Or is there no desire to take on a very specific task, and in fact for no reason at all - because of laziness? Perhaps there is no such person. Whether this is chronic or temporary, it does happen. You have to accept this as a fact. Or?..

How is laziness defined?

There are several interpretations of the "lazy" word.

Laziness is an unwillingness to do work and generally do anything.

Laziness is a dislike for work in principle.

Laziness is a synonym for the word "reluctance", used in the meaning of "I'm too lazy" (a verb in the infinitive).

All of the above is an appeal to the good old explanatory dictionary, which gives definitions, but, to some extent, explains little. In the end, it still becomes unclear: laziness - Or a disease? Or a character trait?

There are also several opinions on this matter.

In Christianity

In the beginning was the word. And then, word for word, there was a book. Unless, of course, you believe in Christian dogmas. But even if you don't believe it, it won't hurt to know for the general development. The Bible is known to be very clear that laziness is a sin. Even one of the seventh, to be more precise (except for her: lust, gluttony, greed, envy, anger, pride). Synonymous with laziness this case is boredom or despondency. Christianity considers it as a consequence of idleness, which causes laziness of the soul and corrupts it. Sinfulness consists in excessive preoccupation with oneself, one's experiences and feelings.

Interestingly, laziness and the other six sins have become deeply embedded in culture and are used in works of art as the basis for a plot or a riddle. Many artists drew a series of paintings, showing their vision of this phenomenon.

This once again proves how relevant this topic is at the present time.

In Islam

This religion also considers laziness and idleness a sin. The explanation of this in Islam is very similar to the Christian one. Laziness is a sin, because it is a sign of a weak iman, as a person focuses on himself, and his faith fades away.

but on the other hand

Laziness can be described as inactivity of the body and spirit. Considering the problem from this angle, it is easy to understand why laziness is bad. Inaction is sinful, because sometimes it brings much more trouble than perfect actions. Not to help when help was needed, not to make efforts when they were important... Why is this happening? Is this an innate characteristic?

Causes

Why is a person lazy? If we take as a basis the concept of laziness, as inaction, and not idleness, we can come to the conclusion that most imperfect actions remained so because they were not decided on. They did not want to take risks or were simply afraid. Then laziness is fear.

However, such a definition is not suitable for idleness - causeless laziness, not directed as a specific object of action. At least that's how it seems at first.

What if it doesn't work?

There is such a saying: "Laziness - stretched in time." Fear of what? Fear to take action. Fear of pain, to some extent - criticism. Fear of not being able to. When this fear becomes something taken for granted, it stretches out in time, begins to relate to every possible action.

Fear of responsibility

Some psychologists define laziness as a lack of motivation stemming from a fear of responsibility. Others believe that this is a consequence of pressure from childhood, embedded in the subconscious. Excessive curiosity is rarely encouraged, as a result of which the grown child himself does not allow himself this "unnecessary" activity.

Fatigue

Basically, fatigue is called laziness by people surrounding the "loafer". Sometimes it happens not only on the physical, but also on the moral level, which is much less noticeable for those who like to criticize other people's actions, and in a specific example, inaction. If such an attitude continues, the person himself begins to consider himself a lazy person, and either tortures himself even more, or loses any motivation at all.

Violence

You don't have to force yourself. This is one of the most useful tips that can be given to a loved one. Or to yourself.

Sometimes the subconscious knows better what each individual needs. And if you frankly don’t want something, then it’s definitely not what you need. The organism feels that this occupation is useless, meaningless for the one who tries to master it. This reason is absolutely correct. It is so important to learn to trust yourself.

She has, of course, pitfalls. After all, it is not the only explanation for human laziness. Therefore, it is just as important to learn to distinguish when something is not really needed, but something is needed, but you will have to develop the motivation for this.

More harm than good?

According to numerous statements, laziness is a vice. Moreover, laziness is the mother of all vices.

It is easier for a lazy person to steal than to earn. A lazy person would rather cry to be pitied than do it himself. An idler would rather successfully send everything to obstacles than see an opportunity and a chance. A lover of idleness will rather complain about the disfavor of fortune than about insufficient effort.

Therefore, a lazy person becomes greedy, envious, evil. One sin entails the rest. Vicious domino effect.

Or more good than harm?

Laziness is the feeling of wanting nothing. It is in the interests of a lazy person to ease his lot. The creative mind doesn't always take the wrong path. Or maybe he's just too proud to follow the easy paths already taken.

The man was lazy - and he invented the wheel. Then a bicycle, a car, an airplane.

The man did not want to lift weights himself, and soon a new miracle came into the world: a crane.

Man was reluctant to do the calculations himself - and he invented the computer. Now everyone uses a computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone. Despite the fact that it is precisely because of these technical innovations that most of humanity has become lazy, they prove the dominance of the mind and its possibilities. And whether a person controls a computer, or a computer controls it, is the choice of each particular man / woman / child.

All these examples can be correlated with the well-known established rule: laziness is the engine of progress. The pitfall of this statement is if it is also used as an excuse for one's idleness. Indeed, in order to progress, the mind must, on the contrary, work. "The soul must work day and night, day and night."

Procrastination: a disease, an excuse, or just a beautiful word?

While people are trying to solve the dilemma: laziness is good or bad, another term has appeared in psychology that introduces certain amendments into their discussions.

What is procrastination? And does it mean that laziness is a disease?

Psychologists define this wonderful word as the eternal postponing of things "for later." Do it tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, or never. Will never suit you?

The problem with this scourge of the modern world is that procrastination is deified: in social networks they cheerfully write about eternal doing nothing and enjoy themselves.

