When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I remember thinking: This can't be real. I had just undergone my first major operation, I was in pain, I was exhausted, and truthfully...I was scared. I still had cancer. And I was waiting to find out if I'd even qualify for a life-saving surgery.

I was home, healing, but everything felt wildly out of my control.

And when you're standing at the edge of uncertainty like that, your mind craves something - anything - to hold on to. Some small act of agency to remind you: I'm still here. I'm still me. I still get a say.

For me, that act was making my bed.

It may sound small and it was. My back was sore. My strength was low. I could barely eat. But every morning, after slowly getting myself dressed, I'd smooth out the sheets and fluff the pillows and make my bed.

And with that simple, gentle gesture, something shifted. It gave me one quiet moment of order amidst the chaos. It reminded me that I could still create calm. Still care for myself. Still do hard things...one tiny act at a time.

So, what's the link between making your bed and building resilience?

Resilience isn't built in the big, dramatic moments, it's built in the tiny ones.
It's in the way we respond to what we can control when everything else feels like it's unraveling.

Psychologically, small daily rituals, like making your bed, create structure. They signal to the brain that we're safe enough, steady enough, and worthy of care, even when life feels out of control. These micro-moments of consistency act like handrails when the ground beneath you feels shaky.

When you make your bed, you're not just tidying a room.
You're practicing self-discipline. You're cultivating order. You're signaling hope.
You're saying: Today, I still get to show up for myself.

And that, my dear reader, is 'resilience'.

I didn't know then if I'd survive cancer. But I knew I needed to stay strong in case I did.
And making my bed became part of that strength. A small, daily promise to myself: You've got this. Keep going.

So if you're facing something right now; a diagnosis, a heartbreak, a setback, a season of not-knowing...don't underestimate the power of small things.
Make the bed. Drink the water. Take the walk. Breathe deeply. Light the candle.
Start there.
Because resilience isn't always a big, brave gesture...
Sometimes it quietly says, "Just make the bed".

With love,
Lizzie 💗

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