5 Strategies To Overcome Laziness

Call it what you want: laziness, laziness, demotivation, idleness … Maybe your problem is not this, but sometimes you are so overwhelmed and overloaded that the panorama paralyzes you. However, in the end, whatever it is, the result is always the same: immobility in the face of pending tasks and inability to overcome laziness.

The result of not doing what we have to do or doing it reluctantly, has direct consequences on our quality of life. In addition, the feeling of guilt for not being able to overcome laziness affects our self-esteem.

We all know this sensation in a multitude of meanings, although we do not always know how to identify them well and we group them all in the same bag. Ultimately, the strategies to overcome the situation are the same, regardless of what is behind it.

Overcoming laziness is much easier than it may seem. You just need to make the decision to do it and put some simple strategies into practice.

How to overcome laziness?

Todd McElroy, a professor of psychology at the University of Florida, conducted a study in 2017 concluding with something that may catch our attention. According to this work there is a relationship between laziness and high intelligence. Now, relationship does not mean determination, that is, as explained in the  Journal of Health Psychology,  this link is only evident when the person experiences boredom in the face of unmotivating goals.

• The rest of the population feel lazy not out of boredom. Because sometimes, behind laziness many other factors can be hidden: mental exhaustion, stress, fear, little ability to manage time, and sometimes even the classic anhedonia behind which a depression could hide. They are undoubtedly factors that we should consider.

• There are many ways to beat laziness. Some methods require analyzing how we can see what the real problem is or setting specific objectives to establish a goal that serves as a beacon. However, not everything in life is that complicated.

The following strategies will help you in any situation. Start here for quick practical results. The advantage of what you are going to see next is that you do not have to start thinking too much, so you can mechanize the system for all those moments when you need to get to something quickly.

1. Analyze your surroundings. Are you more lazy around you?

On the other hand, Jean Daunizeau, a researcher at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, points out in a study published in the journal  PLOS Computational Biology  that laziness is usually contagious. Therefore, consider if there is a person or people around you who have instilled that attitude in you.

Sometimes our family, friends or partner project the same discouragement or apathy on us when starting an activity. Keep it in mind and value it …

2. Simple things first

As obvious as it may seem, it is necessary to remember that to do something you have to start doing it. Thinking about doing it is not worth it, it must be executed, we must initiate the action. To do this, we suggest the following, read carefully this riddle that Ana Moreno proposes: “There are three birds in a tree and two of them decide to jump. How many birds are there now? “

…

There are still three birds. As long as those who think of jumping do not jump, they will continue to be on the branch. The same goes for laziness. It is useless if you think you have to do something while you are not doing it. 

The problem is the blockage that accompanies laziness: where do I start? Do not complicate your life and start with the simplest. And if everything is the same, simplify your choice by doing the first thing that comes up. It is not the best way to get organized, but it is the most effective way to start doing something.

3. Step by step

Another big problem that blocks us and makes us go into lazy mode is that the tasks are so big that they overwhelm us. To get out of there it is best to divide the tasks into other smaller tasks to reduce the pressure and keep us motivated.

This requires thinking a bit about what to do, but it is not so bad. First divide the task into 3, 4 or 5 parts (as many as you need, but not many).

• If this is still overwhelming, take the first part and divide it up again, saving the rest for when it comes time. If that’s still a lot, divide again until you can start with something digestible and have a reference to move forward.

The ideal to obtain good results would be to divide everything into small parts and plan their development. This in itself can be a daunting task. But we are talking about overcoming laziness, not about reaching maximum productivity and efficiency, so this is good for us for now.

4. Make a to-do list

Sometimes we find ourselves in chaotic situations with a lot of work to do. It is very difficult not to lose track of all the work that needs to be done. How to start with the simplest if you don’t know what to do? And we don’t even talk about going step by step, because each task is independent.

• To solve this, sit down for a moment and write down what you have to do on a list in the format that you like the most : write everything down on a piece of paper or in separate notes that you will put on a board, for example. Give yourself this previous moment to define what you have ahead.
• With this list in front of you, you can decide. Eliminate superfluous tasks and leave less urgent tasks for another day. Then, take the simplest task, the one that takes the least time, and take that first step.

Then, step by step, work your way up the list. Don’t judge yourself, don’t try to intellectually cover the whole problem. Just go ahead, crossing out or removing what is done.

5. Visualize the benefits of a task done

If you are lazy to do something because of the effort, think about what will happen when it is done. Visualize the result and enjoy it. This will fill you with energy and restore your motivation. Visualizing completed tasks helps to overcome the inner resistance that was preventing you from engaging with those tasks.

Visualization also helps you make choices about how to solve potential problems with a task or come up with something as simple as where to start.

6. Eliminate distractions

Distractions are often the source of laziness and the only reason we decide to postpone tasks for another time, which makes them seem even more boring.

Whatever it is that distracts you, eliminate it.  Make sure that once you have started one of the tasks there is nothing to distract you. You know very well what it is, for this you will not have to do a great exercise of self-exploration.

To conclude, these strategies can be as useful as they are decisive. Sometimes a small change in our routine is enough to generate changes that are as positive as they are productive. Put them into practice.