Bed rotting? No, More Like Rest Investing!

Know when it's time for a horizontal healing!

Okay, beauties, we’re bedrotting! I know what that sounds like, but let’s be real, this isn’t just a treat yo'self moment, but more of a forced sit your butt down before you burn out moment. Recently, I joined the host of hotties on TikTok with a foot or ankle injury. I fractured my fifth metatarsal in my left foot, courtesy of my pink Tasman Ugg slippers. (Still bought the purple pair after. I never cared!) This injury may or may not come less than two years after a full right ankle fibula break post-girl's night out in a Midtown subway station...

Clumsiness aside, the first thing I thought was, “I can’t be on bedrest for six weeks! I have things to do!” I called my parents and everything (What? I’m a millennial after all!) because there had to be something they could do. What about workouts, my errands, my sweet treat stops after walking my fur babies, hangouts with the girls? Who’s going to do all that if not me?

Once my initial panic died down, I realized I left no room to grieve my injury, just straight to how it inconvenienced my life as I currently know it, which is, unfortunately, the normal reaction for any unforeseen injury, to be honest. It's kind of sad that I treated myself with such a lack of care, and I thought maybe this was the universe telling me to slow down before things went from bad to baddER.

So now, instead of spiraling about what I can’t do, I’ve been finding the time to find peace in what I can.

Bedrotting doesn’t have to mean boredom watching marathons of Law & Order SVU, spoon-feeding yourself pints of Oreo ice cream, and dissociating; it can be your crash course in choosing yourself. Here’s how I’m surviving through my self-imposed "life sabbatical".

We've officially entered Burnout Recovery! Let’s get to it!

At-Home Workouts!

I might as well get the veggies out of the way before I dive into the sweets (the fun part of bedrotting/recovery mode). Slow living doesn't mean giving up on your fitness journey; it means just not going as hard as you're used to.

If you’re clumsy like me and suffering from a broken bone, this is not the time to act like you’re auditioning for American Ninja Warrior. Do not try to make it to your local gym and that pilates class? Yeah, that's also off the table, too! Take a few days off to give that bone some much-needed relief, then ease back into low-impact routines that keep you moving without compromising your healing process. Here are a few I’ve been rotating:

3. Standing Slow Burn

• Wall pushups — 3 sets of 10
• Standing kickbacks — 3 sets of 12
• Calf raises (on uninjured foot for support) — 2 sets of 10
• Side bends — 2 sets of 20

4. Modified HIIT

• Seated punches — 3 rounds of 1 minute
• Hinge & Cross — 3 rounds of 1 minute
• Seated Running — 3 rounds of 45 seconds
• Skater Switch — 3 rounds of 1 minute

You don't need a lot of equipment in order to get these exercises done; most only need a chair! However, some nice-to-haves would be: light 2.5-5lbs dumbbells, ankle/wrist weights, and resistance bands varying in heaviness.

Once again, if you're injured, gauge what's doable for you and modify accordingly. And if you're not injured, try some out-of-the-box ways to get active, like jump roping, skating, biking, or even getting back to the basics with a morning and evening walk to connect with nature. Sometimes, a change of scenery is also what you need, so go to your local park and feel that autumn breeze on your skin.

Healing Hobbies to Keep You Busy

This is your chance to romanticize stillness, but also, move your hands! That hobby that you've been putting off trying for so long. TRY IT! How will you ever know that you actually like it if you never actually do it? Here are some hobbies that my injury has opened me up to.

Perfume Mixing (My New Obsession)

I live in the beautiful chaos that is NYC, where oil stores are a goldmine for smelling like a goddess. I love perfume oils, but I don't trust myself not to break my skin out in a rash from putting super-concentrated oils on. This prompted my latest hobby of perfumery. While in the city, I was able to snag an ounce of three luxury big-name perfume oils and a few glass spray bottles for around $20. I then hit Amazon for fixatives, which help with scent projection and longevity, and perfumer’s alcohol. I aim for an EDP concentration, which is the strongest scent on the perfume scale, and that calls for about 15-20% of the perfume formula to be fragrance oil. It's still a work in progress, but my here's my current formulation!

Eau de Parfum - 20% Concentrat Formula:

• 20 ml perfumer’s alcohol
• 4 ml fixative (I like benzoin)
• 6 ml of your chosen oil blend

Combine these ingredients in a one-ounce spray bottle. Tighten the top and give it a few turns to ensure the oils and alcohol are thoroughly mixed. I like to avoid shaking heavily in the beginning to avoid disrupting the elements' chemistry (girls in STEM!). I would love to tell you your perfume is ready to use, but maceration, which is the process of softening and breaking down, is needed to mature the scent.

It tames any overtly alcoholic scent and gives you a department store-style quality of fragrance. Allowing your perfume to sit for a minimum of a week helps it develop to its full potential. Something to keep in mind, perfume is like wine; the longer it sits, the better it smells.

Getting Back Into Reading

A lost hobby of mine has been reading. I no longer find the time to pick up a book. In high school and college, it felt like I was reading two to three a month. I even had a book club in high school that spanned from sophomore to junior classes (story for another day), and I was dealing with state exams back then; yet I still found the time to read a few chapters. I want to be that girl again!

