Rotting is slumming. It’s deliberately laying around, lamping and lounging so intentionally for so long that you begin to taste your own bad breath and smell the rancid odor of your personal brand of human stench. And I’m here to tell you that rotting is good for you. If you can conscientiously commit to the bit, I believe you’ll quickly uncover the benefits of rotting. Even more, you’ll learn to rot often enough that you’ll reach middle management function levels.
To the point, the benefits of rotting include:
REST. LOTS OF REST.
- Comfort.
- Time to decompress
- Entertainment
- Low-stakes passive engagement
- Low-risk/no-risk human engagement
- Mental relief
- Re-centering yourself
- Reconnecting with yourself
Rotting is self care and that makes it good for you
Rotting is self care in its highest degree because you’re allowing yourself to just be.
You’re in your safest space – ideally your bed, but the couch works too. And you have the freedom and privacy to be your cringiest, crummiest, scabbiest self.
To get the most of your rot you have to really sink into it. Indulge in your slob. Get nice and comfortable, down deep into your extended time-out, and do so shamelessly. Gleefully even. Get excited for the rot! It’s YOUR TIME!
Get the max benefits out of Rotting
Put your phone on silent and talk out loud to yourself.
Here’s why: you’re about to take a lot of extended time with yourself. And if you have any type of attention and focus problems you’re going to get bored. And if you have any sort of self-esteem or self-worth issues you’re going to start feeling guilty for doing nothing.
To minimize your need for stimulation and cheap dopamine, turn off the sounds of your phone. Mute your notifications guiltlessly, and vocally remind yourself that doing nothing at all is good for you. Say out loud “I deserve a break and I’m taking what’s mine.”
You’re under no obligation to post a selfie or craft a social media post about your rotting. But if you feel like you want to then share with the world how good it feels to do nothing.
You are your primary focus – whether you’re rotting or not – and you don’t have to give anyone any attention while you rot. Your whims are the most important place to focus your attention. This is your time to escape and release everything you overthink about, while you watch mind-numbing YouTube videos or binge watch fantastical romantic television series.
Talk back, out loud, to yourself
Let the ADHD girlies tell it they’re constantly in a battle of self-inflicted guilt, and anxiety over not doing things that their brain won’t shut up about. I truly cannot relate to not having control over my own brain so it’s an interesting phenomenon to read about.
Anyway, quick exercise in reconnecting with yourself: what if, instead of trying to avoid or ignore or escape your brain, you engage with it by saying the opposite of whatever it tells you?
Actively, consciously, physically, with your voice counter every single guilty or judgmental thing your brain says. Throw objections at it and verbalize your position.
At least for the rot.
To get the full benefits of rotting you have to reply back to your anxious, hypercritical inside-inside voice, using your physical out loud voice, and say “I don’t care about that now. I’ll deal with it later.”
Or, if you really want to go all out on shushing the over-thinking, self-judging inner critics, reply out loud “IT DOESN’T MATTER.”
Even if it does matter, it doesn’t matter right now because right now you’re rotting. The only thing that matters while you’re rotting is that you’re physically comfortable and able to mentally decompress, defragment, and reset.
Rotting gives you the benefit of grace & permission
You’re caring for yourself by giving into your very real need for a TIME OUT. The world is overwhelming. It can seem like a very dismal place, very often, if you’re constantly tuned into the mess of it all. Give yourself permission to not give a fuck. Allow yourself the grace to watch foolishness, to sleep too long, to lay down and stare of into space. Feel all of the feelings and do nothing about any of them.
Consider for a moment the reality that whatever super important pressing matters you’ve already put off will still be there. They won’t disappear just because you put your attention elsewhere. Anyone that needs to talk to you can probably survive a day or two without the chat. Rot yourself to the core. Lay in your space until you think to yourself “what’s that smell?” and then get up and brush your teeth. Take a shower. Look in the mirror and speak to yourself.
Check out, then check in
When you’re at your limit for rotting, you know it’s done the job. The instant you feel yucky, instead of comfortable, get up. The very exact second. Just stand up. Stretch your arms above your head. Maybe, tip-toe. Bend over at the waist and see if you can touch your toes. Doesn’t matter if you can’t. You’re just trying to bring awareness back to your body.
Once you’re aware that you’re tired of laying down, do some personal hygiene, drink some water and put some words down. Put them in your voice app, or type them in your notes app. Whatever word comes into your brain, put it down. Even if it’s negative self-talk. Put it down, or put down your objections to it. Write (or say/record) something you watched or listened to during your rotting session. Ideally, something you liked.
Think about the actors, or illustrations, or artists who made the thing you watched. And think to yourself, I’m sure glad they made that so I was able to enjoy it while I checked out. Think to yourself, they’ve probably also had rough times. They’ve probably also had long rotting sessions.
Know that we all go through it sometimes. And tap-in to the truth that humans deserve breaks. Take as long as you need, and get in there ALL THE WAY with doing fuck all. So that when you stand up again, and wash off, you can step back into your life and the real world refreshed.
You have to rot so you can reset.
Remember to be kind to yourself. You don’t owe anybody anything in this life. Least of all an explanation for needing to take a time out. Anyone alive and awake knows that breaks from the madness are necessary. One of the top benefits of rotting is that once you hit the yuck, you’re ready to reset. You have to slum-out to come back ready for the world. Rotting is YOU TIME. Take yours unapologetically. It’s important and good for you.
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