On bright weekend mornings, my freshman self would be lying in bed, deep inside a YouTube rabbit hole — too lazy to get up for breakfast and too tired to brush my teeth. I knew this wasn’t healthy. Although it had been a long week, I felt even worse after two hours of scrolling and procrastinating homework until 45 minutes before the deadline.
So-called bedrotting, which involves “staying in bed for extended periods of time not to sleep, but to do passive activities,” has recently become popularized as one of Gen Z’s latest trends. Described alternatively as “self-care,” this method of coping with burnout has appeared in many viral TikToks, framed as a way for individuals to recharge after long hours of work.
Bedrotting seems to be a rebellious pushback against society’s expectations to constantly work without giving oneself a break. In this way, those who indulge in this behavior won’t fear being labeled “lazy” and are instead cast into a positive light. After all, isn’t it important to just relax and let go of everything once in a while?
Based on my own experiences, I don’t see bedrotting as a beneficial way to let myself rest. Instead, I see it as an excuse to ignore all of my responsibilities. Succumbing to the doom of scrolling as a means to feel better isn’t the answer as it drains my energy and motivation, leaving me with a frustrating list of procrastinated tasks and no willpower to finish them.
The most dangerous part of bedrotting is how quickly it can become a terrible habit. With no alternative motivation to actually jump start my day, I’d end up resorting to scrolling videos in my bed without giving another thought to alternative options, like going outside for a jog or making breakfast. Though I never felt satisfied afterwards, refusing to get up and falling to instant gratification quickly became a habit that reared its ugly head each time weekend mornings rolled around.
At its core, bedrotting is probably caused by overwhelming stress and can even be symptoms of depression and anxiety. Bedrotting is passive, desensitizing and unfulfilling, and it can deter individuals from actually making improvements to the quality of their lives. Ideally, people should either adjust their workload or take steps to manage their mental health.
For the past few months, I’ve had classes on Saturday mornings, so I was forced to break the bedrotting habit and activate my brain at 9 a.m.. Through this change in routine, I discovered a few remedies to avoid feeling trapped in bed.
Making my bed immediately after I wake up helps me eliminate the possibility of lounging in bed, discouraging me from climbing back in. Another habit I find helpful is keeping my phone charged at the opposite corner of the room, forcing me to walk across the room to get it in the morning. I also keep my window blinds open, allowing natural sunlight to enter and encouraging me to open my eyes to beautiful sunshine.
Occasionally, I’m still guilty of going down the occasional social media rabbit hole, but recognizing that bedrotting is not self-care is a decent first step in the right direction. Gone are the days of one more video becoming half an hour down the drain.