How to deal with laziness: advices from psychologists

Wondering how to deal with laziness? Don’t know how to get rid of it? It’s easier than it looks! There are some simple and effective ways to stop being lazy, change your life and start taking action. They are suitable for young people and any adult.

The tips and methods presented in the published material are not a magic wand. They will work only if you start working on yourself and fighting laziness.

To begin, we will define what laziness is and the reasons for its occurrence. After that, let’s move on to practice.

What is laziness, and why is a person lazy?

Laziness is a state of a person in which he loses his craving for work, for action. In this state, a person does not want to work and try to get something. Being lazy, an adult or teenager prefers leisure time rather than work. They are consumed by laziness.

The state under consideration should not be regarded as identical to rest or lack of will. The erroneous opinion is that laziness is associated with depression, schizophrenia, and other problems. Psychologists attach it exclusively to the absence or lack of hard work, the unwillingness to overcome difficulties, to make strong-willed efforts.

To understand the essence of laziness, you need to understand the causes of the condition.

Physical reasons

First of all, we will associate laziness with objective physical causes. It:

• Excessive overwork, general exhaustion of the body, lack of sleep. All these reasons provoke a desire to relax and negatively affect the performance and activity of a person;
• Insomnia. It can provoke fatigue;
• Passive lifestyle. Sooner or later it becomes a habit. A banal reason, but it has a place. A passive lifestyle is characteristic of many modern people, which is a negative trend;
• The high workload in the absence of a clear action plan.

Often, sudden bouts of laziness are caused by stress. However, in this case, it is customary to speak of them as symptoms of a general disorder and not as an independently occurring condition. In the case of stress, laziness is a consequence, not a cause, but in several situations, it provokes a feeling of dissatisfaction with oneself and life. The result is mental stress.

Some doctors believe that a lack of energy can lead a person to a state of laziness. They explain their point of view by the fact that the lack of nutrients and their compounds in the diet affects the general condition of the body, leading to a breakdown. The result is a lack of desire to act.

Psychological causes

Speaking about the psychological reasons leading to a state of laziness, it is worth highlighting the following:

• Conflict of duty and desire. We are talking about a situation where this or that person spends his resources (time, effort, means, intellect, and others) on something that does not interest him or is not desirable for him. Even if we associate this cause of laziness with the physical side of any activity, it is worth noting that it primarily affects the moral state;
• The feeling of uselessness of this or that business in which a person is engaged. Almost the same as the first conflict;
• Inner devastation. Usually, this cause of laziness is the result of physical overwork or emotional shock.

From the point of view of psychology, the state of laziness is a bad habit. In other words, it is a habit of a person to fall into laziness. Many psychologists note that talking about mental disorders in her case is inappropriate. Thoughts or emotions are often not affected, but excessive activity, absent-mindedness, and emotional trauma can provoke the state in question, which in this context, is a defensive reaction. In this case, the state of laziness protects the person.

Getting Rid of Laziness: Practical Tips

The following are recommendations and, in a sense, instructions. If you start following them, you will be able to overcome laziness. Consider that your acquaintance with them is the first step to victory over yourself. And don’t think you’re out of your comfort zone. All wrong. You expand it and, at the same time, literally destroy laziness.

View and evaluate your life

To soberly assess this or that event, it is necessary to approach the analysis of all moments objectively without exception. If this moment is a state of laziness, then you need to work it out. And objectivity, in this case, is the best assistant.

Consider whether the effort being applied is adequate for solving the tasks. If not, if they cause overwork, you should not waste time and effort. It is better to switch to something that will bring pleasure. This will be a kind of motive for further action.

Otherwise (remember the psychological causes of laziness), you may encounter laziness. Lack of satisfaction or approval is what will almost certainly trigger its occurrence.

In summary: we change our view of the situation that requires it, reevaluate it and boldly move on without apathy and laziness, despair, and introspection.

The beginning of small victories

In several stages, you can conquer yourself and start work, the purpose of which is to change your life. If you have managed to rethink what is happening and are ready to change your outlook on things, the first one has already been completed.

Something will require willpower and internal resources, but if it bears fruit in the form of satisfaction, then the game is worth the candle. Each small victory over oneself is a new, albeit small, step towards the fight against laziness.

