Laziness is a common phenomenon in which an individual decides to do something but constantly postpones it, preferring to spend their time browsing social media, playing computer games, watching TV, or making phone calls instead of making an effort to complete the task. According to published statistics, about 60 to 70 percent of the global population struggles with laziness. Contrary to common belief, laziness is more than just a reluctance to do something; it can sometimes have deep psychological roots. Laziness leads to many consequences for the individual, affecting not only their personal life but also the community and society at large. Therefore, it is recommended to take steps toward understanding its roots and finding solutions.
What Causes Laziness? Why does a person have no desire to do tasks?
- Laziness has multiple causes, one of which is depression. To understand this better, consider this example: imagine a student who, despite the approaching final exams and being aware of the large volume of material to study, and despite constantly feeling stressed about the exam, does not start studying. This individual may not understand the reason for their laziness, but when we investigate the student’s psychological history, we find that they are dealing with depression, which is the underlying cause of their laziness. One of the things depression does is to take away a person’s motivation to work and make an effort. Another issue caused by depression is pessimism. Sometimes, depressed individuals become pessimistic, and this pessimism prevents them from taking any action because they do not have a positive outlook on the task at hand.
- Perfectionism is the second cause of laziness. People who constantly procrastinate and avoid doing tasks may suffer from perfectionism. Perfectionists are individuals who want to be the best at everything—they want to wear the best clothes, get the best grades on evaluations, have the best behavior and speech. These individuals are not satisfied with anything less than the best, and since the conditions for being the best are not always available, they become discouraged and do not follow through with their tasks. Perfectionists seek admiration and high standards, so when these expectations are not met, they avoid taking action.
- Individuals who have grown up in families where strange demands and instructions were constantly imposed on them in childhood, and their independence was not recognized, usually become lazy. In such cases, the individual loses the ability to say no and, in an attempt to compensate for the hardships of the past, tries to avoid completing tasks. In psychology, this phenomenon is known as passive-aggressive behavior.
- Fear of failure can also be a cause of laziness. In this case, the individual believes that if they start a task, they will fail at it, so they avoid doing the task altogether.
- Individuals who lack self-discipline typically procrastinate and face laziness. These individuals do not prioritize, regulate, set clear rules, or plan their lives. As a result, they have no proper understanding of time and continuously put off tasks because they lack a clear understanding of their plans and the process of completing their work.
- An open-ended draft is another cause of laziness. A person who has a faulty open-ended draft since childhood tends to procrastinate. In this case, the individual intends to do something but doesn’t know how to go about it. For example, a person intends to write an article but doesn’t know the required resources or skills. To avoid this issue, it’s necessary to learn the skills needed to complete the task so it can be finished.
- Lack of motivation to complete a task or its result is another reason for procrastination. Someone who has no enthusiasm or motivation to do something will not take steps toward completing it. The root of this issue often lies in childhood and strict parents.
According to research, there are certain brain circuits of blame that act as strong inhibitors of success. These circuits form during childhood when parents are excessively strict. Such individuals may start strong, but over time, they abandon the task. - Being driven by emotions is another cause of laziness. An individual who is not calculating and starts tasks based on emotions and external factors, only to quickly lose motivation and give up on completing the task, also experiences laziness.
- Pleasure-seeking or the desire for immediate gratification is an important reason for procrastination, as it makes the individual want to enjoy the present moment and replace the difficulty of completing a task with the pleasure they derive from avoiding it.
Suggest article: Psychology Clinic
Solutions to Overcome Laziness
- Set short-term and medium-term goals: To overcome laziness, you can break your long-term goals into smaller, achievable steps. After completing each step, you’ll realize that the goal wasn’t as impossible as you once thought.
- Set rewards or incentives: After completing each small task or taking a step toward your goal, reward yourself, such as watching an episode of your favorite show.
- Try to minimize your perfectionism with the help of a therapist, because doing a small task is better than doing nothing at all.
- Make boring and exhausting tasks enjoyable and energizing for yourself. For example, if exercising is hard and exhausting for you, try using fitness programs that allow you to track the calories you burn. This can motivate you even more.
In general, some of the causes of laziness can be addressed with practical solutions, but to address certain underlying causes, you may need to consult a specialist or therapist.