If you follow wellness trends, chances are you’ve seen “therapeutic laziness” making the rounds on social media. But what’s all this buzz about and how can “laziness” actually help you lead a more fulfilling life? I asked a clinical psychologist to explain the benefits of this recent wellness trend, and here’s what I learned. (Hint: First read, then make a conscious decision to do nothing at all.)
What Is Therapeutic Laziness and How Can It Improve Your Quality of Life? A Clinical Psychologist Explains
Raise a glass to guilt-free R&R
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Published Aug 1, 2025
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Meet the Expert
Dr. Stefanie Mazer, Psy.D.,is a licensed psychologist and founder of Mindwise Inc., a boutique therapy practice based in Wellington, Florida. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Mazer specializes in anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges and performance-related stress.
What Is Therapeutic Laziness?
In short, therapeutic laziness is a recent wellness trend that involves purposeful periods of inactivity. The goal of therapeutic laziness is intentional rest and guilt-free relaxation. In other words, it’s a rebuttal to the exhausting societal demands for constant productivity (looking at you, #girlboss).
Why Is Therapeutic Laziness Trending?
In case you missed it, therapeutic laziness was WGSN’s prediction for the top beauty trend of 2025. But laziness isn’t typically a trait people like to advertise, so why has therapeutic laziness taken the wellness world by storm? Per the analysts, “building on the anti-wellness movement, this trend elevates bed rotting, or spending extended time in bed and being intentionally unproductive, into a refined self-care ritual loaded with tactile hedonism.”
Dr. Mazer adds: “Therapeutic laziness is gaining traction because our culture can be so tiring. Everywhere you look, people seem to be hustling, on social media, at work, in their personal lives. People are finally starting to push back. They’re realizing that burnout isn’t a badge of honor but a signal that something needs to change. Intentionally stepping back, crashing in bed, and doing very little is becoming oddly liberating.”
Still, the expert emphasizes that therapeutic laziness isn't about avoiding life, it's about listening to your nervous system and seeing rest as productive in its own right. “People who have been running on empty are discovering that doing nothing can reset stress, recharge, and even spark creativity, while still feeling like they're doing something worthwhile,” she says.
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Therapeutic Laziness Vs. Bed Rotting: Is There a Difference?
While therapeutic laziness might sound similar to bed rotting, Dr. Mazer tells me that there’s a key distinction: “Therapeutic laziness is an active decision to slow down, to rest without guilt and to give your nervous system a break, whereas bed rotting tends to reflect emotional exhaustion rather than intention. It's usually not chosen; instead, it emerges from overwhelm or avoidance.”
As such, therapeutic laziness is experienced as genuinely restorative, but people experiencing bed rotting are often simply immobilized by stress, anxiety, depression or burnout. In other words, the key difference is agency. “One is a form of self-care. The other can be a red flag that something deeper needs tending,” explains Dr. Mazer.
3 Ways to Practice Therapeutic Laziness
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1. Intentionally Doing Nothing
Sometimes the most healing choice is to stop striving. Let yourself lie on the couch, sit in the sun, or stare out the window without any guilt. It’s not a waste of time, it’s a reset. Giving your brain a break can quiet the noise and help your nervous system recalibrate.
2. Saying No to Guilt
You don’t need to earn rest by checking everything off your to-do list. Instead, Dr. Mazer’s recommendation is to “practice noticing the impulse to be useful and letting it pass without acting on it, so you can untangle your worth from constant doing.”
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3. Wandering Without Purpose
Therapeutic laziness doesn’t necessarily mean being inactive. If you would rather move your body than languish in bed then by all means, do so. “Take a walk with no destination and let your body lead the way instead of your calendar,” says Dr. Mazer, adding that “when you stop treating every moment as a means to an end, you start feeling more present in your own life.”
Summary: Can Therapeutic Laziness Really Help You Relax?
According to Dr. Mazer, therapeutic laziness lives up to its name—it truly is healing. “When you allow yourself to be deliberately unproductive, you give your nervous system a chance to downshift,” she explains. “Many people live in a near-constant state of activation, mentally juggling tasks, responding to tech messages, pushing through exhaustion. Therapeutic laziness interrupts that cycle.”
And the benefits aren’t just physical—they’re psychological too. “That conscious permission to slow down…lowers cortisol, eases muscle tension, and creates space for emotional processing,” she says. “Rather than forcing yourself to relax through meditation or another structured activity, therapeutic laziness offers a more organic approach.”
So on that note, I’m signing off. See you on the other side of rest and rejuvenation, friends.
