A new “self-care” trend with more than 130 million views encourages people to stay in bed all day, eat snacks, watch TV and indulge in other mindless activists like scrolling on social media. This has been named “bed rotting,” which users claim is a way to unwind from a stressful day or decompress from feeling burnt out.
In a society that glorifies being busy or productive all the time, it is difficult to take time to rest without experiencing guilt for being “lazy.” There will always be times in life where we need more rest and recovery, and it is important that we take time for self-care to recharge. However, despite the information that floods our social media daily, lounging in bed all day or for several days is absolutely not the best way to relieve stress.
Self-care is important for managing stress and boosting energy, but there are far better ways to unwind than laying around with your eyes glued to a screen. When we spend too much time in bed outside of sleeping times, our brain will blur sleep and wake times and this will negatively impact sleep quality. This disrupts circadian rhythm, and our bodies get confused on whether we are trying to fall asleep or not.
Getting proper sleep is much more beneficial for relaxation than taking the day to lie in bed. Instead, go outside and get some sunlight for an hour or two. Spend some time off your phone to give your brain a break from social media stimulation. Getting in some form of movement during the day, like taking a walk or a yoga stretching video, will decrease stress much more efficiently and lead to better sleep, which is when our bodies are truly able to recover. Lying in bed all day can actually make us feel worse than before.
Studies consistently show that time spent on social media negatively impacts our mental health. Further indulging in scrolling and calling it rest is misinformation and not advice we should be following. Fill your day with restful activities, but do not lay in bed all day and think you will come out of that feeling refreshed. Take a bath, cook yourself a nourishing meal or get up to watch the sunrise with good coffee. There are so many ways to unwind and relax, but “bed rotting” should not be on that list.
