A love letter to rot days, and how to plan the perfect one
While there's a lot to mourn about the end of summer (RIP to rosé-fuelled nights and sunshine-filled festivals,) there is one thing I'm exceptionally excited for when it comes to welcoming in winter.
Yes, the return of the rot day, aka the best day of the week.
Rot day
/rɒt deɪ/
noun
A full day spent in bed, rotting
Requires cosy blankets, endless cups of tea, a pumpkin-spiced candle, a stack of expertly crafted snacks (both sweet and salty of course) and Netflix on a loop
Actual heaven
As a reminder, a rot day is not a 'rest day' that actually involves loads of life admin, going to the gym or meal-prepping, before popping a movie on in the evening. That's just a typical Sunday. Nor is it a hungover day, when you watch reruns of Gossip Girl with a half-eaten McDonald's, because your body is too dehydrated to move.
And no, it's also not a duvet day you've had to take because you're ill, when all you can do is lie horizontally, sadly slurping Heinz soup while blowing your nose into an increasingly large pile of tissues.
In its purest form, a rot day is a full day in bed, out of choice, with nothing or no one to distract you from hours in front of a screen. An act of self care if you will. It's a day set aside to relax and recharge your batteries, with no shame or guilt about the things you could be doing. Don't think about the washing piling up or the food shop you need to do. Simply sit lie and rot. Channel warmth, comfort and cosy vibes.
Life can be fast-paced. We fill our diaries with back-to-back socialising, jumping from Zoom calls to client catchups, and adding tasks to our endless to-do lists. We go from gym classes, to dinners, to work events and family duties. Sometimes, a day of doing absolutely nothing is a much needed lesson in slowing things down.
And when better to stew in bed all day than September? When the rain's chucking it down, your WhatsApp chats are dead, and you don't want to get out of your PJs. Yes I will be watching the entire Twilight saga in one sitting. And so what if I do?
How to do a rot day
While a rot day is generally unstructured, it can help to have a little plan in mind...
The day before (stewing-prep Saturday, anyone?), wash your bedding and ensure you have fresh pyjamas. Buy your snacking essentials and find your next favourite bing-watch, because you're not leaving the front door tomorrow.
On actual rot day, avoid all alarms and have a lie in, followed by breakfast in bed (pastries? Pancakes? Anything goes) and a giant coffee, flicking through your favourite book or magazine. When you're ready, hop up for an everything shower and change into a new set of pyjamas, ready for the true rotting to begin.
Because yes; from here, your entire day is to be spent on the sofa or back in bed. Light a candle, lay out your snacks, and chuck a throw over your feet.
And then it comes to the viewing choices. Personally, it's not a rot day for me without indulging in at least one nostalgic movie and three episodes of TV I've seen before. Something like 10 Things I Hate About You or The Parent Trap, followed up Criminal Minds or Pretty Little Liars, plus catching up on the reality series everyone is talking about. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, I'm looking at you.
Finally, if you're going to cook something, it's got to be comforting - and easy. A big bowl of pasta always does the trick. As does an online order from that restaurant you've been dying to try.
So yes, if you need me, there's only one place I'll be this winter. Rot mode = activated.
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