Laziness is a state of mind that we have all experienced at some point. Whether when we are facing an unmotivating activity or when fatigue overcomes us, it is common to fall into a state of inaction that paralyzes us. Despite the fact that it is an adaptive state, letting ourselves be carried away by laziness decreases our performance and effectiveness in the face of the challenges of daily life.
While it's true that some people are lazier than others, it's no secret that even generally productive people can experience a drop in motivation and productivity. Discover in this Psychology-Online article how to beat laziness so that you rediscover your strength and inspiration.
Index
- Set realistic goals and objectives
- don't expect perfection
- Surround yourself with energetic people
- Get organized and keep order
- More action and less words
- Plan pending tasks
- Use positive self-talk
- Avoid distractions
- Make boring fun
- Consider the consequences of laziness and action
- Exercise and eat healthy
- Recognize your most productive hours
Set realistic goals and objectives.
The first recommendation to overcome laziness is set realistic and manageable goals. In fact, it is counterproductive to take on too many tasks at the same time, as they can lead to physical and mental exhaustion.
Therefore, you should avoid work overload, emotional or personal, since this leads to fatigue, lack of interest and even the desire to run away from your duties when you feel overwhelmed by the path you are taking.
Don't expect perfection.
Every day people seek to be more perfect in everything they do and that has a psychological effect of permanent frustration. It is not about surrendering to mediocrity, but about balance peace of mind over perfectionwhich will probably never come.
Due to this same constant search for perfectionism, it is common to see great competitiveness in various areas of daily life, which can cause severe anxious disorders. When this happens, people enter a state of "avoidant coping" as a way to deal with those factors that generate stress.
Surround yourself with energetic people.
"Tell me who you hang out with and I'll tell you who you are" This old popular saying has a lot to do with this following strategy to overcome laziness, because if you are constantly surrounded by lazy people, it is most likely that they will end up infecting you with their attitude of laziness and idleness.
Analyze if the cause of your laziness is internal or if it is linked to some influence from your family, friends or even your partner. If so, set clear goals to meet your goals without depending on anyone else.
Get organized and keep order.
Another of the most effective strategies to overcome laziness is personal and environmental organization. On many occasions, when we are surrounded by disorder, the mind is activated in a state of inaction as a response to chaos. For this reason, try to organize your work space, your home and your schedule.
Order and cleanliness create a defined pattern that allows you to remain calm in the different situations that arise, since you know that you are in control. When you have everything in order and planned, your mind will be more focused on what you have to do.
More action and less words.
Want another tip to beat laziness? When you go around and around the same issue that you have to face, you end up postponing it thinking that it is too complicated. The solution to this is act without stopping to think so much in it, and even less if it is an activity that we like.
You can start with the simplest tasks and gradually complete one after another. When you least expect it, you will have everything ready and complete.
Plan pending tasks.
To-do lists are always effective as a task map. It is a simple but effective strategy, because allows you to visualize in an organized way what deserves your immediate attention and what can wait a bit.
Take some time and write in a notebook, blackboard, digital application or wherever is more comfortable for you, the pending activities and move forward at your own pace.
Use positive self-talk.
Internal dialogue has the power to build and destroy. Therefore, use it in your favor to direct your energies towards the culmination of your goals. Eliminate limiting thoughts such as “I am very lazy”, “I better leave it for later” or “there is no way this will end” and replace them with more positive sentences such as “I will do my best to make that happen”.
Avoid distractions.
To be honest, at some point we all fall for distractions and what we like to do the most, such as surfing social networks, playing with pets or chatting with friends. Whatever distractions limit you, block it and downplay it.
There's always a way increase productivity. For example, find a quieter place to work, turn off your mobile and concentrate on what you are doing, so you will finish your responsibilities faster.
Make boring fun.
The pending activities do not have to be tedious. try give homeworka fun touch to get away from laziness. For example, if you have to do cleaning, turn on the player and put on your favorite music. A few simple changes to your routine can make a big difference and boost your motivation to finish what you need to do.
Consider the consequences of laziness and action.
When you want to overcome laziness, think about the possible rewards of your actions and what you will lose by letting that state dominate you. You can beat laziness projecting in your mind what you will achieve when you finish with the activity. These types of projections increase motivation and give you a clearer vision of what you can achieve.
Exercise and eat healthy.
Eating healthy and constantly moving not only beats laziness, but also strengthens your immune system and boosts your health. By practicing an exercise routine and a healthy diet, your body will feel more energy and it will be easily activated by the activities that it has to face.
Also, we recommend you practice mindfulness techniques such as mindfulness, meditation or yoga.
Recognize your most productive hours.
Each organism is different, for this reason there are those who are more productive in the early hours of the morning and others who perform more in the afternoon or even at night. Learn to recognize the hours of the day in which your mind and body are more active and focused on tasks.
Similarly, another strategy to overcome laziness is do the most difficult and complex tasks first so you can quickly get rid of them and don't waste time worrying because you have to do them later.
When you have finished what you had to do, give yourself a reward such as a moment of rest, a good cup of coffee or whatever you like the most. On the other hand, don't forget that you are a human being and ask for help if you need it or if you feel overwhelmed by a particular situation.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to beat laziness, we recommend that you enter our category of Emotions.
Bibliography
- Lafargue, P. (1977). The right to laziness (Vol. 116). Publisher Fundamentals.
- Lavin, M. (2006). Laziness/diligence. The strip of shadow. Feminist Debate, 33.
