Today I will tell you how to overcome both laziness and willpower together. The only way. Otherwise, what remains is a not entirely healthy mental state, when a person himself no longer understands what he wants, his feelings are dull, spontaneous and contradictory, and there is no trace of integrity and a strong inner core.
I continue to deal all the cards, revealing psychological “tricks” in the hope that clients will still continue to ask for clarification of the nuances. However, I have already raised these topics indirectly, and now I am focusing on them once again to add “sharpness.”
Explaining what is usually called willpower and laziness is not an easy task - these are such muddy and contradictory matters that at the slightest attempt to concentrate on their nature, the entire virtual “drawing” crumbles into pixels.
Willpower is usually represented as a kind of courageous tension of the spirit. What kind of spirit this is and where it is tensed, no one really knows. But everyone knows that it is necessary to strain him tirelessly, mercilessly. And to do this, they put themselves before a choice - either strain their spirit and use willpower, or cowardly give up.
In protracted affairs that require the tireless use of the will, this “tension of the spirit” is forced to be practiced on an ongoing basis under the constant threat of weakening the grip, turning out to be something like a weak-willed nonentity - laziness is attributed to him as an inherent property.
Laziness is presented as the opposite of the heroic will, a shameful act of “relaxation” of the spirit - a kind of distillate of sin. You have to fight laziness with willpower. One chimera is called upon to overcome another.
As long as you believe in laziness and willpower, then, metaphorically speaking, you remain in an endless duality on the verge between the dark and light sides of power. And somewhere above, behind this picture of biblical proportions, watches the gaze of the repressive Almighty, or another authoritative figure with the punishing sword of justice.
The moment of choice between “light” and “darkness” is instantaneous. Even logically, one can guess that it is impossible to go against one’s own internal tendencies. In moments and hours of doubt, no matter how mercilessly a person strains in trying to awaken that very heroic will in himself, in the end, exactly what he wanted to do will still be done.
Diseases of our time
Laziness and apathy are the scourges of the modern world. Most people in civilized countries are free from hard physical labor, the struggle for survival and their own lives, that is, from those factors that mobilize all the resources of the body and bring the mind and body into full “combat readiness.” Technology, a 5-day work week, and a huge number of life path options can confront an educated adult, a teenager, and even a child with the question: “How to overcome laziness and apathy?”
Before you defeat the enemy, you need to take a closer look at him and understand what kind of enemy we are dealing with:
- About idleness. Laziness is a state of inaction in which you do not want to work or perform useful actions. Traditionally in society this phenomenon is considered a vice, a sign of a parasite, a hanger-on and opportunist, a person who wants to reap the labors of others.
It is important to understand that laziness is not a lack of will. Sometimes it is a need for rest or to perform a useful function in society, and is also a possible symptom of mental illness. The phenomenon is multifaceted and requires an individual solution in each specific case.
- Indifference is dangerous. Apathy is called indifference, detachment from everything that happens in the world and directly with a person and his environment. Being in this state, the person refuses to act, does not show emotions and also weakly expresses his own will. This is a real disorder that cannot always be overcome without outside help.
This phenomenon should not be joked about; it is deeper and more complex than ordinary laziness. Apathy can be a symptom of depression, schizophrenia, as well as a number of neurological disorders and somatic diseases, as well as a consequence of head injury.
How to overcome your own laziness
In fact, laziness exists in nature for a reason and performs a very practical function of conserving energy. This condition entered human genes at the dawn of evolution. There was nothing more valuable to a naked and wild man than a feeling of security in which he could relax, not work and gather his strength a little.
The modern world is cruel and difficult, but not that much. Usually, laziness is a simple signal to the brain from the body about the desire to rest, multiplied by a lack of motivation and organization.
Reasons for the phenomenon:
- overwork;
- scattering of energy on important matters (work, study, household chores), which the individual considers unimportant;
- feeling of uselessness of the task being performed;
- lack of preparation for difficult tasks;
- lack of vigor and reluctance to activity;
- lack of a clear plan for action in the presence of many plans and responsibilities.
If you don’t fight laziness, you can end up in degradation, destructive self-deception and total neglect in all areas of life.
What to do? Nobody likes parasites; such people seem unreliable and even pathetic. This condition does not increase prestige in any way and harms career and self-development. You can fight destructive idleness in the following ways:
- We increase motivation. We look for our own desires, we dream, we make plans, we work to improve results.
- We praise ourselves for all our achievements and work with motivation. You can write a list and, by completing its points, reward yourself with candy or an apple, the brain will want to get more “rewards” and will encourage the body to perform more useful actions.
- Prioritization. You cannot get out of laziness by overloading yourself with a heap of things to do; you need to decide on what is really important, and then get to work, sorting out everyday and work issues as their importance decreases.
- Let's take the first step. As the Eastern sage said, a journey of a million steps begins with a single forward movement of the leg; all that remains is to gather yourself and make this effort.
- Let's rationalize time. We use lists, schedules, compare notes, plan so that not a single minute is wasted in the bottomless realms of Chronos, but is spent on our own well-being.
