How to Stop Being Lazy
Feeling lazy and unproductive is normal sometimes, but problems can arise
when it happens often. The list of tasks still undone and issues not addressed
can eventually affect self-image and confidence, which in turn can feed a lack
of motivation. Here are a few tips and strategies to break the cycle and
overcome laziness.
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focused even when you don't want to. Click below to listen now.
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What to Ditch: Old Habits
What you might think of as "lazy" may just be a matter of switching your
approach and getting rid of old, unhelpful habits that have kept you from
feeling productive and achieving your goals. Here are several such habits:
Making your goals too big or complicated. If you give up before
completing a task, it might not be laziness. Instead, you might have
underestimated how much effort and time it will take to reach your
goals.1
Expecting yourself to be perfect. Instead, understand that the path
toward your goal is most likely going to be full of twists, turns, and
setbacks.2
Listening to your inner critic. If the term "lazy" is part of your self-talk,
many more negative and critical statements are probably coming
from your inner critic, too. You may even bring out your inner critic in an
attempt to motivate yourself. What happens then: Your critical voice
focuses on your flaws and shortcomings, rather than strengths and
positive attributes that could help you move forward. 3
Listening to criticism from others. Feedback from others helps shape
your self-concept. Being called "lazy" can affect how you see yourself.
Similarly, criticism of your efforts can cause self-doubt or
discouragement.4
Not creating a plan. When excited about a new goal, you might forget the
importance of creating a plan. Without a roadmap to your goal, you
might become overwhelmed and begin to feel aimless.5
ADHD and Motivation Issues
What to Start Doing: New Approaches
Here are achievable steps that can help you turn things around or stay on track
with your goals:
Create small, attainable goals. Break that huge goal into
smaller goals that will help you feel accomplished and motivated. As you
consider the big picture, remember the key steps that will be needed to
get there and write them down. If needed, break those down into even
smaller or shorter-term goals.
Take time to develop a plan. Reflect on your desires and goals,
considering those small, attainable steps to get there. Be realistic about
the amount of effort, time, money, help, or other factors involved in
meeting this goal. Going into the process with an action plan will help
you feel more confident and peaceful, as well as give you something to
refer to when you feel discouraged or have a setback.
Focus on your strengths. If you're used to an inner critic that focuses on
your flaws and shortcomings, take inventory of your
strengths.6 Consider challenges you have faced and reflect on the
personal strengths you used to get through them. If you still struggle to
identify character strengths, ask friends or family what they see as your
greatest strengths.
Celebrate small victories. Celebrate your victories as you accomplish
small goals and overcome setbacks so you continue moving
forward.7 The pride in meeting goals can help reinforce positive self-talk.
Your sense of self-efficacy will increase with each accomplishment,
which can help you find long-term success.
Recruit support. It's OK to ask for help. Connect with others in a positive,
healthy way and share your experience; their encouragement and
support can help you develop resiliency.
Taking care of our physical health can help set the stage for increased energy
which, in turn, can allow us to put these other positive changes into action. 8
Make Good Food Choices
Diet plays a significant role in energy levels. Processed convenience foods are
quick to grab on the go, but they usually don't offer enough nutrition to keep
your metabolic fires burning well.
Instead, go for protein to maintain stable blood sugar levels and avoid energy
crashes throughout the day.9 Nosh on these:
Almonds
Salmon
Bananas
Yogurt
Oats
Dark leafy greens
Chicken
Water
But avoid these:
French fries
Candy
Bread
Sugary drinks
Donuts
Desserts
Alcohol
Eating small meals throughout the day can help you maintain steady energy
levels, whereas large, heavy meals can cause sluggishness. 10
Incorporate Exercise
Research has shown that even just low to moderate levels of exercise can have
a significant impact on energy, helping to reduce fatigue. 11 Ways to incorporate
more exercise include:
Walking your dog
Jogging with a friend
Hiking with a group
Attending a group fitness class
Trying a yoga class
When It's Not Simple Laziness
Sometimes, a lack of motivation can signal an underlying condition such
as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression. Consult your
healthcare provider if you're feeling less productive than usual for an extended
period to rule out (or address) any physical or psychological problems.
Prioritize Sleep
If you tend to feel lazy, you might think you're getting too much sleep or
napping too much. Create and stick to a consistent sleep care routine. It can
help you stick to your daytime schedule and, in turn, help you feel more
balanced and energized to take on tasks and feel more productive. 12
Practice Stress Management
Being constantly overscheduled, with demands in multiple areas of life, can
leave you physically and emotionally drained. This exhaustion can make you
seem lazy when you're actually stressed and overwhelmed.
Set Boundaries
A significant element of stress management is using time wisely. Saying "yes"
to your coworkers, partner, children, and friends is easy, but fulfilling
commitments can be difficult.13
Look at how you spend your time. Take stock of unfinished tasks on your to-do
list. Consider where you can politely say "no" so that you can use that time for
things that need your attention and energy.
If the idea of setting boundaries is new to you, start by giving yourself
permission to do it. Then, start with small things.
Being afraid of how people will respond to you is OK. Your goal is to improve
self-care, increase energy, and feel empowered to tackle the tasks and goals
that are important to you. Creating time for yourself is key, and setting small
boundaries around your time will help you do just that.
Avoid Comparisons
It's natural to look around and think everyone else is getting it right except
you. Don't allow yourself to get caught in the destructive, distracting habit
of comparing yourself to others.14
A Word From Verywell
Taking small steps toward better self-care, increased energy, improved goals,
and healthy boundary-setting can help you stop feeling lazy in no time.
Prioritizing your progress and moving forward consistently are the keys to
long-term change, and you can begin right now with the ideas here.
