How to overcome laziness within 20 minutes

We all get tired from time to time and all we want to do is rest. We have days where we work hard and the last thing we want to do is something that requires any thinking. Some turn to books, some to movies, and some to other means.

The list continues, but there comes a time where we have to separate ourselves from those activities and do something productive. The only obstacle we face is an ocean of laziness holding us down.

You want motivation, but your body doesn’t agree. Your body wants to remain comfortable because laziness means you don’t have to face any confrontation of reality. But this isn’t your fault. Most times, the reason for laziness originate from being overwhelmed with tasks, goals, and dreams you want to achieve.

You’re only human and when we deal with work, family, spouses, and friends, we tend to place more burdens on our shoulders. It then comes to a point where we have so many burdens we have no desire to do anything productive. Our minds become exhausted and we have no thrive to place any more stress in our lives.

Some people receive the laziness habit when they’re uninspired and stuck, finding no motivation to do what they want. They want to build that tool shack in their backyard, but don’t have the motivation due to time or money.

Perhaps someone wants to learn a new language, but don’t know anyone who speaks the language, making it seem pointless. There’s many sources to why people find the laziness habit so comfortable, and to overcome laziness within the next 25 minutes:

1. Get out of bed as soon as your alarm rings:

Be sure to do this within the first 30 seconds you wake up in the morning. It’s tempting to hit the snooze button and return back to sleep, but that decision eventually reflects on our body later that day. We become well familiar with the snooze button and end up pressing it several times before gaining the strength to get out of bed.

But when we really look at the situation, the amount of sleep we receive will never feel like enough when we wake up to an alarm. The reason we want to get out of bed immediately is because when we hit the snooze button and fall back asleep, our body and brain assumes it was a false alarm and that we should be asleep. This happens every time you hit the snooze button.

Your brain and body become confuse and later on, we become affected, finding ourselves sleepier at random times. So find the strength to jump out of bed when you hear the alarm. If it helps, set the alarm for a later time. Even ten minutes of extra sleep could boost your energy twice as more. The goal will be to set your internal clock with the alarm that wakes you up every morning so eventually; you’ll find yourself waking up even before it rings.

2. Be proactive when you feel lazy:

Spend 10 minutes moving your body in one way or another. The point of this exercise will be to start a blood circulation. Do small activities such as taking a walk outside, cleaning your house, exercising in the fresh air, or riding a bike. Do something that requires little if any thinking at all.

You’ll want to get your blood flowing throughout your body and your mind will start becoming more productive rather than in a stationary post. An example of becoming proactive is organizing the clutter in your house, room or office. Not only will you be actively moving, you’ll be sending signals into your brain to become more productive and keep that mindset.

3. Review and change your mindset:

Spend 5 minutes inside your head. In this exercise, you’re going to want to figure out why you’re feeling lazy in the first place. It could be because you’re feeling overwhelm, or that you’re tired after a long day of work, or a lack of motivation. There’s many doors leading to this issue, but once you locate the source for it, you’ll be able to confront it.

Often, we tend to ignore the issues of our problems and go with the flow, allowing those issues to build up on its own. In some cases, going with the flow may work, but when we mix it up with laziness, it sets us towards a negative direction. So discover what’s holding you back, confront it, and find a way to deal with it. To give examples to confronting these problems:

If you’re waiting for the right moment to do something, remind yourself that NOW is the moment to act on it. Don’t wait for destiny to hand you your rewards. Take them. That’s how motivation works. Working towards your goal even if you don’t feel like it, and the keeping that habit will make success perhaps one of the easiest things to accomplish. If you find yourself overwhelmed because of the amount of tasks on your list, learn to prioritize your time. Make a list of things you have to do versus a list of things you want to do. Learn to adapt the mindset that you don’t have to complete everything that day. Baby step it, and eventually you’ll arrive to your designation.

4. Change your set of clothing:

There’s a common saying known as, “Dress the part,” so spend the remaining 4 minutes and 30 seconds looking over what to wear. People are often surprised to hear the astonishing effects clothing could affect a person’s behavior.

For instance, don’t you feel more relaxed when you’re in your pajamas rather than in a business suit? Or maybe you feel you could get your hands dirty if you wear overalls. Some people feel powerful when they wear suits.

I enjoy wearing suits not only because they look nice, but it gives me a sense of confidence. And I know it’s not entirely healthy to set your mind to your attire, but it could boost the slight motivation you’ve been searching for.

After all, some would argue that the mere idea of clothing as a superficial external factor. But we live in a society that judges others based on what they wear and in saying so, we end up judging ourselves based on it too. Whether it be consciously or subconsciously, this psychologically factor affects us.

Once we see the image we set for ourselves after placing on a new outfit, it sends a signal to our subconscious that changes our behavior either immediately or overtime.

For some people, the influence of what they wear isn’t enough to pull them towards laziness, but for others, it could be the very source. Clothes have the ability to not only cover the body, but influence the brain, placing people into different psychological states based on what they wear. To give examples of clothing that affect people moods:

Shorts and sandals/flip flops makes someone not want to be in a corporate office and would rather do something fun and relaxing instead. Wearing a suit/nice button up shirt with a tie makes us more productive. Sweats and pajamas causes us to want to snuggle on the couch and watch Netflix because it’s warms and keep us comfortable. If you wear a white lab coat, you tend to focus more and your selective attention sharpens.

So if you’re trying to overcome laziness, perhaps by changing your outfit, you’ll be able to change that mindset and become productive. Normally when I feel myself on the lazy side, it’s usually because I’m in my pajamas; so to change that behavior, I put on another shirt and some shorts. It’s what I’m comfortable in while I’m at my place and it’s what sets my mind at a calm level to write. So find what makes you comfortable, but not to the point you’d want to fall down and sleep.

In final thoughts…

We all have moments where laziness takes us hostage, but we must learn to combat it. My best strategy to overcome laziness is becoming proactive and moving my body so I could transfer my productive habits to my work. For others, it could be getting out of bed as soon as the alarm rings.

Everyone works differently and it’s up to them to determine the best way to escape the habit. If you have to, speak to your friends or family about your problems and why you’re not motivated. Sometimes, all we really need is support and a sign of recognition of what we’re going through before we gain the strength to continue on.