Mental laziness and lack of motivation can also be caused by one simple problem: not having enough exercise and nutrients in the body. One should consider eating healthy food high in protein, such as green, leafy vegetables, and fatty fish. Research also suggests eating berries and walnuts and drinking coffee or tea.
“When people appear to lack motivation, it is because they are exhausted, traumatized, in need of support, or do not see any logical incentive to taking part in a task,” he says. Other experts are less dismissive of laziness.
Dr Tugnait says depression or anxiety can lead to feeling of lethargy and apathy. The expert says a person with low self-esteem is also at risk of feeling lazy all the time as they may believe they are not capable of accomplishing anything and may lack any sense of purpose.
Some simple causes, such as overexertion or not getting enough sleep, can leave a person feeling lethargic. In other cases, an underlying health condition may cause long-term lethargy and fatigue.
Low motivation can be a common symptom of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. You can practice self-help and self-care as much as you can, but you may find that seeking professional help is more helpful for your emotions. Online therapy is beneficial, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anxiety Can Appear to be Laziness
When someone struggles with anxiety, they typically want to do well. For those of you who know someone who has difficulty with anxiety, you also know they often avoid what makes them anxious. The feelings of anxiety are so overwhelming, it shuts them down.
Psychology. Laziness may reflect a lack of self-esteem, a lack of positive recognition by others, a lack of discipline stemming from low self-confidence, or a lack of interest in the activity or belief in its efficacy. Laziness may manifest as procrastination or vacillation.
Losing interest or pleasure in activities or people that once gave you enjoyment, may be due to overworking, relationship problems or being in a temporary rut. However, a loss of interest in many things or people, that is ongoing, can sometimes be a sign you have a mental health condition.
Avolition is not a condition itself. It's most often a symptom of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that affects how you think, feel, and act. It can also be a sign of serious depression or a side effect of certain medicines. Some of the antipsychotic drugs you may take to treat schizophrenia can cause it.
It's completely normal to feel unmotivated at times, especially about work. Maybe there's a task you've been ducking for weeks or a new project that's taken the wind out of your sails. Whatever the cause, it can be downright impossible to get things done when those feelings hit. And that's OK.
For some people, apparent laziness may actually be a sign of clinical depression, avolition, or other health conditions. Procrastination and lack of motivation may also be related to stress or burnout — something so many of us are feeling in the midst of the pandemic.
Lazy parenting includes being uninterested in spending time and energy with kids, giving kids devices to shut them up, not being willing to listen to kids because they are too lazy to deal with uncomfortable feelings and tantrums, etc.
Moreover, when the brain becomes accustomed to boredom, it begins to adapt in ways that are less than ideal. The child either learns to cope with the boredom and becomes accustomed to a lack of stimulation, resulting in a sort of “lazy brain syndrome,” or finds other outlets to unleash energy.
Laziness is usually a temporary mental block often overcome by changing time management habits, readjusting our goals, or learning to hold ourselves accountable. But extreme lack of motivation and care could indicate an underlying physical or mental health issue such as insomnia, depression, and more.
Although procrastination is not considered a mental health condition in and of itself, it is connected to mental health challenges. Several studies have linked procrastination to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
“An individual with high-functioning anxiety may appear calm on the outside but feel very anxious internally,” explains Dr. Borland. “These individuals may try to mask their symptoms by taking control of the situation.”
ADHD can affect motivation. A person may find daily tasks overwhelming and struggle to complete them. This low sense of motivation can feel similar to fatigue, especially if a person feels unable to keep up with their responsibilities.
Motivation: Individuals with ADHD are overwhelmed by deciding what to do first. Depressed people are lethargic and can't initiate any activity. Sleep: People with ADHD can't fall asleep. Depressed people fall asleep right away, but wake many times during the night with anxiety.
The term avolition describes a significant decrease in initiation, motivation, and goal-directed behavior. 1 It is not a specific medical health condition but rather a symptom experienced by people with conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.
And you likely won't take action when you aren't committed to your goal. Mental health issues. A lack of motivation is a common symptom of depression. It can also be linked to other mental illnesses, like anxiety.