Start small. Don’t grab everything. This will help avoid overwork, loss of interest in business, and inactivity. It doesn’t matter what you do. The main thing is what you can achieve shortly, simply by changing your outlook on life and starting to enjoy, but very important small victories.

They changed their views, found something they liked, and began to act and enjoy life. Sports, music, books, cooking, programming – it doesn’t matter. Start with a five-minute morning jog, read two pages of a long-discarded book, cook a light meal, or start with the simplest code. Everything will work out. And with each new victory, you can go further and do more. Laziness will stop interfering.

Postponed “for later” cases

Making efforts to achieve your goals, you do not need to overstrain. Why? Remember the reasons that lead to the development of a state of laziness and, due to increased influence on a person, flow into uncontrollable laziness.

Speaking of pending cases, it is worth emphasizing that they need to be returned in stages. It has already been shown that shouldering an unbearable burden is a direct path to overexertion. Begin to return to what was postponed for later, gradually. Build a plan based on the criteria of importance and necessity.

Approaching any business, if you follow the principle of planning, you can cope with even the most complex tasks.

Bottom line: postponing things for later does not mean doing badly. Build a plan based on the main points you can take on work and actions that require it. Do it when you need it and have the strength and opportunity.

The stick and stick method

This method of combating laziness should be in addition to the recommendations already described.

Any person acts truly effectively when he has motivation. And you can make this motivation in the indicated way.

In the previous section, we talked about the personal action plan. Tie rewards and punishments to it: if a business or just some accomplishment is postponed, but not done by you, provide some restriction for this. For example, give up sweets. If you follow the plan clearly and do not give up, provide a reward. Again, for example, it can be related to food: allow yourself the delivery of sushi or pizza.

The food example is just an example. You don’t need to treat yourself to pizza every day: you can face eating disorders and even gain weight. “Execution” or “prize” can do anything.

In summary: we rejoice at the victories; we celebrate them. In moments of laziness, we tell ourselves about the inadmissibility of such behavior. We are working according to plan.

Set realistic goals

Energy is a valuable resource. It must be spent wisely. Any task can be adequately assessed based on reality. Is it worth the effort? Is the reward adequate for the work to be done? If not, this case or this work does not need to be taken on.

The reality of the goals that you set for yourself is important. If they do not correspond to the available capabilities and resources, they need to be reviewed. This is where the first tip to combat laziness comes into play: looking at things and overestimating them.

Bottom line: when working on an action plan, you do not need to indicate unrealistic and unattainable goals. Start small. This is the right decision, which is important to emphasize; you can start conquering new heights step by step. Laziness will gradually recede.

Planning

And although we have already talked about this more than once, we should separately consider planning principles. They are the following:

• You need to make a plan so that you can keep up with everything. Do not saturate days or weeks with events or deeds. Don’t overstress. This factor can lead to falling into a state of laziness. There should be time for both business and leisure. Not for laziness, but for a good rest;
• If there are complex tasks in the plan, you must split them up. In parts, blocks, modules – whatever. A small step towards overcoming a problem is still a step. And each one following it is already a path to new achievements, a path to getting rid of laziness;
• Everything should be clear. Goals, objectives, motives, and more. Blurred wording like “tomorrow, you need to go in for sports” is unacceptable. Write this: “in the morning – jogging and press 20 times, an hour before dinner – 20 push-ups and ten pull-ups, 5 minutes of gymnastics.”

Bottom line: follow the planning principles and combine them with other recommendations given earlier. These principles are a faithful assistant on the way to overcoming laziness.

Synchronization with biorhythms

Performance depends on the general condition. Pay attention to when you work best. In the morning? So work in the morning. In the evening? So be it. Stepping over yourself every time you need to do something, you risk facing an absolute loss of hard work. You run the risk of becoming a lazy person.

Not all people have the opportunity to adjust the schedule of life to the schedule of work. But this is not a reason to despair: it is enough to work on yourself. Banal advice, but it is working (verified by the author): to be effective, you need to distribute the time for sleep, rest, work, hobbies, and other activities by the time of day. And include it in the plan.

