The Pressure of Laziness

It’s two PM in the afternoon. You’ve slept in again.

Your room is a mess, but it has been for the last two, possibly three, maybe even four days.

You want to get out of bed, but between the comfiness of your sheets and the responsibility

that awaits you, the possibility of getting up seems, well, impossible.

You call it laziness, as does everyone else. You shouldn’t be rotting away in your bed, avoiding responsibility. That’s not so adult of you.

You’re wasting your life, scrolling away precious hours, with each mind-numbing video that appears on your feed.

Time blurs into itself, as soon four am and four pm don’t appear too different.

I’ve been there, bed-rotting, trapped by my own lack of motivation. It’s not often that I have a

week where I'm not roped into this cycle. It’s a cycle I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, and yet it is all too common, especially among my generation (Gen Z).

And honestly the rate at which it is normalised is pretty scary, but it is nice to know that

you’re not alone.

Of course in moderation, it can be good to ‘bed rot’ (using the term loosely). Sometimes you

need to allow your mind a period of time where it can rest, and not be burdened with the weight of decisions and whatever else life decides to throw your way.

Other times it’s a natural consequence of burnout. Sometimes, particularly in times of high

stress, your mind just shuts off, dragging your motivation with it. Bed-rotting in this case isn’t

a pleasant feeling, what with all the guilt? But it is a sign. A signal from your brain telling you

it can’t handle any more at that moment. A signal you should listen to.

Sometimes, something I’ve had to come to grips with, it’s neither, and simply just a symptom

of your lifestyle. Bed-rotting can be caused by sleep deprivation and poor sleep hygiene,

something I definitely know first hand. It can also be a symptom of lack of socialisation,

dehydration and a lack of vitamin D.

So whilst it might seem counterintuitive to tell you to get yourself up and out when you feel

like this, especially when it feels like a weight is dragging you down, tethering you to your

bed. Sometimes just sitting yourself up, lugging yourself out of your bed, and at the very

least getting some water in your system (or any preferred beverage if you’re a water hater

like me), can be worth it. If you’re up for it, forcing yourself to get up and out of your room, for

even an hour or two will also do wonders.

It doesn’t matter about the mess that might be in your room, or other factors that are keeping

you down. You’ll struggle to complete things if your mind is in a poor state, so if it has to be

ignored, so be it.

One of the worst things about bed-rotting, is not only the action, but the seemingly never-

ending duration of it. Combined with the physical and mental toll the cycle really has the ability to take a toll on you. Bed-rotting serves to feed itself. The procrastination and decreased motivation thrives on you feeling bad about the state that you are in.

But as someone who has been through it, you need to know that you are not a failure, you

are simply struggling, and that’s okay.

Of course, if this persists over a significant period of time, then please reach out, because it

can be a symptom of depression.

Regardless of what the case is, you are not lazy. Laziness at least has an element of choice

behind it. Laziness is easy and in turn can be stopped easily. If you are in a state where you

are finding it hard to get out of bed, and your body is going against your idea to get up and

remedy your situation, then that is not and will never be laziness.

Give yourself some grace. Sometimes that’s the first step.

Written by, La’Keesha Stewart