off that mindset until the next day.
And oh yeah, if you have a personal computer in the bedroom that isn’t for work… that’s also not recommended. It’s still a bright screen full of distractions and we all know it’s way too easy to sit in front of it for hours and hours without feeling any sleep.
Food
We’ve all snacked in bed at some point and there’s no denying it. And while the occasional coffee in bed is also fine (and honestly quite romantic) there’s a genuine reason to avoid bringing food to the bedroom – it’s anti-hygienic. Food is definitely one of the things you should never bring to the bedroom.
Not only could a minor accident drench your bed in coffee, juice or water – all of which would require a full bed sheet change and likely putting the mattress out to dry… but all sorts of snacks can leave small crumbs that fall and get lost under your sheets and mattress. That leads to ants, flies and even cockroaches to suddenly become very interested in your bedroom, and I’m sure you can understand why that’s bad.
Excessive light
Sunlight is actually excellent for ensuring a nice sleep schedule and routine. Our bodies are hardwired to wake up when the sun is out and that works really well if you’re trying to fix your schedule.
However, you may find that your home or apartment gets a lot of light even during the night, whether that be from city lights or the sun coming up sooner than usual for your taste. This is why I highly recommend using blackout curtains – these will block any light coming from outside and ensure you have a nice night of sleep.
Some homeowners also like the idea of dimmer lights, which allows for creating a moody and relaxing ambiance, or simply prevent you from getting blind after turning on the lights in the middle of the night when you need to get up to use the toilet. Consider dimmer lights installation if this appeals to you!
Also important to note that the screen glare from a television is terrible for your sleep. Televisions shouldn’t even be in the bedroom in the first place, but I know a lot of people do it. So at least consider watching your movies and TV shows before bed time and turn the screen off when you’re done!
Clutter
Might seem obvious, but clutter can and will mess up your sleep patterns. That’s why so many successful people, medical professionals, psychiatrists and even self-help gurus recommend you make your bed as soon as you get up.
The idea is that no matters what happens during the day you know you will have a neat bed waiting for you, and psychologically that goes a long way. Same goes for the rest of your bedroom – if it’s too messy, you might not want to be there at all. One thing you can always rely on is to hire cleaning services, giving yourself a free boost in the right direction.
Lucky for you we recently published a great declutter guide for the entire home. It’s a great place to start!
Need help organizing the house? Get free quotes from professional house cleaners in your area today!
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