‘Bed rotting’ is the new trend Gen Z is obsessed with

Gen Z have a brand new obsession. It is called “bed rotting” and some youngsters are doing it for days on end.

We all know Gen Z are experts in self care, with the younger generation coming up with a new and improved way to help them decompress.

Whether it is through trends like “bare minimum Mondays” or taking an “everything shower”, Gen Z know how important taking care of their mental wellbeing is and they definitely aren’t short on creative ways to do it.

“Bed rotting” is the latest self-care trend and involves young people spending huge chunks of the day in bed basically doing whatever activity they find the most relaxing.

For some people this is eating, binge watching TV shows, scrolling on social media, doing a skincare routine or just simply staring at the ceiling.

Now, while chilling out in bed definitely isn’t a new revelation, the key to a successful “bed rot” is that it is intentional and doesn’t come with any guilt attached.

A bed rot can last anywhere from a few hours to a whole weekend, depending on the level of rejuvenation required.

Gen Z is obsessed with ‘bed rotting’. Picture: @adelina99x/TikTok

The new trend is a form of self care. Picture: @horrible.glitter/TikTok

According to US digital magazine, Bustle, a true bed rot day is about “becoming one with your pillows”, rather than laying down for a quick nap.

“The goal is to lie in bed for as long as possible and fully give in to any mental or physical fatigue you might be experiencing,” the article stated.

On TikTok, hashtags like #inbedrotting and #rottinginbed have over four million views, with the term spiking in popularity after a video from user @g0bra77y.

“Who tf actually likes rotting in their bed?” she asked in the video from December last year, before gesturing to herself.

@g0bra77y

Talented and very ambitious

♬ original sound - hard ahh audios fr🤞

That clip alone has been viewed more than 1.4 million times, sparking hundreds of comments from fellow bed rotting fans.

“I feel my purpose in this life is to rot in dif places. My bed, hotel bed, beach sand, hammock etc. I was made to lay and rot,” one commenter wrote.

Another person described it as their “hobby” and “passion”.

“Me watching this while laying in bed everyday for the past two weeks Never felt so alive,” another said.

There are countless other videos on TikTok devoted to the act of bed rotting.

Some users even take things a step further and “get ready” to spend the day in bed by doing a full makeup routine and putting on a nice outfit.

Some Gen Z’s are doing full makeup routines before starting their ‘bed rot’. Picture: @brittneyymooney/TikTok

This is one of the more elaborate forms of bed rotting. Picture: @k14nn4/TikTok

Earlier this month the concept of “everything showers” blew up on social media, referring to showers between two and four hours long where members of Gen Z scrub themselves while blasting music.

“An everything shower with hot water and Taylor Swift is better than sex. Sorry,” influencer Kourv Annon, 22, told her fiance Alex Warren.

“I wash my hair, shave my legs, shave my armpits, deep condition, exfoliate, do my skincare. I do everything in the shower,” Kourv said in a TikTok clip.

She only does it once a month, but many others do it much more frequently than that.

Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky, a dermatologist, said there was a right and wrong way to do an everything shower, referring to the order in which you tackle tasks.

Dr Zubritsky recommends starting with your hair.

“If you’re waiting til the end of your shower to rinse out your conditioner, that conditioner can sit on the skin, clog your pores and lead to back and chest acne,” she said.

Exfoliating is supposed to go next, before shaving with gel to reduce irritation. After washing that off, she recommended double cleaning on the face.