Sometimes, novels feel too heavy when your brain’s on low battery mode. So I took it back to my high school roots and downloaded WattPad on my iPad. It's incredible to see what the new-age writers are bringing to the fanfiction table. Some of these plots are insane page turners! Obviously, there are still an abundance of terrible "YN" fics, which are a right of passage. You’ll find yourself hooked before you know it. I find this to be the perfect segue back into hardcover novels.

Baking My Sweet Tooth Away

I have a deadly sweet tooth, so instead of pretending I’m “off sugar,” just to go to my nearest bakery before close for a big slice of red velvet cake, I’ve just started hacking my favorite desserts since I now have the time to do so. Yesterday’s success? A sugar-free-ish tiramisu! And you know I'm going to share my recipe!

Low Sugar & Semi-Fat Free Tiramisu:

• 12 ladyfingers
• ⅔ tub fat-reduced whipped topping
• 80g whipped cream cheese
• 1 serving unflavored protein powder
• ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
• 10g cocoa powder
• 1c of fresh-brewed espresso

Nutrition

Calories: 166 | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5.5g | Sugar: 8g

The prep is insanely easy! I mixed the whipped topping, cream cheese, protein powder, and vanilla paste until everything was well incorporated. Don't overmix! Dip lady fingers into the espresso and begin layering as you like with whipped topping mix. Garnish the last cream layer with cocoa powder, then pop it in the fridge to set, and you're done! A traditional dessert that's borderline healthy!

I’ve been meaning to start bulk-making my sweet treats to have in the house, but I never found the time because I'm always on the go. It took a broken foot to get me to pause, and get in that kitchen and do something for the betterment of my macros. And we're not done yet! Best believe, as soon as I crack the code to a moist, nearly sugar-free red velvet cake, you’ll be the first to know. I’ve got six whole weeks to perfect it.

Don't think you have to choose from these hobbies. You can explore other hobbies, such as crocheting, photography,  meditation, and mindfulness to further center yourself, or drawing. I'm an avid reader who has the sweetest tooth known to man and loves to smell good. In my current state, these hobbies make sense, and they're calming, which is the ultimate goal here!

Your Bedrotting Timeline: Habit-Building for Healing

Science suggests it takes 21 days to start forming a habit, and around 66 to make it stick. That’s basically the length of a good recovery cycle.

Week 1–2: Rest. No overachieving. Hydrate, stretch lightly, watch nonsense TV, let yourself be a lump.

Week 3–4: Introduce structure. Try your first workouts, start your new hobby, make your bed daily — the little wins count.

Week 5–6: Reflect and reset. Revisit your goals, prep for re-entry into your normal routine, and notice what habits you want to keep.

💡 Pro Tip: Habit stack. Pair a new habit with one you already do automatically. For example, stretch your arms while your morning coffee brews, or do deep breathing every time your favorite show cuts to a commercial. That way you're more likely to stay consistent with your new habits.

By the time you’re fully mobile again, you won’t just be “back” — you’ll be better, because you built habits from stillness instead of chaos.

Reconnecting Without Crashing

As a millennial, my generation was raised on the go. Constantly moving so fast, even our off days are filled with constant tasks. I'm here to say, bedrotting is okay! It's preventative care at worst. Even if that’s literally all you’re doing, that's still just fine. The key is to do it with awareness. It’s not about isolation or giving up; it’s about slowing down enough to notice where your energy leaks out.

Choosing yourself doesn’t have to wait for a broken bone (sorry me!) or a work burnout (also me, but we've since worked through that!). Life teaches us that if you do not regulate yourself, it'll regulate for you, and you may not like how it's done. Don't beat yourself up, you're not going through a setback, just a pause. Remain self-aware, and make sure your “I need rest” era doesn’t quietly morph into a depressive one. Reconnect with your body, your creativity, and your peace, so that when you rejoin the real world, it's like you didn't miss a beat.

✨ You earned this pause. Share this with a friend who forgets to slow down—and don't forget you need rest, too. If you need more fun, low-stress hobbies during recovery, check out my last blog post: Economy Stricken Baddie’s Declassified: Home Manicure Survival Guide, where I show you how to slay an at-home mani on a budget.

🛍️ My Bedrotting Survival Kit

Upon injuring myself, I took my time to run over to Amazon for some retail therapy and bought a few things to aid in my bedrot and make myself feel better. So, before you hit checkout on your next Amazon binge, here’s what’s been keeping me comfy while healing.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I actually use or purchased myself. 💋

• Weighted Blanket – It's getting colder and colder out, so when I saw this weighted blanket on sale, I had to get it for dark room, binge sessions. So far, it has been keeping me warm, and my nerves calmed
• Yankee Candle – I light a candle daily, and bedrotting does not stop that. Besides BBW, Yankee is my favorite candle brand, so I try to stock up when I see them at a good price (coconut beach is that girl)
• Mini Stanley – A regular Stanley is fine, but I've already bought two minis in Dew Drop and Frost because I couldn't help myself, and now want to peer-pressure you into doing the same. They're so cute, and 14oz is the perfect size for lying around
• Silk Pillow Case – washing and doing my hair constantly will now be quite the task in my predicament, so just to keep my hair looking good for a bit longer in between washes while I lie around, I pinked one up