Total: we supplement the plan with time intervals. Example: sleep – 23:00-7:00, shower, toilet, breakfast – 7:00-8:00, 8:30-17:30 – work, 17:30-18:30 way home, shop, 18: 30-19:00 – dinner, 19:00-21:00 – hobbies, sports and the like. A special schedule should be provided on weekends, but you should not go beyond biorhythms or the body’s usual regimen. That is, a dream, for example, must begin and end at the same time. The same goes for meals.

Hear and listen to your laziness

To be able to hear and listen to your laziness is important. The fact is that sometimes the state of laziness, which has already been noted, performs the function of psychological protection. It is a mechanism driven by our brains. It protects the body from overwork, stress, depression, and more.

Understand what causes laziness if you encounter it. Analyze the state. Are you tired? This is an objective reason. Take a rest. Are you stressed out by a business you are busy with against your will? Drop it. At least for a while.

This works the other way too. For example, if on your day off, instead of a planned trip to the dacha or cinema, you prefer to lie in front of the TV, surrendering to laziness, then this is biased laziness.

Bottom line: we continue to follow the plan. We develop discipline. We analyze each attack of laziness, and based on the facts; we give an assessment.

Society of lazy people

There is no society of lazy people. But the state of laziness as such can flow from communication. Laziness itself is quite contagious. Remember how you want to yawn when someone nearby does it? And so it is with laziness.

The advice to get rid of the lazy environment would be too radical, so try hinting to family or friends that laziness is not entirely good. Tell them about your achievements, about new victories, thanks to which you were able to forget about laziness. Inspire them. Everything is in your hands, in the hands of each person in your circle of friends.

In summary: we change the world around us. We are trying to change the people around us. We do not force; we do not insist; we do not demand. We do it gently. We change with the environment. We learn to cope with bouts of laziness and set an example for others.

Formation of good habits

If you have reached this section, you have one more useful habit. You have overcome the reluctance to do something. You will almost certainly learn to avoid being lazy. Soon new qualities will form in you; your character will change. Take a break, and plan for the next three days or a week. Put in what you want, what you enjoy. Bring in something that will not let you fall into a state of laziness.

Do you love sports? Get in the habit of running in the morning. Love to cook? Discover new recipes as often as possible. Do what will please you and protect you from laziness.

Total: develop, learn, and do not stand still – this will get rid of laziness and lead you to new heights.

Psychologists’ advice

This section presents professional advice from psychologists on combating laziness, which in many respects has something in common with the recommendations already given. However, they will be helpful. Consider that this is a consolidation of the material and acquired knowledge.

TOP 7 tips from psychologists:

1. To get rid of laziness, develop self-discipline. Change for the better. Change your routine and lifestyle. It will be difficult, but the results that work on yourself will lead to will be worth every effort.
2. Expand your comfort zone. This is a good way to get rid of laziness. Although many advise you to get out of it first, you do not need to do this. This is a mistake. The wider your comfort zone, the more tasks you will be able to solve without exerting willpower.
3. Break up the targets. Reach them gradually. One step – one sub-goal achieved. That will be much easier. This also works with laziness. If the fight against it is the goal, it will not be possible to achieve it immediately.
4. Don’t be afraid of failure. They will work almost exactly. This is life, not everyone and not always people will be successful. It is important to accept this and understand that any failure is, first of all, a lesson. Analyze them to get better. Don’t dwell on the bad. This can lead to falling into a state of laziness.
5. Motivation is important. Without it, any business will be just an effort on oneself. This applies to everything: work, relationships, and more. Do not work where there is no desire to work. Don’t hang out with people you don’t want to. You will waste energy, bringing you closer to immersion in a state of laziness.
6. Plan. Do not violate the points of the plan, strictly follow them. But remember at the same time that any plan must be adequate to reality, opportunities and resources. Unattainable goals are bad. This is grounds for disappointment.
7. Don’t forget to rest. Even if you are an energetic person by nature. Being carried away, for example, by work or not finding time for rest, you can quickly face burnout. It will cease to captivate, and interest and will not bring pleasure. Therefore, you need to relax, get distracted, and do something that will not allow you to get bogged down in routine and monotony.

Conclusion

Laziness is bad. It is a barrier to a fulfilling and happy life. It is quite easy to overcome this barrier. Follow the recommendations and tips given in the published material; everything will work out.