Is Bed Rotting Bad for You? 

Burnout is steadily rising worldwide—and people are coping in very different ways. Some deal with their stress and exhaustion by binge-watching Netflix shows, hitting the gym, meditating, or crafting. As for others? They try bed rotting.

Resting regularly is good for you, but bed rotting for too long or too often can indicate a deeper mental-health issue. “It can be difficult to disentangle what is a self-care day from what is a low or major depression, and when should you seek help?” says Stephanie Preston, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan.

If you’re only bed rotting once or twice a month to cope with stress, it’s likely an acceptable form of self-care that isn’t damaging your mental health, Preston says. But if you find yourself lying in bed multiple days a week, she says, there could be a deeper mental-health issue at play, like anxiety or depression. 

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