Laziness can be defined as reluctance to exert necessary effort. For example, if someone never does their homework just because they don't want to make an effort, even though they know that doing so will prevent them from achieving their goals, that person is being lazy.
If you're feeling lazy you typically procrastinate on important tasks, feel tired frequently, feel a lack of self-worth, and are distracted easily.
What causes laziness? Deeming behavior lazy is a matter of opinion, so it doesn't necessarily have a specific cause. There is research that suggests things like age, habitual behavior, environment, energy, willpower, personality, and level of distraction can make someone more likely to procrastinate or not.
For some people, apparent laziness may actually be a sign of clinical depression, avolition, or other health conditions. Procrastination and lack of motivation may also be related to stress or burnout — something so many of us are feeling in the midst of the pandemic.
Laziness can occur periodically and is believed to be more of a mental state, deliberate act or personal choice. Some experts theorize that laziness is a personality trait or character deficit, while others believe laziness is a behavioral sign of an underlying concern.
Proverbs 13:4 – “The soul of the lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” The lazy man desires what hard working people want: house, food, vacations, money for college and retirement.
Lazy parenting includes being uninterested in spending time and energy with kids, giving kids devices to shut them up, not being willing to listen to kids because they are too lazy to deal with uncomfortable feelings and tantrums, etc.
Anxiety Can Appear to be Laziness
When someone struggles with anxiety, they typically want to do well. For those of you who know someone who has difficulty with anxiety, you also know they often avoid what makes them anxious. The feelings of anxiety are so overwhelming, it shuts them down.
But science demonstrates laziness and lack of motivation are often red flags pointing to chronic inflammation.
Both manic and depressive episodes can make you feel less motivated, although in different ways. According to 2019 research, people with bipolar disorder have significantly lower motivation levels, especially at work.
Many people enter talk therapy with complaints of demotivation (a criterion for depression incidentally), laziness or resistance, only to learn that their concerns are more complicated than they realized. It may actually be a mood disorder such as depression or anxiety that accounts for a lack of motivation.
The chemical, dopamine, is known for having an influence on motivation and feelings of reward when something is achieved. In comparison, the slackers, had higher levels of dopamine in an area of the brain called the anterior insula. This part of the brain is involved with emotions and risk perceptions.
The data showed that those with a high IQ got bored less easily, leading them to be less active and spend more time engaged in thought. The highly active group got easily bored when having to sit still and observe their abstract thoughts.
You may be lazy because of your mental health. You may be depressed or suffering from a loss. Laziness and a lack of motivation are common symptoms of depression. While someone might feel as if they are a lazy person, they might not be noticing the signs of depression or dealing with the feelings surrounding a loss.
And, as we all know, those times of laziness led to some of the most important technological advances in history. Laziness is not always a weakness; sometimes it can be a strength. We can do great things and live successful lives if we accept our lazy times and use them to our advantage.
New research seems to prove the theory that brainy people spend more time lazing around than their active counterparts. Findings from a US-based study seem to support the idea that people with a high IQ get bored less easily, leading them to spend more time engaged in thought.
Perhaps not, as according to a study by scientists from Florida Gulf Coast University laziness could correlate with high intelligence. The study found that people with a high IQ rarely got bored. As a result, they spent more time lost in thought.
Research has shown that secure attachment to a primary caregiver, such as a mother, is important for the development of healthy relationships later in life. When this attachment is absent or unstable, individuals may struggle to form and maintain close, trusting relationships with others.