For Nilanjana Ray, her rest room is the place she feels really unreachable. “It’s that area the place I will be essentially the most susceptible, wash it away, and rise once more. I don’t have to hold that negativity into my room,” mentioned Ray, an assistant professor on the College of Delhi, who lives in a shared lodging.
What was as soon as only a area for primary bodily wants is now evolving into a private sanctuary for a lot of. Individuals are spending longer intervals inside their bogs — scrolling via their telephones, meditating, journalling, or just sitting in silence. The phenomenon, dubbed rest room tenting, displays a rising want to disconnect and decompress –– even when it means locking your self in a tiled enclosure for some time.
Indianexpress.com spoke to individuals embracing this pattern, in addition to medical professionals, to discover what’s fuelling this odd however relatable type of escape, and likewise the well being dangers that include it.
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“My rest room is my reset button”
For Ray, the area is curated and comforting. It’s the place she flexes her inside design prowess. “I detest white tube lights. They make it really feel like a hospital. I exploit yellow LEDs, maintain good aromatics, and even place important oils within the corners typically,” she mentioned.
Aditya Sharma, a Delhi-based PR skilled, known as his rest room a secure area for emotional launch. “Should you’re the only breadwinner or head of the household, you possibly can’t let your feelings present. It would fear others, youthful members who have to give attention to research, or elders coping with well being points. So that you bottle it up, till you’re alone.” For him, that solitude comes behind a locked rest room door.
Whereas music, LinkedIn, and Instagram reels are a mainstay throughout these periods, Sharma typically carries novels and even performs chess on-line, inside the toilet. “However I usually find yourself staying means too lengthy as a result of the sport pulls me in and calls for full consideration. It’s exhausting to interrupt away mid-match,” he mentioned.
The emotional have to shut the door
Based on Dr Rahul Chandhok, senior marketing consultant and head of psychiatry at Artemis Lite NFC, New Delhi, this pattern displays deeper emotional wants. “There’s a rising urge to flee — from obligations, expectations, and overstimulation. For a lot of, the toilet turns into the one place the place they’ll really be alone,” he mentioned.
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Dr Chandhok, nevertheless, warned that if these “escapes” turn into too frequent or extended, it is likely to be an indication of burnout. “Taking a brief break is wholesome. But when somebody feels the necessity to conceal away on a regular basis, it’s a sign to handle deeper points. Actual well-being comes from steadiness, clear boundaries, and more healthy coping mechanisms,” he mentioned.
Many love studying within the silence of the washroom (Supply: Freepik)
For some, the washroom even doubles as a inventive den. Shravan Ajay, founder and inventive head at The Content material Principle, known as it his “considering chamber.” “A few of my finest concepts, together with two of my most profitable advert campaigns for tech purchasers, have sparked whereas sitting there,” he mentioned. No mountains or seashores wanted, simply tiled partitions and uninterrupted quiet.
“For lots of people, the toilet is the one place the place they’ll shut the door on the skin world. It provides them privateness, time alone, and an opportunity to breathe with out being judged or interrupted,” mentioned Dr Chandhok.
What do well being specialists need to say?
“Spending lengthy intervals in moist environments like bogs can result in a number of well being points, a lot of which individuals don’t instantly affiliate with the behavior,” mentioned Dr Sambit Kumar Bhuyan, marketing consultant gastroenterologist at Manipal Hospital, Bhubaneswar. “From pores and skin infections to urinary issues, extended sitting in a damp setting, particularly on the bathroom, will not be with out danger.”
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Dr Sai Lahari Rachumallu, affiliate marketing consultant, dermatology, on the identical hospital, mentioned, “Intertrigo — irritation between pores and skin folds attributable to friction and sweat — is frequent in such settings. So are fungal infections, contact dermatitis, folliculitis, and urinary tract infections.”
“Humid, moist atmosphere is good for microbes to thrive, and your rest room can shortly turn into a breeding floor in case you’re not cautious. Extended sitting, particularly in tight or moist garments, could appear innocent however can snowball into pores and skin infections or urinary points,” he mentioned.
Whereas rest room tenting could supply short-term aid from the loud, demanding world, in case you’re a kind of who resort to this, it is likely to be an excellent time to mirror on what you’re looking for refuge from.
