Do You Suffer From Sunshine Guilt?
Why you may feel extra shame on nice weather days
The sun will come out tomorrow — but do you care?
Maybe you’ve opted to partake in the two recently viral “lazy” trends: bed rotting, an indefinite state of sloth at any time of day, or hurkle-durkling, to lounge around in the morning when you should be seizing the day.
The regret you feel when ignoring a beautiful day in favour of more bedtime indicates you’ve been stricken with “sun guilt” or “sunshine guilt” — and based on the number of views the term has garnered on TikTok, it appears to be pretty common.
“Sunshine guilt” is the feeling of remorse one gets when they stay inside on a nice day, and the feeling can intensify if the person assumes everyone else is outdoors enjoying their lives.
This type of guilt tends to go hand-in-hand with the fear of missing out, or feeling like you’re doing something wrong.
While sunshine and socialization can be good for you, different people have individual needs, so if staying in and watching reality TV is what you need at the moment, that’s OK.
Previous studies have shown that embracing lazy mornings really could be a boon to well-being.
A December 2023 study published in the journal Sleep Health suggests that sleeping in on the weekends could actually save your life in the long run.
Researchers found that an extra two hours of sleep on the weekend can reduce the chances of a heart attack or stroke by 63% — especially for people who get less than six hours of sleep during the week.
