B(ed rotting) Horror
Spooky season may be over, but we have to address bed rotting. Skeletons, wasting away. Zombies, mindlessly flipping through apps. The vampiric need to close the blinds so the sun doesn’t disturb you. Aching muscles and weary minds. Bed rotting has taken over, and despite the horrifying name, it may be what we need.
Art by Sebastia Boada
Bed rotting is next in line of Gen Z slang. It gained popularity in recent months through platforms like TikTok and Instagram, wherein it advocates for individuals to “rot” in bed all day. Say no to commitments, forgo errands, and if something comes up, no it didn’t. You belong beneath the covers, and that’s where you’ll stay. The scariest concern with this trend is its potential effects on mental health. Lack of motivation, lethargy, and loss of interest are possible symptoms of depression, which eerily line up with the bed rotting agenda. The risks for bed rotting turning into a depressive episode are there. Yet, mental health was on the decline even before bed rotting entered our lexicon. With the rise of hustle culture, there is a demand to constantly work and get your bag however you can. Stagnant wages and rising costs reflect a need to use time as efficiently as possible, which can result in burnout, or feelings of guilt if you “slack off”. However, in an age of endless productivity, excessive screen time leading to further mental health struggles, and the looming threat of literally everything, bed rotting can give you back control.
Writer and artist Tricia Hersey founded The Nap Ministry in order to champion rest and redirect power back into ourselves. “Rest is resistance,” a term coined by Hersey and the title of her latest book, is predicated on Black liberation and Black voices, but her ministry extends to all who need a break. The message is a collective tool against a culture fixated on outcomes over the well-being of the people who bring those outcomes to fruition. Bed rotting is only one type of rest, but a necessary one. It is not just the health benefits, like reducing stress, but the act itself that matters. Just by decompressing (or decomposing), you are putting worth back into yourself as a human being with flesh and feelings rather than a robot that needs to “recharge”. It is a necessary act of compassion you owe yourself. We would hope that those closest to us would get the rest they need. So as scary as it sounds, we recommend showing a little self-love this weekend.
