It’s Saturday morning and the start of a long weekend, with enough time for now. You play the game of convincing yourself that if Monday is a holiday, then today is actually Friday. And if today is Friday, then the weekend hasn’t even begun yet! Three full days, an almost overwhelming abundance of time. You plan to take care of errands, spend time with family and friends, take on a big cooking project, and finally fix that creaky cabinet door. Maybe even see a movie in the theater or read a whole book from start to finish. Yes and yes! Right now, everything is possible.
Of course, it’s still early. For now, you might want to stay under the covers and think. When faced with the endless possibilities of a long weekend, nothing is as tempting as staying in or going back to bed. All this time to fill so gloriously and productively; why not waste a little? It’s not really “wasting,” is it? It’s self-care, it’s taking control, as a sleep psychologist told The Times. If this time really and truly belongs to you, then it’s yours to spend or squander as you wish.
Last year, an unfortunately named trend emerged from TikTok: bed rotting. To “rot” is to spend the day under the covers, scrolling through your phone, napping, binge-watching a show, or just staring at the ceiling. Some doctors praised this as a necessary form of rest, while others warned it could be a sign of depression. Recently, the whimsically named “hurkle-durkle,” a 19th-century Scottish term for lingering in bed when you should be up and about, has gained popularity.
Both practices revolve around disregarding the responsibilities of the world, with the conflict between being a responsible member of society and snuggling under layers of blankets. It’s a grim spectrum of existence, teetering between being a high-achieving go-getter and a lazy layabout. Despite generations grappling with this tension on social media and a pandemic-induced emphasis on burnout and work-life balance, suggesting that embracing deep relaxation without guilt might be possible, our inclination for productivity over comfort still prevails. We love checking things off our to-do lists and despise any behavior that hints at laziness.