What is the difference from laziness?

In short, we can say that laziness is a delayed action. I was lazy, did it, did not let anyone down.

Procrastination is embedded in the subconscious as a constant, recursive phenomenon. I put it off, then put it off again, and then...

Inveterate procrastinators put off not only business, but also decisions - from small to important, vital ones. The saddest thing is that if, as a result, the hands reach this whole heap, everything is done anyhow. The result is equal to the effort put in.

The problem, as usual, goes unnoticed. beautiful word becomes an excuse. "This is me, love me." But procrastination is not a description of a person and not even a way of thinking, but a task that needs to be solved, an obstacle that needs to be overcome and move on. "Now or never" is much more constructive than "then and most likely never."

How to get rid?

• It is very important to be able to manage your time. Leave a little for rest, laziness, doing nothing, in the end, for yourself. As already discussed earlier, sometimes it is fatigue that leads to the fact that a person sits in a stupor - his body is beeping with might and main, screaming for him to stop, but he is torturing himself, and most importantly, to no avail.
• A daily plan is a great way to self-control. Well, if it is an intermediate stage, because in the end it is necessary to learn unconscious control, without papers and tips. But for starters, the simplest list on white lined paper is the best you can come up with. Everything should be taken into account in the plan: not only important things (trying to implement a weekly plan in one day is a stupid idea), but also everyday little things and, of course, a break. Set aside enough time for each item. Follow the plan clearly.
• Many mistakenly advise setting the shortest possible time. It is not right. It will be right to think rationally: how long are you actually able to complete this or that task.
• In addition, focus on results is important. There is a very thin line between pessimism and optimism: give it your all so that everything is done in at its best, and at the same time provide for the possibility of the development of the situation, if what was planned does not work out.
• The development of motivation is an important factor. It is usually recommended to promise yourself a reward. You should think more globally: understand that the result is already a huge reward. Start to be proud of yourself, your achievements, even small ones at first. After all, what can boast of someone who has laziness as a priority? The antonym for this word, "industriousness", is valued much more.

Finally

Like almost everything in the world, laziness can be perceived in different ways. This is neither good nor bad. This is a means to achieve the desired result. But if you do not use it, it will drag you into itself, like a swamp, into the path of melancholy and boredom. Is it so dangerous if you already know how to deal with it?

Well, everything, a new week will come, and I will start a new life. I will start doing exercises, get a new, more profitable and interesting job, quit smoking, drinking. Don't you think that these words are inherent in the vast majority of us? How often do we vow to ourselves that everything will change and a new life will begin. And for this, you need nothing at all - to take up your mind and start acting. How easy it seems to get up on a Monday when you think about it on a Saturday night. That decisive day comes - but there is no strength to get up. Yes, and the desire has disappeared somewhere. Why is this happening? Are there ways by which you can easily cope with morning sleep and get up without laziness to exercise? Of course, and we will now study the important details of working on ourselves in order. But for this you need to get acquainted with the main enemy of mankind - laziness and how to deal with it.

What is laziness

From the point of view of psychology, laziness is a lack of desire to work and a lack of doing something, to show at least some effort to complete tasks. Experts point out that laziness belongs to the volitional sphere of each person and, as a rule, is perceived as negative, negative quality. In medicine, laziness is neither a disease nor an unhealthy psychological condition. Rather, it is a signal of the body that there is a moment of conflict between a person’s desires and his duty.

No one will argue with the fact that there is nothing positive in this word. But it is a satellite of mankind from the first moment. And so it continues to go toe to toe with us and creates reasons for us to abandon actions, thoughts, etc.

It was an integral part of our essence and led to destruction. family relations, wars, suppressed the desire to achieve something. But let's take a closer look and think about how harmful it is to us?

Laziness is our enemy

Let's remember how many troubles were caused to people because of the banal unwillingness to go out into the yard with a cigarette or even throw it out the window. I was too lazy to “change shoes” for winter tires, and for this reason a tragedy occurred. The engineer was too lazy to once again check the condition of the aircraft landing gear or engines, the crash of the liner led to numerous tragedy. The sad list can be continued, but is it worth pointing out once again that the masses suffered from the laziness of one person or a small group of people. Now let's move on to a barrel of honey in a fly in the ointment.

Laziness is our main ally

And this is also known from an early age, because we now and then hear that it is the main engine of progress. Let's remember the most convenient gadgets and inventions for us, created precisely because of banal laziness. How hard it was for our fathers and mothers to constantly jump up from the sofa and change channels on the TV. Fortunately, they only had 4-5 channels at that time. Now there are all 1000 of them and how could we constantly bounce from a warm place. The remote control helps us with this. And there was, God bless him, the man who invented this, well, very important thing. The same is with the elevator, going up to the 3rd floor is already difficult. What would we do? Prices for apartments on the lower floors would be the most expensive, well, and so on. All innovations created by people, spurred on by banal laziness, are presented as achievements of science. So - thanks to her, the same laziness.

What is laziness - types

1. Physical. For each of us, life is movement. We run to school, work, take care of the housework, carry out various kinds of assignments, etc. As a result, natural fatigue occurs, that is, the body gives signals that a lot of energy has been expended and time is needed for its new accumulation. You can not ignore this process, you need to treat your body with care, and listen to its "requests". Stop, relax, take a break.
2. Emotional laziness. It is also called spiritual and it is impossible to hide. Such a person is betrayed by complete indifference to others, he automatically performs some actions, feelings are atrophied. Many people are probably familiar with the term “burnout syndrome”. So, a person who has experienced excessive fatigue and against this background a breakdown will do everything on duty. But don't assume that this is the end of it. As a rule, the condition is aggravated by a nervous breakdown, mental disorders, and somatic disorders.
   

