The Dangers of Bed Rotting for Professional Life

Have you heard of 'bed rotting'? If your answer is 'no' and you work as a manager in any company—regardless of size or industry—I advise paying attention to this term, especially if you have younger employees on your team. Translated from English, the term 'bed rotting' means 'rotting in bed,' and it refers to spending a significant amount of time lounging in bed after waking up.

The term gained traction among younger audiences on social media, originating from a trend on TikTok. The demographic embracing this practice, while also helping to spread its concept, is precisely Generation Z, born between 1996 and 2010, who are frequently criticized by many organizations for their behaviors and conduct, often deemed inappropriate for the corporate environment.

Although 'bed rottingbed rotting' is being classified as a self-care practice, there is still no scientific evidence that it actually works, let alone that it is beneficial for people's health. On the contrary, spending too much time in bed doing nothing and "rotting," as the term suggests, tends to bring overall harm to people in their personal and professional lives.

The truth is that once we enter the job market, we are subject to excessive demands that can sometimes cause stress and fatigue. However, when faced with such a dilemma, the ideal approach is to seek support from leadership to report the problem and align on what can be done to alleviate the overload, which may occur without the leader's awareness.

Nevertheless, it is worth emphasizing that for this to happen, managers must also be well-prepared to handle the situation, both to support the employee and to avoid judgment, so as not to further compromise their well-being and potentially their mental health. It is crucial for leaders to be tactful in understanding what is happening before making corresponding decisions.

In addition to rest or a reduction in activities, depending on the case, leadership can also consider ways to help the team organize itself better. Often, people do not necessarily have too many tasks but do not know how to manage their time, ultimately procrastinating, taking too long to complete tasks, or starting one activity only to stop and begin another, perpetuating a vicious cycle.

I consider it essential for managers to help employees recognize that quality time to rest and even do nothing is very important, but it must be limited and balanced with other responsibilities—whether in personal life, and especially in the workplace, where others depend on you. Balance is key to making it work.

In this regard, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of tracking team goals and objectives, but also, as a leader, to use face-to-face moments to try to perceive what is not being said in words but what the body is communicating.