Low motivation can be a common symptom of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. You can practice self-help and self-care as much as you can, but you may find that seeking professional help is more helpful for your emotions. Online therapy is beneficial, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lack of motivation over a prolonged period of time might indicate that you're struggling with an underlying mental health condition. For example, there is a clear link between depression and motivation, and not wanting to do anything can also be a symptom of conditions like anxiety, bipolar disorder and phobias.
If you're feeling lazy, you most likely have low energy. You may feel tired throughout the day and unmotivated to do anything. Feeling tired can come from burnout or stress. If you're burnt out at work or school, you may often find yourself wanting to sleep or relax since you're overexerted physically and mentally.
You are bored with your current routine
If you feel like you are stuck in a rut, it's no wonder you might start to feel lazy. When we are stuck in a boring or monotonous routine, our brains can actually start to shut down and tune out. This can leave us feeling unmotivated and uninterested in doing anything else.
If you have a really hard time, you could have something called dysania. This means you simply can't get out of bed for about 1 to 2 hours after you wake up. Doctors don't recognize it as a medical condition, as it is not an official diagnosis.
Physical symptoms of anhedonia may include: Inability to derive positive emotion from physical sensations. Food may not taste as good as it once did; it may taste bland. Physical touch, such as hugging or hand-holding, may no longer bring comfort.
If you don't feel like you can leave the house, you might assume you're just depressed. While not wanting to leave the house can be a symptom of depression, it's more likely you have another condition called agoraphobia, a fear of open spaces. Although agoraphobia isn't common, it's associated with anxiety.
Differences in brain chemistry
Lower levels of this neurotransmitter can affect reward centers in the brain, causing a lack of enthusiasm for starting or completing tasks. Researchers suggest that altered patterns in the dopamine pathway may be one reason you might have difficulty with motivation if you live with ADHD.
Anhedonia refers to the loss of ability to feel pleasure and is a common symptom of depressive disorders and substance use disorder. It may be caused by a decrease in activation of the region of the brain involved in reward and motivation, referred to as the ventral striatum.
Some older adults simply give up their interests over time because they stop finding pleasure in things. This could be due to a psychological condition that is referred to as anhedonia. In some cases, anhedonia may manifest itself as a lack of motivation to do things, or general apathy.
“If you are obsessed with sleeping or have an intense desire to stay in bed, you could be suffering from a condition called clinomania. That doesn't mean that there aren't people who can experience symptoms similar to addiction and even withdrawal in association with sleep, or lack thereof.”
Spending excessive time in bed may be a sign of an underlying medical condition, such as depression. Depression is a mood disorder that has many symptoms, including decreased interest in activities or other people, weight changes, trouble sleeping, and fatigue.
Possible underlying reasons include depression and anxiety. Depression is linked to dysania, a nonmedical term for when a person feels the need to stay in bed without sleeping. A wide range of physical conditions can also lead to fatigue, making it hard to get up. They include ME/CFS and long COVID.
The Mahayana tradition identifies three types of laziness: not wanting to do anything; discouragement; and busyness. We'd rather stay in bed half an hour later than get up and meditate.
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.
Fatigue is a lack of energy and motivation. Drowsiness and apathy (a feeling of not caring about what happens) can be symptoms that go along with fatigue. Fatigue can be a normal and important response to physical activity, emotional stress, boredom, or lack of sleep.
Apathy Signs and Symptoms
A doctor might diagnose you with apathy if you're no longer motivated and you: Lack the effort or energy to do everyday things. Depend on other people to plan your activities.
Vitamin B12
When your body does not receive enough vitamin B12 you may feel fatigued and tired all the time. It can also lead to weakness. Vitamin B12 deficiency affects the production of red blood cells which affect the transportation of oxygen throughout the body. This further contributes to tiredness.