How To Stop Being Lazy And Get Motivated

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Wanting to have a lazy day is normal when you have a hectic schedule. Lazy Sundays are great for resting, taking care of ourselves, and resetting before a new super productive week.

Nevertheless, you might have a motivation problem if you feel like you are having more lazy days than not lately.

Fighting laziness and getting motivated are key to achieving goals and improving your life.

If you feel stuck in a rut and can’t find the energy to get things done, this post on stopping laziness will help you become your most productive self.

This post will teach you how to stop being lazy and get motivated to achieve your goals in simple steps.

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7 Possible Causes of Your Laziness

1. You Lack Inspiration/Motivation

Lack of motivation is the main reason most people feel lazy.

It can be difficult to get motivated enough to do things when you don’t feel like doing them.

Have you ever woken up super motivated, planned to have your most productive day ever, and added a lot of tasks to your daily to-do list only to feel “meh” a couple of hours later?

This is where most people start procrastinating.

If you are used to telling yourself, “I’ll do it tomorrow,” you might need to visualize the outcome instead of the tasks themselves to cope with this feeling of laziness.

For instance, getting motivated to clean your home can be really hard if you start thinking about everything you need to do and how long it will take.

But it will be easier to get started if you focus on having a super clean, tidy, and nice-smelling home instead.

Visualizing the finish line can be a great source of motivation, which is why vision boards can be powerful tools for transforming our lives.

Instead of focusing on the hard work you will have to complete, think about the relief you will feel once the tasks are actually completed.

This simple shift can help you move mountains.

2. You Are Lost/Overwhelmed

Getting things done can be hard when you have absolutely no idea where to start.

Another reason why you can feel unmotivated is because you lack a clear plan.

Writing things down should be part of your daily habits if you want to be more productive. Writing your to-do list for the day and setting daily goals should be part of your morning routine if you are trying to change your life.

These 2 habits will help you prioritize tasks, making whatever you have to achieve seem achievable.

When you need to complete many tasks but don’t know where to start, writing a clear action plan can be all it takes to motivate yourself.

Sometimes, you are not lazy but simply need to think things through before being able to take action.

Hence, using a daily planner and priority matrix can make you shift from lazy to super productive.

3. You Are Sad

When you’re sad, wanting to spend all day in your pajamas, eating chocolate while binge-watching Netflix, is perfectly normal.

Staying productive when feeling down is definitely a superpower.

Depending on why you are sad, taking a few days off to deal with your feelings can be nothing but normal.

But the key to living a healthy life is not letting your sadness put your goals and plans at risk.

When in this situation, the best way to overcome laziness is to accept that taking a couple of days off and doing nothing is normal.

We’re all different. We all deal with pain differently.

But what works best for me and seems to work well for a lot of people is to express yourself, talk to a close friend, or journal to let your feelings out and cry all you want until you start feeling better.

As discussed earlier this week, self-care is key to helping us grow and overcome negative emotions.

4. You Are Too Tired/Sick

Feeling lazy when tired or sick is perfectly normal.

In this situation, your body is simply trying to slow you down so you can rest and recover. You need to take a break when you’re sick or too tired to do anything.

Sometimes, all you need when in this situation is a lazy day. Spending a day at home doing nothing but reading, taking care of yourself, and resting will help you recover faster.

You will be back on track after one or two good nights of sleep.

Sometimes, being lazy and doing nothing are great rewards after an exhausting month. Having a lazy day to rest will not slow you down when trying to achieve your goals. But burning yourself out will!

Anxiety will rapidly kick in if you never take time off.

So don’t feel guilty for needing a day off from time to time. There is nothing wrong with it!

5. You Are Afraid of Failure

The fear of failure can also be a cause of laziness.

When we are afraid to make mistakes, we tend to overthink and over-plan to avoid actually getting things done.

You need a clear action plan to set you up for success. Nevertheless, spending too much time trying to write the perfect plan is just another form of laziness and procrastination.

You need to accept that you will make mistakes along the way.

Focus on progress instead of perfection.

Our inner negative self-talk can seriously hold us back when trying to step out of our comfort zones.

If you are afraid of failure and feel like it sabotages your chances of success, you need to do some inner work.

Related read: 11 tips to overcome the fear of failure

6. You Feel Stuck

Feeling stuck in life is probably one of the worst feelings one can experience.

There is nothing worse than waking every day with the impression of living someone else’s life.

A lot of people become lazy because they somehow feel hopeless and stuck in a life they do not love.

And this feeling can be daunting.

Along with depression, feeling stuck in life is probably one of the worst causes of laziness. The good news is that you can easily turn your life around and stop feeling this way.

Before Covid hit, I used to hate my life.

I worked from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., went to college from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and had classes on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

So, I spent 4 years working/studying at least 15 hours a day, which was exhausting.

My energy level was really low, so despite being a very productive person, I had no motivation to work on my personal growth or work out.

I felt stuck in a life I hated and felt like it was too late to give up on College.

During the first lockdown, I went from being outside of my home 16 hours a day to being locked inside 24/7. I had to work/study from home for almost 2 years and experienced a mental breakdown.