   To recover, you need bright colors, an emotional shake-up. An extreme sport will help someone, while others need to throw out emotions - beat the effigy of the authorities, shout or sob into the pillow, etc.

   If the reasons are hard, hard work, try to change it. Otherwise, you risk getting a serious breakdown and mental disorder.

3. Spiritual laziness. The quintessence of all types of laziness - emotional, physical, mental. The person is tired of everything and needs serious, professional help. It is necessary to consult a psychotherapist, take sedatives and rest - complete and relaxing. We can say that there are clear signs of mental illness - a person has lost the meaning of life, his soul is “empty”, he does not know how to live on and no motivation to move forward. Next is a dead end. Unfortunately, if help is not provided in time, a disastrous outcome is possible.
   

   In this state, a person can help himself and himself. You need to pull yourself together and work on yourself. Take a time out and try your best to get out of the vicious circle. And yet, do what you dreamed about before. If you wanted to write a book, start the first pages. Poems - reflect on paper your feelings.

4. Creative laziness. This "ailment" is more common in people who strive to show perfectionism in everything. And if they are given a task that needs to be completed in too short a time, then there is a refusal of all desires. The prospect that it is impossible to cope with the task leads the psychological state, first to despair, then to complete apathy and unwillingness to do anything. And these are not the whims of a person, his brain refuses to perform its functions.
   

   The only thing you can do is relax. Take a vacation, weekend and leave, get away from the hustle and bustle. It is advisable not to think about work, tasks at all during the rest. Change the "decoration" - go to parties, take a walk in the woods, ride a boat, go diving.

   Psychologists also distinguish philosophical laziness, in which a person abandons the old foundations. It is easier for him to believe, for example, in Buddhism, in which no actions have power. There is no need to force yourself to fast, to fulfill the commandments. But it is worth noting that this is not a type of laziness, but a banal desire to live in this way.

5. Laziness, because they force. Psychologists say that every person himself wants to be the initiator of his actions. But if he is forced to do something, apathy and unwillingness immediately set in. He must be aware of himself as a person and do only what he wants to do. It cannot be said that this is the correct formulation of the question, otherwise everyone would have to be masters, bosses, directors, and so on. Remember your school years, because the assigned lessons were a burden to us. Most of us have been looking for a lot of reasons not to do them. But at the same time, we read books that were not included in the school curriculum avidly.
6. Laziness is a myth. Each of us is periodically ready to believe what his lazy mind says. For example, your child decided to take a pencil and draw a flower. You immediately object - it still won't work. But the skills of art are acquired only when you try and try to draw those very circles. And here is another, very common example of false signals. Your friends managed to earn money for an apartment, a car. You would also like to be in their place and enjoy the expanses of luxury housing. But at this moment, thoughts arise: “Why do you need this, do you live worse than others?”, Or “So what, but they spent a lot of time and money.” But it would be right if ideas like: “Come on, dare, you will succeed too!”, “Show yourself in business, because you have talent, will, the main thing is to want!” etc. But other beliefs more often settle in us - “It is unlikely that I can”, “I will not succeed”. It is these thoughts that hinder our actions and force us to be content with what we have, they do not give an incentive, motivation in order to change the type of behavior. All these are myths, invented by our own subconscious, the reasons that slow down the process. If you want to achieve something, start with the head. That is, fill yourself with positive, self-confidence, you must truly want to live better, more interesting.
   

   Important: the victory over your own laziness is the most important and very difficult task. But if you manage to achieve this, consider that all problems are nothing!

   And finally, laziness is pleasure. Well, which of us was not so pleasant to soak up in a warm bed or sit at the TV screen, drinking warm tea. Yes, there are things to be done, work to be completed. But sometimes the soul and body simply need that same laziness. Perhaps this is one of the best ways to pamper yourself. Well, sometimes you can, and why not?!

What is needed for action

Having studied the main types of laziness and the causes of their occurrence, it is easier to learn how to get rid of it. If you take strength “into a fist” and start working on yourself, then you can achieve everything that you dreamed about. Well, or at least a lot.

There is a wise Chinese proverb: "If you have the will, you can turn the mountains into a field!". And here it’s not like moving mountains, you don’t want to get up from the sofa.

Decide on your goal. Before you begin to act, it is necessary, which can only be achieved by active actions. And if there is no desire to move from a place here either, maybe the goal is not the same? After all, if she were the one you really sincerely dream of, the most inveterate lazy person would get up from the “bed”. What could be causing:

1. You don't love your job. Most likely, earlier you wished for something else, made other plans. But at some point, I had to turn myself around and stand “at the machine” out of necessity, for earnings, in order to show everyone how successful you are.
2. It seems that you love your job, but there is a fear that you will not be able to achieve any success or, on the contrary, become too successful. Many are afraid that having received an excellent result, more will be required of you.
3. If there is no goal at all, then there is nowhere to move. There is no motivation, no reason to take action.
4. You have outgrown your own position, you need to raise the bar of tasks, that is, set other, higher goals.

Actions. In order to start, we need energy, momentum. But if we spend money along the way, we will not have the strength to achieve our goals. Perhaps this is not only physical, but also mental, that is, moral fatigue. The body will never tune in to work if it is tired and will simply “sabotage” the beginning. Also, our body is able to recognize signs. If at the level of intuition it is felt that actions will not lead to the goal, laziness will immediately make itself felt.

Result. Rejoice if you have achieved what you wished for. Now there is an impulse to take other actions, as there is already a powerful motivation to move on.

