Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat to Ditch: Old HabitsWhat to Start Doing: New ApproachesMake Good Food ChoicesIncorporate ExercisePrioritize SleepPractice Stress ManagementSet BoundariesAvoid Comparisons

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What to Ditch: Old Habits

What to Start Doing: New Approaches

Make Good Food Choices

Incorporate Exercise

Prioritize Sleep

Practice Stress Management

Set Boundaries

Avoid Comparisons

Close

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.

Press Play for Advice On Staying MotivatedThis episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastshares how to stay motivated and focused even when you don’t want to. Click below to listen now.

Press Play for Advice On Staying Motivated

This episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastshares how to stay motivated and focused even when you don’t want to. Click below to listen now.

What you might think of as “lazy” may just be a matter of switching your approach and getting rid of old,unhelpful habitsthat have kept you from feeling productive and achieving your goals. Here are several such habits:

ADHD and Motivation Issues

Here are achievable steps that can help you turn things around or stay on track with your goals:

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.

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.Nosh on these:

But avoid these:

Eating small meals throughout the day can help you maintain steady energy levels, whereas large, heavy meals can cause sluggishness.

Research has shown that even just low to moderate levels of exercise can have a significant impact on energy, helping to reduce fatigue.Ways to incorporate more exercise include:

When It’s Not Simple LazinessSometimes, a lack of motivation can signal an underlying condition such asattention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)ordepression. 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.

When It’s Not Simple Laziness

Sometimes, a lack of motivation can signal an underlying condition such asattention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)ordepression. 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.

If you tend to feel lazy, you might think you’re getting too much sleep or napping too much. Create and stick to a consistentsleep 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ofcomparing yourself to others.

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.

14 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ntoumanis N, Healy LC, Sedikides C, Smith AL, Duda JL.Self-regulatory responses to unattainable goals: the role of goal motives.Self Identity. 2014;13(5):594-612. doi:10.1080/15298868.2014.889033Kelly JD.Your best life: perfectionism–the bane of happiness.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2015;473(10):3108-11. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4279-9Wright S.Silence your inner critic.Nurs Stand. 2014;28(44):28-9. doi:10.7748/ns.28.44.28.s31Hardavella G, Aamli-gaagnat A, Saad N, Rousalova I, Sreter KB.How to give and receive feedback effectively.Breathe(Sheff). 2017;13(4):327-333. doi:10.1183/20734735.009917Lenzen SA, Daniëls R, Van bokhoven MA, Van der weijden T, Beurskens A.Disentangling self-management goal setting and action planning: A scoping review.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(11):e0188822. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188822Proyer RT, Gander F, Wellenzohn S, Ruch W.Strengths-based positive psychology interventions: a randomized placebo-controlled online trial on long-term effects for a signature strengths- vs. a lesser strengths-intervention.Front Psychol. 2015;6:456. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00456Zlomuzica A, Preusser F, Schneider S, Margraf J.Increased perceived self-efficacy facilitates the extinction of fear in healthy participants.Front Behav Neurosci. 2015;9:270. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00270Sjøgaard G, Christensen JR, Justesen JB, et al.Exercise is more than medicine: The working age population’s well-being and productivity.J Sport Health Sci. 2016;5(2):159-165. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2016.04.004Harvard Health Publishing.Eating to boost energy.Cleveland Clinic.How small, frequent meals can help athletes keep energy high. Published June 4, 2018.Puetz TW, Flowers SS, O’connor PJ.A randomized controlled trial of the effect of aerobic exercise training on feelings of energy and fatigue in sedentary young adults with persistent fatigue.Psychother Psychosom. 2008;77(3):167-74. doi:10.5312/wjo.v6.i10.762Takahashi M.Prioritizing sleep for healthy work schedules.J Physiol Anthropol. 2012;31:6. doi:10.1159/000116610Williams-Nickelson C.Avoiding overcommitment. American Psychological Association.Bergagna E, Tartaglia S.Self-esteem, social comparison, and Facebook use.Eur J Psychol. 2018;14(4):831-845. doi:10.5964/ejop.v14i4.1592

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ntoumanis N, Healy LC, Sedikides C, Smith AL, Duda JL.Self-regulatory responses to unattainable goals: the role of goal motives.Self Identity. 2014;13(5):594-612. doi:10.1080/15298868.2014.889033Kelly JD.Your best life: perfectionism–the bane of happiness.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2015;473(10):3108-11. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4279-9Wright S.Silence your inner critic.Nurs Stand. 2014;28(44):28-9. doi:10.7748/ns.28.44.28.s31Hardavella G, Aamli-gaagnat A, Saad N, Rousalova I, Sreter KB.How to give and receive feedback effectively.Breathe(Sheff). 2017;13(4):327-333. doi:10.1183/20734735.009917Lenzen SA, Daniëls R, Van bokhoven MA, Van der weijden T, Beurskens A.Disentangling self-management goal setting and action planning: A scoping review.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(11):e0188822. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188822Proyer RT, Gander F, Wellenzohn S, Ruch W.Strengths-based positive psychology interventions: a randomized placebo-controlled online trial on long-term effects for a signature strengths- vs. a lesser strengths-intervention.Front Psychol. 2015;6:456. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00456Zlomuzica A, Preusser F, Schneider S, Margraf J.Increased perceived self-efficacy facilitates the extinction of fear in healthy participants.Front Behav Neurosci. 2015;9:270. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00270Sjøgaard G, Christensen JR, Justesen JB, et al.Exercise is more than medicine: The working age population’s well-being and productivity.J Sport Health Sci. 2016;5(2):159-165. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2016.04.004Harvard Health Publishing.Eating to boost energy.Cleveland Clinic.How small, frequent meals can help athletes keep energy high. Published June 4, 2018.Puetz TW, Flowers SS, O’connor PJ.A randomized controlled trial of the effect of aerobic exercise training on feelings of energy and fatigue in sedentary young adults with persistent fatigue.Psychother Psychosom. 2008;77(3):167-74. doi:10.5312/wjo.v6.i10.762Takahashi M.Prioritizing sleep for healthy work schedules.J Physiol Anthropol. 2012;31:6. doi:10.1159/000116610Williams-Nickelson C.Avoiding overcommitment. American Psychological Association.Bergagna E, Tartaglia S.Self-esteem, social comparison, and Facebook use.Eur J Psychol. 2018;14(4):831-845. doi:10.5964/ejop.v14i4.1592

