The Science of Laziness

‘I am too tired now, I will do it later’ is a common syndrome many of us suffer from. Everybody is lazy to an extent. We’re usually told that “hard work” is the main key to success, and while this holds largely true for most humans, the much demonized and misunderstood art of laziness could also be of great benefit.

So, should we really feel bad about laziness?

This week on ID Africa, we identify some signs and symptoms of laziness, looking at how to overcome it (when it’s bad for us) and how to get the benefits of its awesomeness.

Overcoming laziness

Laziness is not a disease but only a sign that something else is going on inside of you as a result of being tired, overwhelmed, afraid, hurt, uninspired or even clueless. Understanding the root cause of one’s laziness will help in overcoming it.

Rest, Sleep and Exercise: In most cases, tiredness and lack of energy are the common causes of laziness. Going in this crazy, fast-paced, speed-obsessed world trying to keep up with the expectations of others can be very tiring. Should this be your case, It’s advisable to slow down, get registered in a gym, exercise daily, get enough sleep and rest well.

Motivation:  When uninspired and demotivated, it is important to take a step back and dig deep so as to discover what excites or interests you.Repeating positive affirmations around your future dreams and getting help from counselors/mentors  is also quite helpful.

One thing at a time: When our lives are too cluttered and overwhelming with enormous tasks, then lethargy and laziness can set in. To overcome this, it is best to do one thing at a time. This can be achieved by splitting tasks whenever these tasks seem impossible to accomplish all at once. By splitting difficult tasks into sub-tasks, the inner resistance or laziness we often feel get melted away.

Fight Procrastination: Procrastination reduces our chances of accomplishing goals on time. One can fight procrastination by to minimising distractions (get off twitter, TV or gossip blogs while at work) and committing to what needs to be done (by specifying time for the task, what it takes to do them and ensuring completion) It also helps to set SMART objectives before embarking on any task.

S- specific

M- measurable

A- achievable

R- realistic

T- time-bound

The awesomeness of laziness:

Bill Gates is reported to have said in a Harvard University speech that he would hire a lazy person for a difficult work because because that lazy person would most likely come up with a simpler and easier way to get the job done.

If you think of yourself as lazy, it’s safe to say that may not necessarily be such a bad thing. If utilised correctly, laziness may actually be a path to great success.

Laziness will make you more innovative: Think about it ‘’cars were probably invented because someone didn’t want to walk or ride horses over a long ass distance. The washing machine was invented because someone wanted a faster way to wash clothes without getting their manicure messed up.Of course, building new technology and inventing new stuff requires lots of hard work and labour, the original creative thought and idea usually starts with a little thought that is motivated by laziness.

Laziness makes you delegate tasks, thus giving others opportunity to grow: Lazy people usually love giving out work to other people, especially younger ones and subordinates. This is usually not borne out of ‘love’ or altruism. Nah, forget it. It’s usually laziness that makes your boss share the workload. And sure, everyone benefits from delegation.

• The delegator optimizes resources by not spending time doing what others can do.

• The delegator is relieved from stress and able to achieve more by focusing on other things.
• The ‘delegatee’ gets to practise and learn new stuff by taking on new challenges and roles.

Laziness helps you rest which makes you more energetic when it’s time to work: Apart from the fact that being lazy (also known as resting) can have positive effects on blood pressure, with all the unwinding time one gets to reload or refuel the capacity to apply one’s absolute best when it’s finally time to work. This bolsters confidence and freshness to have a clear head and solve problems or tasks at hand.