How to Not Be Lazy

Co-authored by Paul Chernyak, LPC

Updated: March 29, 2019

Explore this Article Getting Motivated Reducing Procrastination Starting the Day Right Article Summary Questions & Answers Related Articles References

Laziness is a nasty affliction that affects everyone from time to time. You may be disinclined to carry out tasks for the day, remain idle, get sidetracked easily, or just lack overall motivation. Laziness is something we all wrestle with but by building up good habits, organizing your priorities, and stop dwelling in negativity, you can jumpstart your life.

Getting Motivated

  1. 1
    Find reasons to stay active. A major reason for laziness is a lack of motivation. You can be discouraged by a daunting pile of tasks, or a feeling that the challenges of your day simply aren't worth motivating yourself for.[1]
    • Think of the big picture. It can be easy to get lost in the day-to-day tasks of life and not realize what you're working toward. Take some time out of each day to remind yourself how the task at hand is contributing to larger goals for your life. These can be financial, fitness, or education goals that will help your career and personal life. Make a list of reasons why you want to accomplish tasks before you.
  2. 2
    Celebrate success and milestones. You may feel less motivation to do something if it feels insignificant. Stay optimistic and when you complete a task, give yourself a pat on the back. This will also help keep you from being lazy because you are seeing the fruits of your labor.
    • Whether its exercise, school, or work, make sure you have objective, achievable goals along the way. Write them out and check them off when you accomplish them.
  3. 3
    Don't beat yourself up. Laziness can be a self-perpetuating cycle. It can be a type of self-loathing. When you are lazy and fail to complete a task, you can sink into a depression that makes you less likely to keep pushing.[2]
    • If you keep telling yourself that you are lazy, you'll always be lazy. From now on, stop that kind of internal conversation. Tell yourself repeatedly that you are a man of action. Visualize yourself as a hardworking person finishing all the necessary tasks at hand. Do this every day for 30 days until it becomes a habit.
    • Make time for relaxation. There is a tendency to always associate inactivity with laziness. This produces guilt and can perpetuate more laziness. Rather than beat yourself up, allow yourself time to relax with no guilt.[3]
  4. 4
    Encourage accountability. Rather than go at everything alone, put yourself in a situation where peers and family can help motivate you. Group accountability is great motivator for staying fit, staying on task, and moving toward goals. [4]
    • If you're trying to get in better shape, find a gym buddy or an exercise class. It will feel like you are letting others down if you skip and you are more likely to keep at it. If it is a school goal, find a friend in the class that can help you study and stay on track with achieving grades you want.
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Method 1 Quiz

How can you change your thinking to feel more motivated to go to the gym?

Try again! Celebrating small milestones along the way to achieving your goal is a way to keep yourself motivated. If you accomplished your goal of going to the gym every day this week, celebrate that milestone and use it to propel you on to the next goal. Guess again!

Not quite! Share your goal with others and recruit them to join you! Ask around to see if any friends want to work out with you or plan a group hike so you can all be active together. Pick another answer!

Exactly! Be optimistic and picture yourself achieving your goal. If you fall into a cycle of negative thinking, you'll start to believe you've failed before you've really tried. Read on for another quiz question.

Definitely not! Remind yourself frequently of your long term goal so the daily work feels more meaningful. When you don't feel like getting out of bed to go to the gym, think about how great it will be to feel healthy and strong. Choose another answer!

Reducing Procrastination

  1. 1
    Recognize that you're procrastinating. Sometimes part of procrastinating is filling our day up with so many side tasks that we have difficulty seeing what we are really doing. Look for useful indicators that you're procrastinating that include:[5]
    • Sitting down to do something important and then deciding to get coffee or a snack.
    • Filling up your day with low priority tasks.
    • Re-reading memos or e-mails many times before deciding what to do with them.
  2. 2
    Schedule your day. Many people are inclined to make to-do-lists. However, these can make your day seem daunting and without being tangibly incorporated into your day are little more than wishful aspirations. You need to consider how much time you have and how long each task will take in order to effectively get moving and avoid a day of laziness.[6]
    • Make sure you actually account for how long tasks will take you. This reduces the chance you will procrastinate because you are working along a tangible schedule. Also, realize that things may come up that alter your schedule. This is okay. All you need to do is add this to the schedule and adjust your day.
    • Set boundaries. People who are prone to procrastination should avoid blending life/work boundaries. Assuming you will end each work day at 5:30 P.M. forces you to be productive within a certain timespan.
  3. 3
    Do fewer things well. You may procrastinate when you feel like there are too many things to do and you shouldn't bother even starting. Most people believe that they are working harder than they actually are. This is because people feel so overwhelmed and fragmented by endless tasks. We live in a world of constant stimulation and information. Simplify your life and you'll be less likely to be overwhelmed into inactivity.[7]
    • Try media fasting for a week. Not all the information that we consume everyday from all kind of media is useful. Unless it's required for you to consume certain information for your work, stop everything else for a week. No TV, no newspaper, no social websites, no leisure Internet surfing, no watching videos on the Internet. You might want to create your own rule for this tip.
  4. 4
    Make it a habit to do anything simple as soon as you see it. For example, if you see a stack of papers need to be dumped, dump into the bin it straight away. It is not important but sooner or later you have to do it. Make it a habit to do it now and you'll stop having an endless list of tasks to do later.
    • This will be hard at first, but it will help you to build a good habit. The tendency to put things off until later can snowball procrastination and laziness.
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Method 2 Quiz

How should you handle simple tasks to avoid procrastination?

