13 strategies to overcome laziness

Call it what you want: laziness, apathy, demotivation, idleness… Your problem may not be this, but that sometimes you are so overwhelmed and overloaded that the panorama paralyzes you. However, in the end, whatever it is, the result is always the same: immobility in the face of pending tasks and inability to overcome laziness.

The result of not doing what we have to do or doing it with reluctance has direct consequences on our quality of life. Furthermore, the feeling of guilt for not being able to overcome laziness affects our self-esteem.

We all know this feeling in a multitude of meanings, although we do not always know how to identify them well and we group them all in the same bag. Ultimately, the strategies to overcome the situation are the same, regardless of what is behind it.

Overcoming laziness is much easier than it may seem. You just need to make the decision to do it and put some simple strategies into practice.

How to overcome laziness?

Todd McElroy, professor of psychology at the University of Florida, conducted a study in 2017 concluding with something that may catch our attention. According to this work there is a relationship between laziness and high intelligence. Now, relationship does not mean determination, that is, as they explain to us in the Journal of Health Psychology This link is only evident when the person experiences boredom in the face of unmotivating objectives.

The rest of the population feels lazy not because of boredom, but because, sometimes, Many other factors can hide behind laziness: mental exhaustion, stress, fears, poor time management skills, and sometimes even the classic anhedonia behind which depression could hide. These are undoubtedly factors that we should consider.

There are many ways to overcome laziness. Some methods require analyzing how we can see what the real problem is or setting specific objectives to establish a goal that serves as a lighthouse. However, not everything in life is so complicated.

The following strategies will help you in any situation. The advantage of what you’re going to see below is that you don’t have to start thinking too much, so you can mechanize the system for all those moments when you need to get on with something quickly.

1. Analyze your environment: are more lazy people around you?

On the other hand, Jean Daunizeau, researcher at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research of France, tells us in a study published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology that laziness is usually contagious. Therefore, Consider if there is a person or people around you who have instilled that attitude in you.

Sometimes, our family, friends or partner project that same discouragement or apathy on us when it comes to starting an activity. Keep it in mind and value it.

2. Simple things first

As obvious as it may seem, it is necessary to remember that To do something you have to start doing it. Thinking about doing it is not worth it, we have to execute it, we must start with action. To do this, we suggest the following: carefully read this riddle proposed by Ana Moreno: “there are three birds in a tree and two of them decide to jump. How many birds are there now?”

The answer is that there are still three birds. As long as those who think about jumping do not jump, they will continue to be on the branch. The same goes for laziness. It’s no use thinking you have to do something until you do it.

The problem is the blockage that accompanies laziness: where do I start? Don’t complicate your life and start with the simplest things. And if everything is the same, simplify your choice by doing the first thing that comes up. It is not the best way to organize, but it is the most effective way to start doing something.

3. Step by step

Another of the big problems that blocks us and makes us go into lazy mode is that the tasks are so big that they overwhelm us. To get out of there It is best to divide tasks into smaller tasks. to reduce pressure and keep us motivated.

First divide the task into 3, 4 or 5 parts

If this is still overwhelming, take the first part and divide it again, leaving the rest for when it’s their turn. If it’s still too much, divide again until you can start with something digestible and have a reference to move forward.

The ideal thing to obtain good results would be to divide everything into small parts and plan their development. This in itself can be a daunting task. But We are talking about overcoming laziness, not about achieving maximum productivity and effectiveness.so this is enough for us for now.

4. Make a to-do list

Sometimes we find ourselves in chaotic situations with a lot of work pending. It is very difficult not to lose track of all the work that needs to be done. How to start with the simplest thing if you don’t know what to do? And we don’t even talk about going step by step, because each task is independent.

To solve this, Sit down for a moment and write down what you have to do on a list in the format you like best: Write everything down on paper or in separate notes that you will place on a board, for example. Give yourself this prior moment to define what lies ahead.

With this list in front of you you can now decide. Eliminate superfluous tasks and leave less urgent tasks for another day. Then, take the simplest task, the one that takes the least time, and take that first step.

Then, step by step, go down the list. Don’t judge yourself, don’t try to intellectually cover the whole problem. Simply move forward, crossing out or removing what is done.

5. Visualize the benefits of a task done

If you’re too lazy to do something because of the effort it takes, think about what will happen when it’s done. Visualize the result and enjoy it. This will fill you with energy and restore your motivation. Visualizing completed tasks helps overcome the inner resistance that was preventing you from engaging with those tasks.

6. Eliminate distractions

Distractions are often the source of laziness. and the only reason we decide to postpone tasks for another time, which makes them seem even more boring. It is a loop that must be consciously exited.

Whatever it is that distracts you, eliminate it. Make sure that once you have started on one of the tasks there is nothing to distract you. You know what it is, you won’t have to do a lot of self-exploration for this.

7. Maintain a clean and organized environment

If your environment is chaos, it will be more difficult for you to know where to start doing your tasks, finding the materials you need, etc. Therefore, motivation declines and it is difficult to get going.

Try to keep everything in its place, because that way it will not only be easier for you to work, but your mental map will be much clearer when it comes to organizing yourself. This measure can also be applied to any area of ​​your life.

8. Start with the most tedious task

Although this advice contradicts the advice mentioned above (in which it is recommended to start with the simplest tasks), the truth is that for some people it is easier to start with the hardest task. In this way, they get rid of the biggest obstacle and then continue with the lighter part.

If you are not sure which of the two strategies is best for you, it is best to try. Some people get motivated by starting with small things, but others prefer to lean on the relief of having the worst behind them.

9. Don’t do two tasks at the same time

Sometimes it feels like 2 simple tasks can be done at the same time to save time. However, this increases the workload and may make you feel overwhelmed, so you abandon the process.

Therefore, to overcome laziness, always do things one at a time. When you have mastered them, you can choose which of them are compatible with each other in their execution.

10. Sleep more, eat better and move

It always seems that leading a healthy life has nothing to do with laziness, but the truth is that a healthy brain thinks better. Lack of sleep and poor diet, for example, worsen moodso you will be less likely to try to overcome laziness.

11. Do the most important thing first thing in the morning

As the day goes by, your willpower will decrease, as you will get tired. Therefore, it is best to do the most crucial task as soon as you get up, if you can. This way you won’t lose the will to do it or have it running around in your head all day.

12. Reward yourself for your effort

A good way to help you get into the habit of overcoming laziness is to give yourself small reinforcements in the form of rewards. It can be anything that makes you happy and is easy to get, like candy, time playing video games, or going out for a drink.

13. Use apps for task management

Currently there are hundreds of applications that help manage time and keep conscious control of the tasks that have to be done.. In fact, many of them contain a gamification factor that seeks to generate motivation through rewards.

To conclude, these strategies can be as useful as they are decisive. Sometimes, a small change in our routine is enough to generate changes that are as positive as they are productive.. Put them into practice.

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