Or maybe you already had an achieved result, and for some reason, it did not suit you? Well, that often happens. But how, everyone learns from their mistakes, so you need to think in more detail about your goals, actions, and then the desired result will be achieved.

How to overcome your laziness

Well, the question is certainly not an easy one. You will have to try hard to get rid of this quality. But first of all, it is necessary to determine its signals, to deal with its causes. And if everything is in order - act, applying the advice of experienced psychologists.

1. Release yourself from obligations. If you owe something to someone, give it back, and at the same time return yours. In the case when there is no such possibility - forgive the debt, because it also happens that people are not able to return what they have taken. Moreover, give easily, with kindness and a smile, and never regret.
2. If someone was promised something - fulfill this word, as for yourself - then also act or get rid of them. Past desires that you have not been able to fulfill, like a ballast, are pulling you “down”, taking away energy.
3. Perform a simple ritual - reflect on a clean sheet of desire, intentions that you decided to let go. Literally say these words aloud - fully intent and the word "Let go". Someone will laugh and think that we are doing magic here, but this is not so. Often, words spoken aloud are more firmly deposited in our minds and allow us to put an end to their decision.
4. Put the house in full order, make a "general". Get rid of junk, broken, cracked dishes. If some little thing is not to your liking, give it as a gift or just put it on the street, and someone will pick it up. It is strictly forbidden to keep a broken clock in the house. Collect them in a pile and take them to the master. If they are dear to you, ask them to fix them and pay for it. If not, let them stay with the watchmaker.
5. General cleaning is also necessary for the state of mind of a person. If there are conflicts, misunderstandings, reticence - "close" these questions. Ask for forgiveness, resolve the conflict. If the other side is not available - write a message, a letter, as a last resort, talk to yourself. In any case, you did everything you could. There is a great "two chairs" method. Sitting on one - speak for yourself, on the other - for "that guy." In the course of the "conversation", give arguments and come to an agreement.
6. Visit the church, light a candle for the health of all relatives, friends and loved ones. Pray for the repose of the departed. Take communion, repent of your sins. This item is the most effective and powerful for those who strive to start new achievements.

How to do things right

Following the example of the legendary Eisenhower, it is necessary to distribute cases as follows:

1. The most important, urgent. If they are not done, then problems with health, personal life, work, etc. are possible.
2. Important, but not urgent: the main thing is to start them and over time they will turn into urgent ones, but you will be half ready.
3. Urgent but not important is routine. Such cases include the banal washing of windows, the request of a friend. Try to choose a time to complete, otherwise you risk having another important and urgent task.
4. It doesn't matter and it's not urgent. Such cases can be abandoned without problems, in extreme cases, postponed for a longer period of execution. For example, constantly watching TV, chatting on the phone, lying on the couch, etc.

How to get started

In order not to slow down and easily begin to act, you need to break the task you have set yourself into stages.

1. Who are you by nature - an owl or a lark? Now find the time of day when you feel the most active and alert. Plan things for this segment.
2. To get rid of fatigue and get a boost of energy to perform - slow down. Take 10 minutes of rest, breathe properly - long inhale and exhale. At the same time, you do not need to be distracted by other things: TV, phone, gadgets, etc. Well, tired of standing like that? Start acting and everything will go like clockwork.
3. Switch your brain from physical to mental activities, or vice versa. Sign up for a yoga, martial arts, fitness, shaping, etc. studio.
4. Before you is a job that is extremely unpleasant for you, but you need to do it! great way: Count to five and start doing it immediately. Remember how we plunged into the ice hole? They froze, took in air and let's go to the font. Exactly the same here!
5. To get an additional charge, turn on rhythmic music that will allow you to be more active and uplift your mood. And this is already half the battle.
6. Reward yourself for your actions. Promise that you will allow yourself a small piece of delicious cake or a coveted dress if you manage to complete the task. You can also treat yourself to communication on the Internet, by phone, etc.
7. Try not to notice "mistakes", but remember only the positive moments in achieving your goals. For example: well, let me sleep a little, but I can catch up if I stay a little late at work.
8. Don't turn down the offer of help. At the beginning of the journey, it is always difficult to do everything alone. After all, you also do not mind offering your services when others need it. And who does not know how to appreciate help, do not learn to give.
9. Get rid of the ballast in the environment. Do not tolerate whiners next to you, lazy people who pull back with their habits. Meet bright, open and active personalities, team up with them and achieve your desires together.

As you can see, there are many ways by which you can begin to act decisively, and not wait for the weather by the sea.

Laziness cannot be defeated

Believe me, there is no person in the world who would not be lazy to do something. Everyone, without exception, periodically wants to quit everything, not get out of bed, forget about obligations. And this is the absolute truth - it is completely impossible to overcome laziness. All that a person is capable of is to force himself to act, overcoming reluctance and apathy. Motivation is important, without which it is impossible to take a step, because there is no point in action. AT modern world when everyone lives on everything ready, laziness has become the scourge of young people. All they do is try not to move from their place and wait for "manna from heaven."

The main motivator in achieving your plans is a person's optimism. Get rid of negative thoughts, tune in to success in advance, believe in your plans - and they will come true. If you want to play sports, start with light gymnastics. If you want to get additional education, start by attending courses, etc. No one claims that you can come out the winner the first time. The main thing is to start and believe in yourself. Listen to the expression "Who conquered laziness - he will be able to conquer the whole world!". So stop lying on the couch, make a dash, open the curtains and enjoy a new day. No need to wait for Monday, otherwise you will never start a new life.

