Feeling lazy and unproductive is normal sometimes, but problems can arise when it happens often. Here are a few tips and strategies to break the cycle and overcome laziness.
What to Ditch: Old Habits
What you might think of as “lazy” may just be a matter of switching your approach and getting rid of old, unhelpful habits that have kept you from feeling productive and achieving your goals.
Here are several such habits:
Making your goals too big or complicated.
Expecting yourself to be perfect.
Listening to your inner critic.
Listening to criticism from others.
Not creating a plan.
What to Start Doing: New Approaches
Here are achievable steps that can help you turn things around or stay on track with your goals:
Create small, attainable goals. Break that huge goal into smaller goals that will help you feel accomplished and motivated. As you consider the big picture, remember the key steps that will be needed to get there and write them down. If needed, break those down into even smaller or shorter-term goals.
Take time to develop a plan. Reflect on your desires and goals, considering those small, attainable steps to get there. Be realistic about the amount of effort, time, money, help, or other factors involved in meeting this goal. Going into the process with an action plan will help you feel more confident and peaceful, as well as give you something to refer to when you feel discouraged or have a setback.
Focus on your strengths. If you’re used to an inner critic that focuses on your flaws and shortcomings, take inventory of your strengths.6 Consider challenges you have faced and reflect on the personal strengths you used to get through them. If you still struggle to identify character strengths, ask friends or family what they see as your greatest strengths.
Celebrate small victories. Celebrate your victories as you accomplish small goals and overcome setbacks so you continue moving forward.
Recruit support. It’s OK to ask for help. Connect with others in a positive, healthy way and share your experience; their encouragement and support can help you develop resiliency.
Make Good Food Choices
Diet plays a significant role in energy levels. Processed convenience foods are quick to grab on the go, but they usually don’t offer enough nutrition to keep your metabolic fires burning well.
Instead, go for protein to maintain stable blood sugar levels and avoid energy crashes throughout the day
Almonds
Salmon
Bananas
Yogurt
Oats
Dark leafy greens
Chicken
Water
But avoid these:
French fries
Candy
Bread
Sugary drinks
Donuts
Desserts
Alcohol
Incorporate Exercise
Research has shown that even just low to moderate levels of exercise can have a significant impact on energy, helping to reduce fatigue.
Ways to incorporate more exercise include:
Walking your dog
Jogging with a friend
Hiking with a group
Attending a group fitness class
Trying a yoga class