While everyone’s functions are nightlife, the beach, house parties, and all that, my function is in my room—catching up on my current watches and rotting in bed.

Especially when in the middle of finishing prelims with almost a month left until finals, the exhaustion feels endless. All I want to do is stay in bed for hours. Sometimes, I get the urge to get up and do chores or finish my requirements, but my body says no and stays put.

And with that comes the guilt of not just doing nothing, but also of convincing myself that I need to rest. I tell myself that bed rotting is my self-care, but sometimes, beyond its purpose of resting, it becomes a way of escaping responsibilities.

Resting or escaping

(Screenshot from Euphoria (2022))

Generation Z has popularized a new term, particularly on TikTok. Staying in bed for extended periods to engage in passive rest activities—or even just staying in bed—is called bed rotting. Some videos highlight the comfortable, beautiful aspects of bed rotting, but others show a different side of life: disorganized spaces, a debilitating sense of weariness, and hours spent scrolling on phones—also known as doom scrolling.

Seems familiar? It’s because Gen Z has been at the forefront of using the term doom scrolling as well. This refers to the endless, mindless scrolling through social media. In relation to bed rotting, it becomes hard to focus and it feels like a mental fog that slowly consumes our mind. The more we engage in both, the more we feed the other which worsens the possible effects of exhaustion, stress, and fatigue.

Although bed rotting can be considered a stress-relieving activity, it becomes an issue when it becomes a habit rather than a one-time occurrence. While taking a day off is common, it may no longer be considered proper rest if it becomes routine. But why do so many of us feel this tired, to the point of wanting to stay in bed all day?

For a variety of reasons, bed rotting has become a common response to various stressors. For many young people, bed rotting is a response to societal pressures—an attempt to shield themselves from expectations and the relentless need to "keep up." It also stems from the rise of hustle culture, where productivity is glorified, and the demand to work faster, harder, and longer leaves little room for genuine rest.

Additionally, burnout—physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress in our daily lives—can sometimes be the root cause. In these moments, it may be perceived that rotting in bed is the best way to relieve stress and fatigue. However, proper recovery requires more than rest; it demands action and addressing the causes of why we feel burnout.

Sometimes, I find myself in bed rotting out of sheer exhaustion from everything happening around me. Other times, even while trying to rest, my mind is preoccupied with other things that I have not yet finished. It’s nothing new that I am even doom scrolling during the time that I should be resting or doing something else. I can no longer even call it resting because of the guilt that follows.

Rest often feels unproductive at its core because it lacks immediate, tangible results. This mistaken belief fuels guilt—the idea that rest is a luxury rather than a necessity. Society conditions us to think that we can only rest after completing every task rather than in between them. But the truth is, rest is essential, it allows us to function correctly and perform at our best.

While it's easy to mistake bed rotting for genuine rest, it’s important to recognize the difference between rest that revitalizes us and rest that becomes a way to avoid tasks. Bed rotting can serve both purposes, but it’s up to us to decide how we approach it. Although bed rotting may seem like the simplest way to deal with exhaustion, how we engage in it ultimately determines how productive it is.

A healthier balance

(Screenshot from Palo Alto (2013))

Curling up with blankets and letting the breeze flow through the windows for days, the bed calls for more and more time to rot. But rest can also come from things that aren't done while in bed. This includes self-care activities like reading that book you've been meaning to get to, journaling about your day and how you feel, meditating, or anything else that's intentionally restorative—activities intended to replenish your energy rather than drain it further.

The line between self-care and escapism can sometimes be blurry, but checking in with yourself is essential. Does staying in bed leave you feeling recharged, or does it make getting up feel harder? If it leaves one feeling refreshed, then it's okay. But if it becomes harder to rise, it becomes questionable.

Let's prioritize our health by finding healthier ways to rest, whether through bed rotting or other ways. Moving our bodies, pursuing creative passions, hobbies, or sports are all forms of activities that can help us embrace rest in a way that will make us stronger and healthier.

As bed rotting isn't always detrimental, it should only be put off temporarily rather than permanently. After all, the best rest leads to growth and progress rather than stagnation.