1. What is bedrotting?
Bedrotting is choosing to lay in bed for the declared purpose of self care: to recharge your batteries and take a mental health day. Staying home in bed, sick with the flu or a twisted ankle doesn’t qualify. You can commit a day over a weekend or a work day. For example, you choose to call in sick to work because you just couldn’t cope with the day’s commute, begin that new project you’ve been dreading, or deal with your colleagues.

2. Is bedrotting beneficial?
Bedrotting can be beneficial under the right circumstances. Ask yourself, “Can I afford to miss this day of work or am I creating problems by skipping out on the day?” Be honest with yourself. Perhaps you need to take a mental health day knowing that you’ll go in to work the next day, refreshed and ready to take on whatever comes your way. If so, indulge yourself. Chat with friends, rebinge your favorite Netflix series, or just relax.

3. Is bedrotting harmful?
Bedrotting can indeed be harmful. If, by skipping out on work, you are self-sabotaging your career, then rethink your day in bed. If you are spending more than a day or two bed rotting, you must examine what’s going on. Are you depressed or anxious? Are you avoiding basic hygiene? Not taking required medication? Ignoring your work outs? Languishing in bed also can disrupt your healthy sleep patterns and cause back problems. So be sure to make a balanced decision.

4. When does bedrotting become concerning?
If you find yourself spending more than a day or two in bed under the guise of self care and you find that you really aren’t feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day, then you need to try something else. It’s time to realize that the bedrotting approach to self-care isn’t working for you.

5. What should you do instead of bedrotting?
There are plenty of self-care alternatives to bed rotting if you find it’s not working for you. Lounging about in bed for too long can make you depressed so put on some inspiring music and get out of bed. Or ask a friend to come over and go for a walk or cook up your favorite meal together. Bedrotting can be an isolating experience that can compound depression so surround yourself with people you love and trust.

6. How long is too long to bedrot?
If after a day or two you are still bedrotting, it’s time to reexamine your self care strategy.

7. Why can bedrotting turn into a vicious cycle?
The act of laying in bed all day can feed into depression and anxiety. Undertake everything in moderation.