What is Laziness?
Is it psychological or physiological?
Motivation is the most powerful tool in the fight against laziness.
Many people are familiar with the discouraging feeling of laziness. This sensation can occur quite predictably or suddenly. It may concern what we “need” to do, but “don’t want to”. Or, it can even be indecision in choosing what seems to be a desirable thing to do such as taking a walk on a day off or visiting a cafe after a hard day at work.
Why are we lazy?
Scientists and psychologists continue to debate whether laziness exists, whether it is a character trait or a bad habit. People are not born lazy. They become lazy under certain circumstances. Laziness can drive a person to not only work but also not do something enjoyable. The reason for this may be due to physical or psychological factors.
Physical Reasons
Most often, a person begins to be lazy from banal physical or nervous fatigue. This is how the body hints to a person that he needs to rest and get enough sleep. Lack of sleep, chronic insomnia, or stress - all these factors do not give strength, vigor, and inspiration to accomplish a task.
Why constant laziness occurs:
Bad habits. With regular poisoning from nicotine or alcohol, the body has to spend a lot of energy fighting toxins. Then there is simply no energy left for productive activity.
Physical inactivity. A frequent state of laziness is typical for office workers and people who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Gradually, the muscles and body begin to become lazy, and you don’t want to get up from your chair or sofa again.
Poor nutrition. An abundance of fast carbohydrates and fast food in the diet causes lethargy and decreased performance.
Psychological nature of laziness
If you are too lazy to do something, most often the reason lies in a lack of motivation. If a person does not understand why they need to make an effort and do their work, then no special desire for it arises. Our brain is always looking for simple solutions. There is no desire, which means it is not necessary or important. No deadline means no sense of urgency.
Severe Laziness - Psychological Reasons
Insufficient motivation. A person is too lazy to get down to business if they are not motivated enough due to a lack of external incentives.
Irresponsibility. Laziness is characteristic of those who are not used to being responsible for anything in their lives. A banal desire to “go with the flow” and blame your problems on someone else. It’s more convenient for them to think that way. They always blame others, and circumstances prevent them from doing anything, etc. The older a person gets, the more difficult it is for them to change this thinking pattern.
Pointlessness of activity. A lack of motivation occurs when the planned task does not make any sense. Often tasks are assigned in a compartmentalized environment with no visible result. Performing a task seems pointless when in reality it can be critical to a team’s success.
Pathological conditions. Laziness can occur as a result of illness. Chronic fatigue does not concern just one thing but covers all areas of life. The causes of painful laziness are varied. From an abundance of stress and regular overwork to viral or bacterial infections. If such a condition occurs, it is necessary to take a rest and recover.
Lack of self-confidence. Perhaps, at first glance, laziness and self-confidence have little in common, but in practice, people very often put off important things until later, fearing that they will not be able to complete them. By increasing your self-esteem, you can overcome your fears and become more active. Understand that laziness can often be the fear of failure.
Laziness or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - How to Distinguish Between the Two?
Since laziness often occurs against the background of overwork, it is easy to confuse it with chronic fatigue syndrome. But the difference between these two states lies in the energy component.
Very important! -If you don’t have the strength to do anything, even to do your favorite things, this often points to chronic fatigue. If the reluctance to do something relates only to specific activities, this is laziness.
About the benefits of laziness
Scientists have proven that being lazy from time to time is beneficial for improving health and increasing productivity. If you give yourself a little time every day for idleness, then creativity increases, the risk of brain overload is reduced, and concentration improves. Your health improves and life expectancy also increases.
Laziness helps us notice activities that we don’t like, recognize our real desires, and be driven to experience the taste of life when a person feels mired in routine and dullness.
Quick Ways to Get Rid of Laziness
If laziness has overcome you, but you need to quickly get yourself into a working mood, you can use several simple methods to revitalize yourself:
Take a shower. This will help cleanse the skin of toxins and increase blood flow.
Drink a glass of water. Often this is enough to make thoughts clear.
Deep breathing. Your body and specifically your brain needs to have enough oxygen. Increased oxygen in your brain and bloodstream will give you a boost.
Go for a walk. There is no need to complete a multi-hour marathon; just a 20-30 minute walk is enough.
Allow yourself to relax a little. Sit in silence with your eyes closed for 5-10 minutes, meditate, and listen to classical or soothing music. You can further reflect on the things that need to be done, but do this without criticism or analysis.
What Else Can You Do to Get Rid of Laziness? - Be Attentive to Your Desires.
Often people give up on their dreams under pressure exerted by others. As a result, they live someone else’s life and do the wrong thing. A job you don’t like or one that doesn’t inspire you will make you not want to fulfill your work responsibilities. All this leads to burnout, apathy, and physical damage displayed as depression as well as laziness.
Get Rid of Routine. Life is gray and joyless when you find yourself in a stagnant routine. The rut you find yourself in gives you no desire to rejoice and create. To correct the situation, you need to constantly bring bright events and emotions into your life. Find pleasant and exciting activities to get your juices flowing.
Get healthy habits. Exercise every day. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and pay attention to proper nutrition.
Change your environment. If you find yourself constantly around lazy, dissatisfied, and apathetic people, then over time you will begin to behave the same way. Therefore, you need to choose positive, active, and purposeful people to associate with.
Eliminate everything that distracts you from your main activity. Gadgets, social networks, news feeds, chatty colleagues. Everything that is not directed to the attention of the mind takes away energy and strength.
Set realistic goals. Often laziness arises only because the task is difficult and scary, and it is not clear how to approach it. Think about what you can do right now, and write down all the steps to follow. Don't put off important things until later. Postponed tasks weigh on your shoulders; you constantly think about them, losing strength and energy
Stop fighting. Sometimes, to overcome laziness, you just need to stop fighting it. Sometimes you need to stand in the center of a quiet room in complete silence for 10-15 minutes. Clear your mind, and avoid being distracted by anything. Within a few minutes, the desire to do something will arise because this relaxed uncluttered mental state creates focus.
Conclusion
It is impossible to completely and forever get rid of laziness. All people get tired and feel bad from time to time. But you don’t have to strive to be productive and active 24/7. Work at a pace that is acceptable to you. Do not waste energy and time on unnecessary things. Then, attacks of laziness will rarely overcome you.
Make it a great 2024!