All Hail The Lazy!

By Zoe (they/she) who, in the spirit of embracing laziness, is going to finish work early today and go do precisely nothing. 

“Stop being so lazy”, my mind tells me as I open Netflix and get cosy under a bevy of blankets. A few moments pass before a couple more words come to mind: toxic productivity. Oh yes, that obsessive need to always be productive — which can come at the cost of our health, our sleep, and our relationships. Or, in my case, an hour laughing at a comedy special.

So how do we know if we’ve fallen into the trap of toxic productivity?

• Rather than being able to relax, you find yourself under constant pressure to complete a never-ending to-do list.
• Whenever you do try to relax, some part of you feels guilty.
• You struggle to recognise your achievements, and instead tell yourself that you should be doing more, and doing it better or faster.
• ‘Doing’ feels more comfortable than ‘not doing’. 

If this sounds all too familiar, then you too might be suffering from toxic productivity and be noticing its side-effects: burnout, falling confidence, rising insecurity, and thoughts telling you that you’re lazy or a failure. Yep, toxic productivity is a real drag. 

Of course, there’s a big difference between ‘productivity’ and ‘toxic productivity’. The former is a natural act of doing your tasks and striving to reach your goals. That’s totally healthy and good. But when it turns into the latter, well then it becomes harmful. But there are, thankfully, things we can do to wriggle our way out of it:

1. Challenge yourself to slow down. Notice how it feels to stop rushing, and stop doing. Maybe just lie on the sofa for a while. Or take a gentle walk around your neighbourhood. With zero purpose. With no agenda. And just see how it feels.
2. Give yourself time to mull things over. If you have a tendency to dive straight into things, to say yes to every request, or to want to do do do, then practise taking a little time before jumping in. Try to recognise what’s driving your desire to stay busy. Is it that the task will bring you joy? Or is the reason for doing it a little more murky — perhaps to be seen by others in a certain way, to prove something to yourself, or to avoid difficult emotions?
3. Get curious. It’s complex being human. So there’s no need to beat yourself up for falling into the trap of toxic productivity. Instead, just allow yourself to get curious about your aims and the outcomes you’re hoping for. 
4. Be discerning. You can’t do it all. None of us can. So make sure that the things you’re putting your time and energy into are actually helping you to reach your goals.

Basically, we need to make time to be lazy. To do nothing. We need to prioritise rest. And allow ourselves downtime. Being ‘lazy’ isn’t a bad thing. Quite the opposite. It’s a radical act against the always-on society in which we live. It’s an act of self-care in the era of side-hustle culture. 

So, when it comes to being lazy, I’m all in. 

And, ironically, being lazy is actually proven good for our productivity. When we then do choose to show up for our tasks, having had time away from them means we’ll do them better. 

In the end, it’s all about balance. There’ll be times when we want (and need!) to be productive, smash our goals, and get stuff done. And there are times when we need to laze around and do nothing at all. Finding the right balance between the two is the sweet spot when it comes to a happy, healthy life. 

So, the next time a thought pops into your mind calling you out as lazy, see if you can take it as a compliment. Yep dear brain, I’m lazing here for a while because that’s exactly what I need right now. My body and mind need to rest and unwind from the stresses of everyday life. 

On that note, I think it’s time to get under the covers and finish watching that comedy special. 

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