Creation date: 09/25/2001
Update date: 05/15/2015

The most precise definition of laziness is a lack of motivation. A variant of the unconscious resistance of the person himself, who, in the depths of his soul, suddenly begins to feel that he doesn’t seem to go exactly there and does not quite do it. In such cases, others begin to accuse him of laziness - in particular, those who need him to do work that he does not want to do ...

What is laziness - it seems to be known to everyone. In general, the network has a huge number of definitions of this word, but even more - advice, "how to defeat laziness." And mostly someone else's, but sometimes his own. Although it’s easier to defeat someone else’s laziness: pick up a whip ... or that very dried-up gingerbread, which, according to a well-known expression, is also beaten in our country. Since laziness is a socially condemned concept and is even included in the list of major vices. Therefore, for many people, nothing will falter if it is necessary to beat or ostracize someone for laziness.
However, not everything is as simple as in most cases with "seemingly well-known concepts."

Do animals get lazy? It seems that there is even a whole animal - a sloth, but people named it that way based on their criteria, and not other animals at all. And in animals, the alignment is as follows: the higher the metabolic rate of an individual and the less caloric the food it eats, the more and faster it must run for food, the same shrew, for example.
If the animal’s food is high in calories, and the exchange is not fast, then its daily routine is different: for example, the lion hunts / stays awake only 4 hours a day, and the remaining 20 do not even fully sleep, but rather doze off. Or, as an outside observer would say, he is lazy.

Approximately the same thing happened with our ancestors: in principle, primates have a genetic program of constant activity, but it supports any activity, and not just purposefully applied "to socially useful work." And with the transition to meat, moreover, food processed by fire, our ancestors generally began to live like lions.

In general, the warmer the climate, the less active the activity: firstly, it’s hot (you won’t get much), secondly, everything grows by itself, and thirdly, if you gain a lot, where and how to store it all later in the heat? It's the same in very, very northern places where nothing grows. And here we have come to a significant milestone for humanity: the emergence of manual farming, and with it the unequal distribution of resources and the emergence of a hierarchy.

The harvest is now claimed not only by those who planted and harvested, but also by representatives of the authorities, and since then their bosses have been shaking tribute, and so on increasing. In other words, the appearance in the work zone of a farmer "taking a man with a stick" forced the final link - the one who grew everything - to work without straightening his back, so that after satisfying the appetites of all the freeloaders, at least something would remain for himself. And as a result, a rule was formed: you need to work more, more, as much as possible! And how to determine whether a lot or a little work? And it never happens enough, so no one dares to sit idly by every free minute. To survive, you need to do something, do something, do something! And not to work is bad, it is despised, it is life-threatening.

This is how the evaluative, hierarchical term "laziness" arose. Formally, this is a term for those who need a certain subordinate to never stop the labor process, otherwise they will be subjected to public condemnation. Pay attention: when someone says "you're lazy" - he actually feels like your boss. He decides whether you work or not. According to your criteria. It calculates how much or little you have earned, and how well. But when a person says "I'm lazy", "I'm too lazy" - this corresponds to his own feeling of the boss: "I'm too lazy to do my job, and therefore run away, subordinate Sidorov, on my business for me!"

Now often there are angry statements from the older generation: they say that modern teenagers are completely crazy, openly dare to tell their parents - "I'm too lazy!" And logically, this aggression is understandable when it is known: in a hierarchical system with a binary distribution "you are the Chief - I am the Fool, I am the Chief - you are the Fool" laziness is for the Chiefs. And a teenager in such a system is a Fool, he has not yet reached the age of the Head.

The higher the individual on the hierarchical ladder, the more rights he has to sit in idleness / do nothing. And as a result, "on the lower strata" this is sewn into censorship from childhood: "It's bad to sit idly by." And those mothers and grandmothers who shove their daughters "What are you sitting on your hands, there is always work in the house" - according to their ideas, they often really wish the child well: because if the child himself, at the call of the internal controller, does not get used to constantly doing something – a hierarchical society will eat it and not choke. So says the experience of mothers, grandmothers and other older members of the megafamily. But what is curious is what this means by default: the elders see the child in the future only at the bottom of the hierarchy. Especially a girl.

By the way, from here - the frequent rejection by mothers, grandmothers, aunts of home appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines. They are trying to somehow rationalize this rejection with pseudo-arguments like "does not save water and powder, spoils linen and dishes" and so on. But at the core, most often, is the same fear: the machine will wash and wash, and what will I do at that time? Sitting on your hands? And in order for me to feel like a lazy person, I have to pay such a huge amount of money? ..

And if you remember that in the hierarchical system, in addition to the concepts of "Chief and Fool", an additional basis is also binarity - then in these criteria everything that is not work is considered laziness. That is, not the kind of work that the appraiser can see and that he agrees to take into account. If a person sits, thinks, or even rests between two challenging tasks- outwardly they can tell him that he is lazy and beats the buckets. And if a person first drags something there, and then back, and it’s completely useless, they can praise him from the outside. That's de, not sitting idly by, working!

That is, again it turns out that even if you work or not, it is you who know best. Not some outside evaluator who came to comment on your pastime. But those who from childhood were driven into censorship by their elders "do not sit idly by", as a result they have a powerful controlling Parent inside, who, in principle, does not allow them to rest. One has only to sit down to read a book, watch a movie or just sit, this internal control turns on: "Lazy!"
Still, the person is sitting, not working. And the fact that there is such an important activity as recreation - at the time of the emergence of the concept of "laziness" no one took into account. Then the families were large, so no one was accustomed to save on the health and performance of individuals: he worked, overstrained, died, the next! ..