I developed a Generalized Anxiety Disorder and would have several panic attacks as soon as I left home. This is what motivated me to transform my life.

If you are feeling stuck in a life you are not in love with. I have good news for you: turning your life around fast is possible with the right tools and discipline.

Creating a better life for yourself will help you overcome laziness fast. Again, all you need is a bit of discipline and a clear action plan.

You will then be able to start every day with a feeling of gratitude and the energy necessary to live your best life.

7. You Are Depressed

The last common cause of laziness is depression.

Our mental health greatly impacts the general quality of our lives.

Depression is a medical condition that requires your attention. If you feel like you are being more than lazy lately and struggle to get anything done, you might need medical support.

Should you be in this situation, do not hesitate to ask for help. You might be too afraid to talk to a professional right away. If you don’t feel comfortable enough to talk to a professional, start by talking to a close friend.

Many different factors can lead to depression. Approximately 280 million people suffer from depression around the world. There are very effective treatments to cure depression, and all of them do not require medication, so do not be afraid to ask for professional support.

No matter your situation, you must adjust your routines to live a healthy life and get back on track.

These adjustments will help you create your ideal life, and laziness will no longer be something you will have to worry about once you start designing your dream life.

Daily Habits To Stop Being Lazy And Get Motivated

1. Get Enough Sleep

Having a good night’s sleep will help you kick-start your day with enough energy to crush all your goals.

You should aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep per night to ensure you are well-rested. Staying motivated and getting things done will be far more complicated if you don’t sleep enough and start every new day tired.

Improving sleep quality should be one of your top priorities if you want to be productive and achieve your life goals.

2. Wake Up Early

Not everyone is an early bird, so you might struggle a bit with this one… But getting things done will be much easier if you wake up early.

Sleeping in is usually bad for productivity because you might wake up feeling groggy. The more you sleep, the more you risk waking up during a deep sleep cycle, which will leave you feeling confused when you wake up.

That’s definitely not the best way to start the day.

Try to wake up and go to bed more or less at the same time every day to wake up energized. You will be ready to crush your daily goals.

3. Implement A Slow Morning Routine

Implementing a slow morning routine is a great way to transition from being lazy to being super productive.

Implementing a morning routine needs to be one of your priorities if you want to change your life.

A productive morning routine lets you kick-start the day on the right foot, setting the tone for the rest of your day.

But to make significant changes, you need to follow this routine on a very regular basis. Hence, implementing a routine that would be too ambitious will be counterproductive.

If you are not used to following a routine, start by implementing a slow morning routine.

Slow mornings give you enough time to wake up slowly and start the day focusing on your personal growth, which is exactly what you need when you try to make significant changes to your life.

4. Take Breaks

Taking breaks throughout the day is another simple way to cope with laziness. You need to be consistent in life if you want to be successful in the long run.

Taking breaks will help you find balance, which is key to life satisfaction and long-term success.

It will also help you be more focused, which will significantly impact your productivity.

The secret is to keep your breaks short (less than 30 minutes) and do something relaxing, like going for a walk, meditating, reading, or doing some deep breathing exercises.

You will need to avoid using your phone during your breaks if you want them to help you stay productive.

5. Write A Daily To-Do List

Writing a to-do list will help you stay focused and optimize your time, ensuring you achieve your daily goals.

You can decide to write your to-do list using a paper planner or a mobile app. As long as you find what works best for you, you will be on your way to success.

6. Prioritize

Being able to prioritize your tasks will help you get the most urgent things done, even when you are very busy.

The easiest way to prioritize your tasks for the day is to use a priority matrix.

A priority matrix is a simple tool that will help you define the urgency and importance of your tasks.

Here is what it looks like:

7. Exercise

Working out is another effective daily habit to overcome laziness.

No matter what exercise you decide to do, working out will increase your well-being and self-confidence.

You will rapidly feel stronger physically and mentally, which will give you the necessary confidence boost to step out of your comfort zone.

No matter your goals, working out regularly should be a priority to ensure you stay healthy.

8. Meditate

Meditation is another great habit to add to your daily routine if you experience daily stress and laziness.

Meditation relieves stress and helps us stay grounded and be more grateful.

Expressing more gratitude often leads to viewing our problems from a new perspective, which can be life-changing when we feel in a rut.

9. Implement A Relaxing Night Routine

If you have already read a few of my other posts, you already know how much I love routines.

Routines have totally transformed my life and helped me transition from a hot mess to a super productive person.

Implementing a night routine is definitely something I recommend if you struggle to stay motivated in the long run.

Indeed, many people lack consistency in their lives because they also lack balance. A night routine is perfect for unwinding and focusing on personal growth.

Here is a post about my relaxing night routine at home. I am sure it will inspire you to implement one, too.

Final Thoughts

Beating laziness and procrastination is key to becoming super productive.

After identifying the causes of your laziness, implementing healthy habits will help you build self-discipline.

You will quickly realize that following productive habits is a virtuous circle. These new habits and routines will help you increase your productivity, make you feel in control of your life, and relieve your anxiety.

Beating laziness will help you stick to your plans and reach success fast!