- Reasonable breaks. You shouldn’t take on complex tasks or shoulder an unbearable load; sometimes it’s better to work for 50 minutes and rest for 10, it’s very effective.
- It is important to follow a routine - go to bed on time, eat well, take care of yourself. A healthy person has more energy, which means the risk of falling into idleness is reduced.
Related article: human psychological health
How to recognize apathy?
Chronic indifference, reluctance to do anything, lack of concern for one's own emotional indifference can be a symptom of a serious illness, brain damage, endocrine disorders, or alcohol addiction. Having realized that you or your loved ones are susceptible to apathy, it is better to consult a specialist, for example, a psychiatrist, narcologist, endocrinologist or therapist.
However, completely healthy people can suffer from apathetic attacks. Typically, this condition occurs due to low social activity, lack of a sense of significance, and emotional sensitivity. In this case, you can deal with the problem yourself.
You can tell that you have apathy by the following signs:
- anxiety and fears;
- dizziness and absent-mindedness;
- feelings of oppression and loneliness;
- difficulty concentrating;
- memory problems;
- weakness and slow reaction.
The causes of apathy may be:
- head injuries, diseases, vitamin deficiency, vitamin D deficiency;
- emotional burnout, prolonged physical stress;
- stress, personal crisis;
- achieving a high goal, a long-awaited event when, after accomplishing what was planned and achieving what you wanted, motivation disappears.
Related article: how to relieve nervous tension
How to deal with apathy
Let us recall that apathy, more often than other feelings and conditions we have identified, is a symptom of severe mental disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. Therefore, any attempts to overcome it should be carried out only after a medical examination - we strongly recommend that you undergo it. If apathy in your case is a short-term phenomenon and not permanent, then you should try to find the cause of indifference and eliminate it.
That is, in situations where indifference is the result of a serious shock (the death of a loved one, dismissal, failure, and so on), you need to distract yourself and do something at least somewhat interesting and pleasant. At least not annoying. In this case, you will be able to feel the taste of life again after some time - usually a few weeks are enough.
Recovery strategy
How to overcome laziness and apathy on your own? The main thing is to understand that there is a problem, and then focus on your own physical and emotional health. Treatment methods are similar, but for apathetic behavior they require more diligence and a thoughtful approach:
- take time off from work to restore your energy levels;
- meditate, this practice helps to cleanse the creation and gain control over your own body and emotions;
- play sports, walk, ride a bike - this will help mobilize the body’s resources and return clarity to your thoughts;
- review your diet, eliminate junk food, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals, herbs, maybe dark chocolate;
- find a hobby or resume forgotten hobbies;
- Check your health, consult a doctor, or sign up for a psychotherapy session.
Alcohol and antidepressants will not help in the fight against apathy, but can only provoke the onset of full-blown depression.
Preventive measures
There are many ways to overcome laziness and apathy, but prevention is always preferable to treatment and labor-intensive struggle with one’s own consciousness:
- avoid stress and overwork;
- eat healthy food;
- be in the fresh air, play sports;
- do not smoke, reduce your alcohol consumption or give it up altogether;
- keep a daily routine;
- Get regular medical checkups.
If a person refuses to work and do household chores, spends a lot of time resting in bed, playing, reading, or just looking out the window, we can still say that this is a manifestation of laziness. Self-organization will help here. However, if a person does not want to communicate with loved ones and friends, avoids doing hobbies and favorite things, and does not leave the house, then this state is apathetic and must be fought to improve the quality of life.
A lazy person has desires, even plans, but does not make any effort to fulfill them, but apathy is dangerous due to the absence of any manifestations of will. If you cannot cope with the problem yourself, then it is better to contact a specialist.
A little theory or what laziness is
In psychology, laziness is viewed as the opposite of will, having a negative connotation.
Will is a psychological process by which a person regulates his behavior and actions necessary to achieve a particular goal. Laziness “blocks” this process, thereby preventing you from living a full life: solving assigned tasks, getting results, reaching new heights, learning the unknown. Laziness covers all areas of life. She has no age or gender, education or social status. Don't confuse laziness and procrastination . Procrastination is the tendency to put off doing or thinking for later. Instead of doing useful things, a person is constantly distracted by unimportant ones: looking at the news or a page on social networks, talking on the phone, putting things in order in the workplace. At its core, procrastination is chaos.
In a state of procrastination, a person understands perfectly well that completing this or that work is important, but will procrastinate until the very last moment, when all deadlines are already running out.
The “classic” lazy person not only does not want to do anything, but also does not experience the joy of new tasks. Procrastinators take on new projects with great enthusiasm and like to take on a huge number of tasks. But they can’t cope with them in time (there are still a lot of other more “important”) ones. As a result, the ongoing struggle with procrastination becomes their constant companion.
A lazy person is not at all worried about the fact that the work is not completed on time, while a procrastinator is ready to simply “tear his hair out.”
If a procrastinator manages to finish things on time, he experiences great elation, while a lazy person is indifferent.