And what is called laziness can also be a protective inhibition (and it is useful to rest first, and then work). Such "laziness" most often suffers from those who are commonly called "workaholics": for one reason or another, they work, as they say, 25 hours a day. And when the body defends itself from such activities, the workaholic says to himself: "Something I've become lazy today, this is not good." And gradually earns at least a feeling of guilt that he is "lazy". And some especially strong-willed individuals "fight with themselves", forcing themselves to get out of bed and work during such periods. At the same time, productivity and quality of work fall sharply (no wonder), dissatisfaction with oneself grows, which again leads to a drop in productivity, and so on.
The same thing happens when the body tries to recover at least partially: that is, the work process goes on, but with reduced intensity. And the person again begins to reproach himself, sits up overtime to make up for his slow pace, from fatigue makes everything even slower, makes more mistakes, etc. It seems to work, but there are no results. It turns out one "imitation of violent activity", and frankly harmful to health.

Here are some other reasons for laziness:

Laziness can be associated with inconsistencies in the nature of the activity and the structure of the personality. For example, if a demonstrative person is limited to work only around the house, and an introvert is forced to constantly work with different people- they will soon lose the desire to do such work. They will be distinctly uncomfortable working in conditions that do not correspond to their personality structure.

Laziness (more precisely, apathy) can be a sign of the so-called cycloid (periodic change in activity and depression), and it is in the depressive phase. A cycloid in the activity phase can do several things in a row, and in the depression phase it does not even do what it is obliged to do under contracts (which it picked up in the active phase).

Laziness (apathy) can often indicate the presence of depression itself, or rather, the feeling "no matter what I do to solve my problems, nothing will change anyway." Such apathy is often characteristic of the state of various crises. After all, in order to get out of the crisis, according to famous parable, "to knock butter out of milk so as not to drown" - you first need to know exactly where to "pound with your feet": because you can waste the last remnant of strength in vain. Especially if your crisis situation is in any way more complicated than a pot of milk. Therefore, in order to overcome such "laziness", help in diagnostics is also needed - at least in answering the question "how to be and what to do in order to get the desired result." Because you can almost always do something to change the situation, it is important to know what to do and in what direction to move.

But in any case, laziness is the absence of noticeable meaningful activity in the estimation of someone else. And even if you work hard in the sweat of your brow, creating some kind of extremely important project, for which you will receive a lot of money, and, for example, your mother comes to you and says, “Here you are here at the computer, and the dishes are not washed” - it is useless to convince her. Because A - she initially arrogated to herself the right to evaluate the usefulness of your activity, B - she will do this according to her unshakable criteria, and C - you will be a lazy person only because you dare not do what your mother told you to do. It is said to wash the dishes - if you please obey and wash. Before all your stupid projects.

Thus, laziness is not only an evaluative concept through and through, it is also extremely beneficial and easy to manipulate. And it is advisable to keep this in mind whenever someone outside or inside calls you lazy or lazy.

It is often said that allegedly "laziness is the engine of progress." This expression is used, as it were, with irony - they say, an excuse for loafers. Yes, of course, a person who is too lazy to get up and switch the same channels on TV, one way or another was a "consumer and customer" of the same remote control. And for this "lazy customer" thousands of engineers studied (and are studying) the physics of infrared waves, electronics, cybernetics, crystal chemistry - in order to invent and improve this remote control all the time; tens of thousands of workers soldered and soldered these crystals and made the remotes themselves so that the "lazy customer" could switch TV channels while lying on the couch.
But seriously, capitalism in its primitive market variation is gradually coming into conflict with progress. Because progress is promoted by smart people and just not lazy (first of all, not intellectually lazy): hoping at the same time to earn on people "more lazy", selling them the fruits of their labor to make their life easier. But over time, the volume of goods reaches such values ​​that the lazy are no longer able to compensate for the work invested in these goods with money: they simply did not earn that much money. Therefore, progress is most actively developing in those countries where laziness is generally not accepted.

Of course, according to life and consumer motivations, people are all different: among consumers and producers there are those who are focused only on today's needs (according to the principle "the day has passed - and thank God"), doing nothing "for tomorrow"; and there are those who want to live better tomorrow - and today they are ready to work hard for this, improving both their lives and the lives of others.
And if we talk about the engine of progress, then it is more correct to call any constructive approach to solving a problem not laziness, but a desire to solve a specific problem in the best way, without unnecessary labor costs. In the same way, it makes no sense to call a lazy person a person who, having received some kind of task (at work, at school, in the family), is in no hurry to complete it - but not because he is lazy; it’s just that at first he wants to choose the most reasonable, adequate and effective way of doing it, and then proceed to direct action.

I think the most accurate definition of laziness is a lack of motivation. A variant of the unconscious resistance of the person himself, who, in the depths of his soul, suddenly begins to feel that he doesn’t seem to go exactly there and does not quite do it. In such cases, others begin to accuse him of laziness - in particular, those who need him to do work that he does not want to do. Let's say parents complain about a lazy child who does not help them, does not want to study, etc.; the husband blames his wife for running the house; the wife scolds her husband, who is lying on the couch all day and will not help her in anything ... And there is nothing to say about the boss, who is angry with his subordinates for insufficient zeal in the workplace.

But in this case, one should understand: does the person himself need the work that he is forced to do? Will they say even a simple thank you to the child for help? Does the teenager understand why he personally needs to study, or is he doing it under duress only for his parents? Does a wife want to put things in order in a house in which she is not the mistress? Is it pleasant for a husband to be with his wife "on parcels"?
As for laziness in the workplace, the orders of the boss often seem frankly useless to the subordinates, or the employees have no interest in the work performed (they say, they will still go to the basket, or they will obviously not be paid for it according to the labor invested).