Nope! Don't let easy tasks pull you away from more important things on your agenda. When you sit down to do something difficult, stay focused on that activity instead of looking for ways to feel productive without accomplishing anything. Click on another answer to find the right one...

Yes! When you see something easy that can be done quickly, do it immediately. This prevents these simple tasks from piling up and becoming more time-consuming. Read on for another quiz question.

Not exactly! If you let easy tasks pile up, they begin to feel more intimidating. For example, your trash can is full but you decide to let more bags pile up before you take them to the dumpster. But then you end up making several trips to haul a dozen garbage bags outside and suddenly this is not an easy task anymore. Try again...

Starting the Day Right

  1. 1
    Start your day right. Don't hit the snooze on your alarm or go back to sleep but get right out of bed to start your day on the move. You are more likely to get and stay energized by starting your day out active.[8]
    • This can take practice to make it a habit. Try placing your alarm clock out of arm's reach. This will insure that you need to actually physically get out of bed before hitting the snooze.
  2. 2
    Get plenty of rest. You are more likely to start your day out groggily if you are sleep deprived. This can also hurt your motivation and your ability to not be lazy the following day. Get plenty of rest to make sure you're at your best when you get up in the morning, feeling rested, rejuvenated, and ready to start your day!
    • Everyone needs different amounts of sleep to function their best but shoot for at least six or seven hours. Put away all electronics and screens when you're winding down for bed. Try to get as comfortable as possible and block out any possible distractions that will keep your mind moving.
  3. 3
    Start your day out on the move. Exercise first thing in the morning. This will help your energy level remain high and take advantage of peak hormone times. Exercise is also proven to help concentration and focus for the rest of the day.[9]
    • Don't skip breakfast. Breakfast has physiological benefits, but also mental and mood improving effects. Eating a healthy breakfast will help your energy level stay up, your brain function peak, and even improves memory and concentration.[10]
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Method 3 Quiz

True or false: Eating breakfast has both mental and physical benefits.

Right! When you eat breakfast, your body and mind both wake up more quickly. You'll feel more energetic and be able to concentrate more easily. Read on for another quiz question.

Breakfast is an important meal in jump starting your metabolism and brain activity, so don't skip it. If you eat breakfast, you'll notice benefits to your mood, concentration, and energy level. Try another answer...

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    How can I get straight A's in school?
    Community Answer
    Study hard and often, eat healthy to enable yourself to keep focused, and always celebrate your successes. Let those motivate you. if you stumble on a subject, seek help from parents, teachers or tutors until you understand it.
  • Question
    How to not be lazy while asleep?
    Community Answer
    There are times when it is fine to be lazy. Sleeping is necessary and should not be viewed as being lazy.
  • Question
    How do I get up when the alarm goes off?
    Jeana Bettis
    Community Answer
    Put it further away from your bed so you have to get up. Making your bed immediately after helps so you don't feel tempted to crawl back in it.
  • Question
    How do I keep myself busy when I don't have to work?
    Community Answer
    Work on tasks that don't have to necessarily be done at that moment, like cleaning something that hasn't been cleaned in a while.
  • Question
    How do I stop being lazy?
    Community Answer
    Make a schedule for your day and stick to it!
  • Question
    Could my gaming "addiction" be affecting how lazy I am?
    Community Answer
    Yes, since addictions can affect your lifestyle and motivation. Gaming could be distracting you from more important tasks and giving you a reason to remain lazy.
  • Question
    What should I do to stop taking naps when I get home from school?
    Community Answer
    Try going to bed earlier so you're not so tired in the afternoon. You could also take a quick shower when you get home, or run around the block to get your heart pumping.
  • Question
    How do I stop putting my head on the desk when the teacher starts teaching every morning?
    Jeana Bettis
    Community Answer
    Make sure you have breakfast and get out of bed within 5 minutes of waking up to ensure you have energy. Take a shower if you feel sluggish. Try to listen to what the teacher is saying and participate in class.
  • Question
    Whenever I try to relax for 10 minutes as a break from work, laziness comes, and I sleep for an hour or two. This breaks my schedule and makes me more lazy. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Set an alarm when you sleep.
  • Question
    How do I wake up if I don't hear my alarm if I move it farther away, but I always hit snooze if it is within arm's reach?
    Community Answer
    Put a cover over the snooze button, or get a loud alarm so you can hear it.
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    Article SummaryX

    If you’re having trouble getting motivated, try to find reasons to stay active. For example, if you’ve been meaning to get fit, think about how exercising will improve your overall health and self-confidence in the long run. As you work on your goals, create an incentive to keep going by celebrating your successes. It’s also important to take it easy on yourself if you slip up or fall behind—setbacks are a natural part of any difficult process! If you’re having trouble staying motivated on your own, try to find an accountability buddy to help keep you on task. Keep reading for more advice, including how to overcome procrastination and get your day started right!

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    Article Info


    Categories: Laziness

    In other languages:

    Español: dejar de ser perezoso, Italiano: Non Essere Pigro, Português: Não Ser Preguiçoso, Русский: не быть ленивым, Deutsch: Nicht faul sein, Français: ne pas être paresseux, Bahasa Indonesia: Mengatasi Kemalasan, Nederlands: Niet meer lui zijn, العربية: التغلب على الكسل

    Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 222,596 times.
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