Hurkle-Durkling: Bed rotting TikTok trend and its pros-cons explained | Trending

TikTok is a bottomless pit for all kinds of trending content. Be it resurgence of old patterns or newly Gen-Z powered ideologies coming to the top, all of it has found a safe abode in going viral on the internet. Though not a novel concept, the latest of these trends to join the circle is Hurkle-durkling. Hurkle-durkle evokes the bed-rotting trend on TikTok.(Instagram) The internet-friendly practice comes from an old Scottish word that means, “to lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up and about”. So, is every moment of us lounging in bed relates to us devoting our time to the hurkle durkle trend? Not precisely. Catch the complete coverage of Budget 2024 only on HT. Explore now! What is Hurkle-durkling?Other than its conventional aforementioned definition, this TikTok trend inspires its inaction from another concept gone viral – bed rotting. Rotting in bed, when practised to an extent, is seen as a defiance to our orthodoxly scheduled lives that centre around hustling for productivity. Also read: 4 Trending TikTok couple challenges and theories that gained momentum in 2024 Therefore, renouncing the rigid norms of the hustle culture, hurkle-durkling has caught momentum as a whimsical yet benefitting trend. The now popular term came to light when American actor Kira Kosarin introduced it as her word of the day on TikTok, with the caption “hurkle-durkle, u deserve it”. Pros and cons of Hurkle-DurklingAnything in excess is bound to backfire its initial positive impacts. While easing your grip on the hustle wheel is an exhausting undertaking on its own that needs to be done consciously, letting the wheel drive you instead is equally detrimental. Mental experts have embraced the much-needed trend too, but not without alarming a sign of caution with it. Pros of Hurkle-DurklingHuffpost reported that Marisha Mathis, a licensed clinical social worker from Thriveworks, in Raleigh advised to adopt this trend. “Sometimes prioritising rest and having a slower start to the day is the best way to optimise your time and mental health”, Mathis said. She acknowledged it as a healthy means of tapping into self-care as it allowed one to simply ex, “get much-needed rest, move at gentler pace and reset to properly approach the morning”. If done with a sense of balance and done occasionally with intention, it could just be the remedy you needed all along. ““I don’t subscribe to the mentality that you should punish yourself for needing an extra 5-10 minutes in the morning, because that’s going to add more stress to the day”, stated Dr Jessica Gold, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. She further advises to “set some boundaries such as time limits and no interruptions, and enjoy yourself”. However, the experts doesn’t forget to remind one to keep balance in mind either, “Make sure that you are not using hurkle-durkle to avoid tasks, conversations, or processes that need your attention”, Mathis added. Cons of Hurkle-durklingThe coin flip also lets us in on some drawbacks of the viral trend. Mathis confirms, “It might be a red flag when the hurkle-durkle extends beyond a slice of the morning and drags throughout the day, or becomes a regular occurrence that takes us away from our responsibilities or creates isolation from friends and family,” If this were to happen, it could also be symptom of some other serious problems like depression. At the end of the day, one shouldn’t hide behind a catchy and quirky phrase to avoid reality or get out of bed. It’s equally important to note what the body is telling you when you may not want to get out of bed. Other common habits that people usually submit to while in bed is scrolling through content on the phone. Dr Gold promotes a cautionary reminder of not mindlessly scrolling through videos to avoid the body’s signals about your mental health.