Is Working from Bed a Bad Idea?
Is working, eating, and non sleep/sex activity from bed good, bad, or neutral for someone, from a mental health standpoint?
In general, I would say that working from your bed would either be neutral or negative for your mental health, depending on the individual. The reason stems from behaviorism - our beds mean something to us, and broadening that association can potentially be problematic. For example, if someone tends to stay in bed all day when they feel depressed, then staying in bed all day for other reasons confuses the brain - there's a part that views the behavior as a symptom of depression. For that person, I would strongly advise against working from bed.
In addition, many of us tend to associate our bed with sleep, and this association is helpful in falling asleep each night. "Bed equals sleep," so when you get into bed, your body responds and you fall asleep more quickly. The more you do other things in bed (e.g., work), the weaker this association can become. So you may find that you struggle more to fall asleep at night - or, vice-versa, that you struggle to stay awake when working.
What do I do if there's nowhere else for me? What if going to a co-working space isn't an option, and my apartment is small?
If working from your bed is a must, try to change the ambiance and feel of the room between work hours and sleep hours - what you're trying to do here is simulate the feeling of not "being in bed." Ideas for this include:
A special pillow and lap-desk you use when working, so ensure you have an upright body-posture that doesn't make you think of resting
A blanket to put over the bed to change its appearance
Posters or wall-art you put up during the work day
What would you say to someone that is otherwise happy but admitted to you that they had been living in bed, but only recently started this habit?
I wouldn't necessarily say anything! There's a lot of "right" ways to live your life, and the pandemic is forcing us all to adjust in ways that we otherwise wouldn't choose. Hold off judgement, and if you see them struggling, approach the situation from a position of concern.
If I used my bed to sleep, eat, work, and do all my other activities, sun up to sundown, what would happen to my mental health? My self esteem?
This really depends on the individual, but you'd definitely want to watch out for symptoms of depression and isolation. You'd also want to make sure that physical health wouldn't suffer, and that you were still moving around throughout the day and getting at least nominal exercise.