Gen Z Wellness Behaviors: “Bathroom Camping” Coping

 

“Bathroom camping” is a newly coined term by Gen Z that describes a long-standing behavior of finding solace in a restroom when everything becomes “too much” to handle. Many individuals online as of late have discussed finding a safe hideaway for themselves to cope with feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or just generally needing a break. This can occur, not only in public restroom stalls, but also in private restrooms at home. Myself and my colleagues at Behavioral Health Clinic (BHC) have heard of this style of coping and worked to address it in therapy.

Many older adults have expressed extreme discomfort with the concept of “bathroom camping” and consider it to be a normal part of adulthood. People criticize this behavior as being unproductive or taking up space from people who need to use the bathroom for its “intended” purpose. Some folks have shown their irritation online as another way to resent Gen Z for being “fragile” or “snowflakes,” but is that really all there is to it?

As a therapist (and a member of Gen Z), I believe that what makes “bathroom camping” different from its previous use is the openness from Gen Z to discuss self regulation habits and coping tools online to destigmatize mental health. Through social media platforms such as TikTok, many young adults are sharing their experience related to “bathroom camping” with humor or to start conversations around it. These conversations often show interest and pose questions surrounding the underlying cause and the implications of this behavior, especially when it grows from a few minutes spent in the bathroom to a few hours.

Many folks have expressed concern about their habit of bathroom camping in different capacities. Some folks have noted that they spent a lot of their childhood using the bathroom as a safe space and relate this to trauma or negative life experiences they connect to their habit of bathroom camping. This could speak to high levels of stress and a lack of other coping skills needed to handle their emotions. While bathroom camping can be a good way to find a safe space to regulate, there is always concern for how much is still healthy and what other coping skills can be used.

Sam Dahm, LPC-IT, another therapist at the Behavioral Health Clinic, has noticed that the habit of bathroom camping in school-based settings has become a cause for concern. She expressed that there have been many instances in which students have camped in the bathroom for hours, to the point that teachers are unsure of where the student is or if they are even still in the school. Not only are students missing out on lessons, with some missing almost every class, but it can become a safety concern. This practice poses safety concerns, as it prevents teachers from accurately accounting for students during critical events such as fire drills and lockdowns, and also in general day to day situations. This is something I have observed as well and, upon asking students, I have been told that it is not about skipping class to spend time with their friends, but to escape stressors. With one in three adolescents experiencing anxiety (McCarthy, 2019) in some capacity, it makes sense that they need a safe place to work through those big emotions, but it’s important that they are aware that there are other options.

When working with students who experience anxiety symptoms, one of the first things I do is help them create a physical list of safe people in and out of school. I have them either hang it up in their lockers, put it in a binder to take with them to class, or take a picture of it to keep on their phone. This gives them an easily accessible, clear guide of who they can go to when they need help in different places. Some examples of trusted adults in schools can include their homeroom teacher, a teacher they have really connected with, the school nurse, a guidance counselor, or a school-based therapist. This list may seem unnecessary to some, but it can be helpful when anxiety takes over, making it really hard to think.

There are also many benefits to keeping a list of trusted adults. First, it helps students to self advocate and take action when it comes to stress management in the moment. They can find assistance through a trusted adult who can take an active role in calming the student down. Second, it allows for the use of co-regulation. Co-regulation is the process in which a regulated person can help calm a dysregulated person down, just by sharing the space and remaining calm. I have used this technique multiple times with students and have found that just being a calm, supportive presence can do so much to reduce anxiety symptoms as they are happening. While you can assist the student through guided breathing, co-regulation is an effective way to use nonverbal cues, such as regulated breathing, calm or even tone, or the general presence of a safe person, to achieve the same goal. This can also help students to subconsciously adopt similar behavior for self-regulation.

For both older and younger Gen Zers (and folks of all ages), therapy can be incredibly beneficial when it comes to stress and coping with overstimulation. Therapists like myself can help to teach skills to use while bathroom camping to shorten its length, or to eventually eliminate its need. There are a variety of grounding techniques folks can use, such as different breathing techniques, brief meditation, or others identified in session. I have found that different tools work better for different people, so workshopping your “emotional regulation toolkit” with guidance from a therapist can be incredibly beneficial. It may take some time to develop, but finding the right coping skills can help to reduce the amount of time you may need to regulate in the future.

Therapy can also create a space for the client to examine why they feel the need to bathroom camp and explore the root cause. There may be more than just overstimulation and stress that push people towards bathroom camping, such as childhood trauma or undiagnosed neurodiversity, that can be discovered and understood through therapy. Our bodies have a tough time differentiating “life or death” stress from day to day stressors, and trauma responses are a whole different ballgame. The nervous system can be disrupted by stress of any kind, leading to negative effects on your health (Porges, 2022). It is vital to recognize stress and find ways to manage it, rather than brushing it off as being sensitive and letting it build. With the rise of mental health conversations occurring online, it may be beneficial to consult with a therapist to help guide this process. Therapy provides a safe and structured environment to explore your past, build emotional regulation skills, and work towards a better understanding of yourself.

I also can recognize the benefits of bathroom camping — in moderation. Too much of anything can be detrimental, so finding a happy medium with time spent self regulating through bathroom camping is important. I am always advocating for clients to find a space they feel comfortable or safe in to self regulate as it can be hard to do so around others (which is another skill that can be developed in therapy). A bathroom may seem unconventional or like a last resort to some, but the small space, lack of people, and reduction of noise can be viewed almost as a “cocoon” to regulate from external or internal overstimulation. If we can pair this with therapeutic exploration and coping skills development, bathroom camping may not be that bad.

If you are struggling with coping, or have trouble developing effective coping skills for your emotional or behavioral concerns, our dedicated staff at BHC are always eager to help!