Bedroom in Apartment Making your bed is a great way to improve the rest of your day. Flickr / Asher Isbrucker

For those of us who aren't natural early birds, the thought of being productive in the morning seems unlikely.

Just finding time to eat can be difficult, even though eating breakfast has been correlated with increased energy and productivity, better overall health, and a better mood.

But there's an easier, less time-consuming way to start the day off right, and it only takes a minute: Make your bed.

When your parents forced you to make your bed as a kid, you probably thought it was a waste of time. You're just going to mess it up again at night, right? 

Well, whether they knew it or not, the benefits extend beyond tidiness.

In his book "The Power of Habit," author Charles Duhigg writes that getting into the routine of making your bed every morning is correlated with increased productivity.

Making your bed doesn't necessarily cause you to get more done at work, Duhigg writes, but it's a "keystone habit" that can spark "chain reactions that help other good habits take hold."

In addition to being more productive, people that consistently make their beds also tend to have "a greater sense of well-being and stronger skills at sticking with a budget," Duhigg writes. 

Additionally, "bed makers are also more likely to like their jobs, own a home, exercise regularly, and feel well rested," Psychology Today reports.

It's a simple habit, and in one minute or less, you might feel productive before you've even had breakfast.