Strictly speaking, speaking of "lack of motivation", one should distinguish between motive and incentive. These are different things.
The stimulus in its original meaning is a sharp stick with which the ancient Roman driver poked oxen when they were not dragging their luggage along the ancient Roman streets fast enough. Now this term is used in the most different meanings, but as a rule, "stimulation" actually means just that: when you, excuse me, are "poked with a sharp stick" in some soft spot to force you to do what you do not want. And the basic principle of incentives is "If you do not do this, you will be worse off."
And the motive is a positive interest in the process and the result, it is the confidence that having done some work, a person will be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor to his pleasure. The basic principle of motivation is "If you do this, you will be better off."

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The vast majority of people are familiar with the viscous dampening sensation of laziness. This feeling may come on quite predictably or suddenly; can relate to what “should” be done, but “don’t want to”, and even what, it would seem, seems to be a desirable thing for us: for example, walking on a day off or visiting a cafe after a hard day. In this article, we will look behind the facade of the phenomenon called "laziness" and try to understand what is hidden behind it and prevents us from moving vigorously along the intended path of our goals and objectives.

And on the online program "" you can take a deeper look inside yourself and know the features of your personality, including motivation.

Causes of laziness and how to deal with them

The article "" indicates such causes of procrastination as the lack of goals, perfectionism, "energy problems", distractions to the unimportant, "an unbearable big project."

It is impossible to take this list of causes seriously, since it includes phenomena that are incomparable with each other, which in themselves can be causes and consequences of each other, and have no direct relation to laziness. All the listed “reasons” do not give us the key to look into the depths of the problem of laziness and clearly answer the question: “Why am I lazy in such important, necessary, desirable things ?!”

At best, a list of these “reasons” can be used to try to eradicate the listed problems in oneself, because if we consider each of the phenomena described separately, it is obvious that they reduce our effectiveness. I think few people will argue with the fact that it is better to have clear goals in life, not to suffer from perfectionism, to correctly alternate periods of work and rest, to be purposeful, not to waste your time on trifles, but at the same time not to try to grasp the immensity.

As a result of a superficial interpretation of the causes of laziness, the ways to combat laziness proposed in the same article are some private attempts to use willpower, time management techniques, behavioral techniques in order to “deceive your brain” and still get what you need from yourself. effort and result.

Such an approach can be effective in a particular case, but with constant use it can not only lose its strength, but also harm the body, lead to even greater exhaustion, demotivation and the emergence of more and more new ways to shirk from solving tasks.

The underlying causes of laziness

To put it very briefly, the underlying cause of laziness is one: the inconsistency of our intentions, goals, objectives, aspirations, etc. our true needs.

In the context of the problem of laziness and its causes, the most important property of needs is that they are a source of energy, both physical and mental. When our activities and behavior are aligned with our actual need at the moment, we have no problems in order to carry out this activity: neither laziness, nor boredom, nor procrastination, nor any other forms of detachment and attempts to delay the inevitable.

If our activities and our behavior are consistent with our actual need, we simply do what we have in mind. It's really simple. There is a good illustration on this topic: “The most purposeful person is the person who wants to go to the toilet”

Agree, it is difficult to imagine that a person who wants to use the toilet suddenly became lazy and did not go anywhere.

Intrapersonal conflict as the underlying cause of laziness

According to Ukhtomsky's doctrine of the dominant, at one point in time, one need is relevant for a person, and all human behavior is subordinated to its satisfaction. If at the moment when a certain need is actual, a person sets himself a task that is not consistent with it, then the “dominant focus” in the cerebral cortex slows down the implementation of the task. For example, in the form of laziness.

In other words, laziness occurs when, instead of satisfying our true actual need, we try to satisfy another.

In psychology, this situation is called intrapersonal conflict. The conflict of needs is a special case intrapersonal conflict(we recommend that you read more about all types of intrapersonal conflict in the book by N.V. Grishina “The Psychology of Conflict”). Laziness is a form of resistance of our body, with the help of which it signals to us: “Stop! You are not going there! Stop and think: is this what you really need now?

Overcoming laziness through working with needs

Psychological work with needs is always difficult and purely individual. However, there are a number of general recommendations that will help resolve the intrapersonal conflict that gives rise to laziness and release useful energy for the implementation of the intended goals.

Step 1. Awareness of the true actual need.

Often this step is enough to reduce tension, stop being “lazy” and start performing the tasks at hand.

Instead of refreshing your VKontakte news page for the fifth time in a fit of procrastination, try taking a short break and asking yourself the question: "What do I need now?"

Answering this question is not easy, there is no need to rush. It is important to develop the habit of being attentive to your inner world, and sooner or later you will begin to answer this question faster and more correctly.

We emphasize that the purpose of the question is not only to get an answer. By asking yourself this question, you take your laziness under control, you cease to be a hostage to your conditions, you begin to decide for yourself: when you work and when you are lazy.

Step 2. Resolution of intrapersonal conflict through a conscious choice and acceptance of responsibility for its results.

When you realize your true actual need, you will have to make a choice: quit everything and start satisfying it, or continue to solve your problems, despite the fact that at the moment you need something else.

We emphasize that in order for your choice to be effective and not lead to an increase in laziness, two conditions must be met:

1. It is important to make conscious choices. It is necessary not only to give up on one of the parties to the conflict, but to make a decision, to do it confidently, fully understanding what exactly you are deciding and why you are doing it.
2. It is important to choose responsibly. You must fully consider the consequences of your choices and recognize that you are the source of those consequences.