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Ntoumanis N, Healy LC, Sedikides C, Smith AL, Duda JL.Self-regulatory responses to unattainable goals: the role of goal motives.Self Identity. 2014;13(5):594-612. doi:10.1080/15298868.2014.889033Kelly JD.Your best life: perfectionism–the bane of happiness.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2015;473(10):3108-11. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4279-9Wright S.Silence your inner critic.Nurs Stand. 2014;28(44):28-9. doi:10.7748/ns.28.44.28.s31Hardavella G, Aamli-gaagnat A, Saad N, Rousalova I, Sreter KB.How to give and receive feedback effectively.Breathe(Sheff). 2017;13(4):327-333. doi:10.1183/20734735.009917Lenzen SA, Daniëls R, Van bokhoven MA, Van der weijden T, Beurskens A.Disentangling self-management goal setting and action planning: A scoping review.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(11):e0188822. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188822Proyer RT, Gander F, Wellenzohn S, Ruch W.Strengths-based positive psychology interventions: a randomized placebo-controlled online trial on long-term effects for a signature strengths- vs. a lesser strengths-intervention.Front Psychol. 2015;6:456. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00456Zlomuzica A, Preusser F, Schneider S, Margraf J.Increased perceived self-efficacy facilitates the extinction of fear in healthy participants.Front Behav Neurosci. 2015;9:270. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00270Sjøgaard G, Christensen JR, Justesen JB, et al.Exercise is more than medicine: The working age population’s well-being and productivity.J Sport Health Sci. 2016;5(2):159-165. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2016.04.004Harvard Health Publishing.Eating to boost energy.Cleveland Clinic.How small, frequent meals can help athletes keep energy high. Published June 4, 2018.Puetz TW, Flowers SS, O’connor PJ.A randomized controlled trial of the effect of aerobic exercise training on feelings of energy and fatigue in sedentary young adults with persistent fatigue.Psychother Psychosom. 2008;77(3):167-74. doi:10.5312/wjo.v6.i10.762Takahashi M.Prioritizing sleep for healthy work schedules.J Physiol Anthropol. 2012;31:6. doi:10.1159/000116610Williams-Nickelson C.Avoiding overcommitment. American Psychological Association.Bergagna E, Tartaglia S.Self-esteem, social comparison, and Facebook use.Eur J Psychol. 2018;14(4):831-845. doi:10.5964/ejop.v14i4.1592

Ntoumanis N, Healy LC, Sedikides C, Smith AL, Duda JL.Self-regulatory responses to unattainable goals: the role of goal motives.Self Identity. 2014;13(5):594-612. doi:10.1080/15298868.2014.889033

Kelly JD.Your best life: perfectionism–the bane of happiness.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2015;473(10):3108-11. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4279-9

Wright S.Silence your inner critic.Nurs Stand. 2014;28(44):28-9. doi:10.7748/ns.28.44.28.s31

Hardavella G, Aamli-gaagnat A, Saad N, Rousalova I, Sreter KB.How to give and receive feedback effectively.Breathe(Sheff). 2017;13(4):327-333. doi:10.1183/20734735.009917

Lenzen SA, Daniëls R, Van bokhoven MA, Van der weijden T, Beurskens A.Disentangling self-management goal setting and action planning: A scoping review.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(11):e0188822. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188822

Proyer RT, Gander F, Wellenzohn S, Ruch W.Strengths-based positive psychology interventions: a randomized placebo-controlled online trial on long-term effects for a signature strengths- vs. a lesser strengths-intervention.Front Psychol. 2015;6:456. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00456

Zlomuzica A, Preusser F, Schneider S, Margraf J.Increased perceived self-efficacy facilitates the extinction of fear in healthy participants.Front Behav Neurosci. 2015;9:270. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00270

Sjøgaard G, Christensen JR, Justesen JB, et al.Exercise is more than medicine: The working age population’s well-being and productivity.J Sport Health Sci. 2016;5(2):159-165. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2016.04.004

Harvard Health Publishing.Eating to boost energy.

Cleveland Clinic.How small, frequent meals can help athletes keep energy high. Published June 4, 2018.

Puetz TW, Flowers SS, O’connor PJ.A randomized controlled trial of the effect of aerobic exercise training on feelings of energy and fatigue in sedentary young adults with persistent fatigue.Psychother Psychosom. 2008;77(3):167-74. doi:10.5312/wjo.v6.i10.762

Takahashi M.Prioritizing sleep for healthy work schedules.J Physiol Anthropol. 2012;31:6. doi:10.1159/000116610

Williams-Nickelson C.Avoiding overcommitment. American Psychological Association.

Bergagna E, Tartaglia S.Self-esteem, social comparison, and Facebook use.Eur J Psychol. 2018;14(4):831-845. doi:10.5964/ejop.v14i4.1592

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