Bed Rotting: A Self-Care Trap

Have you been bed-rotting lately? Spending endless hours, even multiple days or weeks at a time, trapped under your covers in bed? We’re talking about ignoring calls, neglecting basic hygiene, and letting bills and responsibilities pile up – all because mustering the energy to leave that sad nest feels impossible

As Black people in the diaspora, we’ve got a whole unique set of stressors and traumas weighing us down that make bed rotting so tempting:

• Code-switching between our authentic selves and office/school respectability politics 

• Constant overt/covert racism and microaggressions chipping away at our mental health

• “The Black Tax” – financial pressure to send money back home to support families

• Lack of Black mentors and leaders to guide our personal/professional journeys

• Immigrant/first-gen expectations to “make it” and open doors wider for the next ones

With this immense psychic stress and zero generational wealth to fall back on, is it any surprise we seek refuge by bed rotting? That temptation to say “I’m taking just one day for me” quickly spirals out of control.

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The 5 Stages of Falling Into a Bed Rot 

1. The Initial Burnout – You’re operating on fumes from the unrelenting grind at work, harsh academic pressures in uncaring institutions, or just trying to get by paycheck to paycheck. 

2. The One-Day Escape – Physically and mentally exhausted, you call in sick/skip classes to have “just one” self-care day horizontal in bed. You throw off your routine to binge-watch Shonda shows and numb out scrolling TikTok.

3. The Avoidance Zone – You start ignoring calls from friends/family asking to hang out. Making that doctor appointment or paying bills gets “lost in the shuffle” of covers and crumbs. Skipping work/classes becomes the new norm as leaving the bed seems inconceivable.

4. Self-Hatred and Shame – As chores, hygiene, and responsibilities lapse around you, guilt and remorse settle in over your lack of motivation and productivity. The self-loathing fuels the rot.

5. Isolation and Depression – Cutting off from typical human interaction and losing one’s sense of purpose creates a depressive spiral. You retreat further into the bed, making it nearly impossible to pull out of the rut alone.

It’s a dangerous, draining cycle that feeds itself. But there are attainable ways to slowly claw out, fam.

How to Escape the Bed Rot Trap

1. Make Your Bed Daily – Accomplishing this first simple task provides a small mental boost to build from. Keeping your sacred space tidy sweetens the rest it provides.

2. Establish a Routine – When you’re bed rotten, unstructured days bleed together endlessly. Create an alarm schedule for meals, hygiene, cleaning, etc. Normalizing your circadian rhythms through the routine is key.

3. Mandatory Sunlight – Vitamin D from sunlight improves mood and regulates sleep. Aim for at least 30-60 minutes of direct outdoor sunlight per day through a Walk & Talk or just sitting outside.  

4. Any Movement Counts – When your body’s been sedentary for too long, physical activity seems daunting. Start small with 10-15 mins of jumping jacks, stretches, or a walk around the block to release pent-up energy.

5. Human Interaction – Feeling isolated only worsens rot. Make a daily call, text, or FaceTime with close friends/family to remind yourself you’ve got a caring community out there. 

6. Professional Help – If the bed rot episode lasts over 2 weeks with no progress, it may be clinical depression. Don’t hesitate to connect with a therapist, counselor, or doctor for intervention.

7. Baby Step Wins – It’s a process, fam. Celebrate small victories like taking a shower or washing bed sheets. Positive reinforcement for inching out of the rut is vital for your motivation.

Conclusion: Bed Rotting

The warm, soft bed may seem like a perfect refuge from the racism, pressures, and adversity we face daily. But letting that bed-rot mindset linger for too long cuts us off from everyone and everything that brings true fulfillment. 

Don’t let the siren’s call trap you – reclaim your ambition and spark by taking it one day at a time! You’ve got this, king/queen.

READ: Green Therapy: How Outdoor Activities Lead to Inner Peace 

Have you ever felt the weight of the world on your shoulders, only to find solace in the gentle rustle of leaves?

If so, you’ve experienced the magic of green therapy—a practice that’s been healing souls long before it had a name. In this article, we’ll explore how outdoor activities can lead you to inner peace.