When making your choice, keep the following in mind:

1. In the case of choosing in favor of current tasks, you continue to ignore your true need, which in the future can lead to increased tension, to a feeling of disgust for work, to increased fatigue. All these consequences you will have to compensate.
2. If you make a choice in favor of immediate satisfaction of your need, which provoked laziness, then you will face a number of other consequences: it is important to understand this and outline ways to level them.

In general, the practice of conscious and responsible choice will save you not only from laziness, but also from many other problems that give rise to our intrapersonal conflicts.

Step 3. Applying Supporting Techniques.

Once you have 1) recognized your true actual need and 2) made a conscious and responsible choice in favor of satisfying it or in favor of the current task - and only after that you can apply all those supporting techniques with a high degree of meaningfulness, safety and selectivity. , which are described in detail in the article "Causes of laziness and ways to deal with them" and other materials on the site.

Final comments

In most cases, when you encounter laziness, you most likely will not need such a deep analysis of your personality.

In many cases, you will be able to skip straight to step 3 (while being aware of both the benefits of applying various techniques and recipes to yourself, and the possible negative effects of using them).

Sometimes step 1 will help you (just paying attention to your true needs and being aware of them in some cases is enough to increase your sense of psychological comfort and overcome your resistance in the form of laziness).

Psychology of laziness: its causes and consequences

Everyone is familiar with the feeling of laziness. There are times when you don't feel like doing anything. And that's okay. This means that the body needs rest. But if laziness becomes your constant companion, then you need to find out what the matter is and take action.

Causes of laziness

There are 5 main reasons for laziness:

1. Fear

One of the obstacles to harmonious actions is the fear of them. And the feeling of laziness is a defense mechanism so as not to feel unpleasant experiences again, for example, associated with failure.

2.Low motivation

Often the reluctance to do something is due to a lack of motivation. Thoughts like, "What's the point of this?" come into my head. "For what". And the like. Naturally, this will negatively affect your activity.

3. Fatigue, low energy

It happens that a person burned out, tired. No strength to do anything. I just want to relax, lie on the couch and read my favorite book.

4. Depression and bad mood

If there are mood problems, then too laziness does its job. positive attitude- it's important. And you need to be able to overcome depression and feel like a happy person.

5. Lack of order and regime

If there is a mess in the head and in the workplace, then this leads to the appearance of laziness. You need to get together, put your thoughts in order, tidy up and draw up a plan of action.

Consequences of laziness

Laziness has a negative effect on a person if he experiences negative experiences, such as guilt and anger at himself. As well as fear of not being in time and nervousness about this.

I will give a simple example.

You made a plan for doing chores today, but it's been two hours and you're all lying on the couch. This goes on all day long. And then you, after all overpowering yourself, begin to act. But time is against you. You don't make it. Be nervous. This negatively affects your productivity and overall emotional well-being.

Then you start to feel guilty (oops), blame yourself, say all sorts of rude things, get angry. Not all of this is correct. You need to learn, on the contrary, to love yourself and not have anything to do with such a destructive emotion as guilt.

How to get rid of laziness: top 5 ways

1. We increase motivation.

If the reason for laziness is low motivation, then you need to raise it to the proper level with the help of special tools.

How can I do that? For example, through visualization. Consider the example of housework. You don't want to tidy up. You are lazy. Much nicer to lie on the couch. What to do? Play with imagination. Imagine how nice it is when home comfort and cleanliness. The eyes are happy. How your beloved husband comes home from work and tells you how beautiful it is at home today ...

If you're too lazy to go to work. Then visualize how you receive a salary and rejoice in the possession of money. How do you go to the store and buy a beautiful blouse. Or go to another city for the weekend, for example, to a water park. Isn't that inspiring?

If the job is not at all joyful, then consider changing it. You have the right to do what you really want.

2. We support a good mood.

To find out the answer to the question of how to get rid of laziness, go deep into yourself and ask: "What do you really like?". Write down the answers and do it as often as possible. Learn to cheer yourself up by doing pleasant things.

Cheer up before you start working. Do morning exercises, take a shower, smile at yourself in the mirror, saying something nice. Promise yourself after work to please yourself with delicious tea or a walk with a friend in the park.

3. We increase the overall energy of the body

Getting rid of laziness will help raise the level of your vital energy to a high level. Yoga is perfect for this. Especially in the morning, then there will be a charge for the whole day.

Qigong exercises, breathing techniques and simple walks in the fresh air are also good.

Extended rest will benefit those who suffer from the manager's syndrome. Take a vacation and let yourself indulge in your loved one or your loved one.

If you are interested in the topic of vitality, read the article on how to increase energy. There are many useful recipes out there.

4. We clean the mess in the head and not only

Perhaps you have a mess in your head. You don't know what to do and how to do it. Then sit down, grab a piece of paper and a pen, and make a plan for today.

Prioritize it. Start with the most important. And don't rush. Work at your own pace. If you can't do something, do it tomorrow.

Clean up at work as well. Create an atmosphere where nothing bothers you. So that you can work in peace.

If the situation and the type of activity allows, turn on the music. Working under it is more fun.

In some cases, an instrumental is perfect. But if sounds bother you, then work in silence. Here the approach is individual.

5. Just getting started

Sometimes inaction can drag on for a long time. And there is no need to think about how to get rid of laziness. You just need to get up and start being active. And in the process itself, you will switch to work, and it will drag you in just as laziness once dragged you in ...

You just need to take one step ... and then the process will go in your favor ...

Suggestion formulas to get rid of laziness

And finally, I offer you a few suggestion formulas to get started:

1. I like to act!

2. I work with love, having fun.

3. I am an active and purposeful person.

- mirrosta.ru