Woman led in bed on a sunny dayI’m an ungrateful person. Every winter, I beg for the tiniest sliver of sunshine; every spring, I rue its presence. Early-year sunlight just seems so passive-aggressive, doesn’t it? “Oh… hey there,” it whinges relentlessly through the gaps in your blinds. “I’m not saying you have to come out at all, haha, but it’s just I’m rarely in town. Haven’t seen you for a bit… Everyone else is coming out lol xx”.Sod off, I say. The pressure becomes too much, and I end up spending much of my two sacred days off work lying in my favourite place: bed. Then, the guilt kicks in. I’m not alone ― three friends have texted me in the past week to say how ashamed, or friendless, or otherwise unproductive they’ve felt for “bed rotting” on a sunny day.So, I spoke to Dr Ashwini Nadkarni, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, about whether or not those reactions are warranted.“Bed rotting” has its place, the expert says Sometimes, Dr Nadkarni says, a good bed rot is just what you need.“Bed rotting can serve an important and helpful function,” she told HuffPost UK. “It can be a way for individuals who are feeling depleted (such as from occupational burnout) to intentionally schedule time to recharge their batteries.” There’s nothing wrong with taking a day to simply reclaim some of your energy, especially if you’ve had a demanding or challenging week. But at the end of the day, the expert added, bed rotting is simply lying in bed doing nothing ― and it’s not healthy to do that forever, sun or no sun. How can I tell if my bed rotting is healthy or not?Dr Nadkarni has three questions she wants us to consider when thinking about our bed rotting habit.These are:Is my practice of bed rotting too regular or sustained?Is my practice of bed rotting getting in the way of or sacrificing other activities which could be meaningful or restful?Is my practice of bed rotting impairing my functioning? “For instance, someone who is spending every sunny weekend recharging in bed may also be socially isolating, experiencing behavioural inactivation, and limiting other forms of self-care such as exercise or a yoga class,” she explained.“In this case, bed rotting answers all three questions and thus, may also be indicative of a mental health concern such as depression.” If you reckon your “bed rot” falls into some, or all, of those categories, consider speaking to a professional ― but if not, nap on.Help and support:Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.ukRethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.Related…Good News – We Should Be Rotting In BedSo THAT’s Why Museums Make You Instantly SleepyHere’s Why You’re Constantly Exhausted, Despite Getting Enough Sleep Life, Health, Mental Health, UK Weather, health, mental-health, uk-weather HuffPost UK – Athena2 – All Entries (Public)
Woman led in bed on a sunny dayI’m an ungrateful person. Every winter, I beg for the tiniest sliver of sunshine; every spring, I rue its presence.
Early-year sunlight just seems so passive-aggressive, doesn’t it? “Oh… hey there,” it whinges relentlessly through the gaps in your blinds.
“I’m not saying you have to come out at all, haha, but it’s just I’m rarely in town. Haven’t seen you for a bit… Everyone else is coming out lol xx”.
Sod off, I say. The pressure becomes too much, and I end up spending much of my two sacred days off work lying in my favourite place: bed.
Then, the guilt kicks in. I’m not alone ― three friends have texted me in the past week to say how ashamed, or friendless, or otherwise unproductive they’ve felt for “bed rotting” on a sunny day.
So, I spoke to Dr Ashwini Nadkarni, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, about whether or not those reactions are warranted.
“Bed rotting” has its place, the expert says
Sometimes, Dr Nadkarni says, a good bed rot is just what you need.
“Bed rotting can serve an important and helpful function,” she told HuffPost UK.
“It can be a way for individuals who are feeling depleted (such as from occupational burnout) to intentionally schedule time to recharge their batteries.”
There’s nothing wrong with taking a day to simply reclaim some of your energy, especially if you’ve had a demanding or challenging week.
But at the end of the day, the expert added, bed rotting is simply lying in bed doing nothing ― and it’s not healthy to do that forever, sun or no sun.
How can I tell if my bed rotting is healthy or not?
Dr Nadkarni has three questions she wants us to consider when thinking about our bed rotting habit.
These are:
- Is my practice of bed rotting too regular or sustained?
- Is my practice of bed rotting getting in the way of or sacrificing other activities which could be meaningful or restful?
- Is my practice of bed rotting impairing my functioning?
“For instance, someone who is spending every sunny weekend recharging in bed may also be socially isolating, experiencing behavioural inactivation, and limiting other forms of self-care such as exercise or a yoga class,” she explained.
“In this case, bed rotting answers all three questions and thus, may also be indicative of a mental health concern such as depression.”
If you reckon your “bed rot” falls into some, or all, of those categories, consider speaking to a professional ― but if not, nap on.
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.
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