Lazy day turned into a lazy week?

Top 10 tips on how to overcome laziness, stop procrastinating & get productive!

Have you asked yourself recently, ‘why am I so lazy lately?’ Are you lazy when it comes to work, study, exercise, eating well or cleaning (or perhaps other things as well)? We can all get a little lazy at times and that’s ok. Some laziness can actually be good for us, offering us a mental break, a physical escape or some contemplation time. But when that laziness spills over from one day into the next and the next again, the danger is it becomes the norm rather than the exception. Maybe it’s time to do something about it?

The secret to transforming laziness

So how to overcome laziness? Most psychologists agree that getting motivated about anything takes drive. Essentially it requires some kind of incentive such as the desire to acquire, bond, feel, learn or defend.  Ultimately it’s all about purpose or an end goal.  Do you have a vision, something you’re trying to attain? Then use that to lift you out of your laziness.

And the secret to transforming your laziness, unlocking your potential and becoming an accomplished achiever?  Well, sorry there is no secret pill or drink!  You just have to push yourself out of your couch potato comfort zone, exert yourself a little and break bad habits.  Research shows that what works best is planning and preparation, avoiding procrastination, and eliminating distractions.  But how do you do that?

Top 10 tips to get you out of your funk

1. Start with something easy.  You’ll feel good if you can tick something simple off your list and it should spur you on to the next task.  If you’re a lazy exerciser, then start with a walk around the block. Or start eating healthy meals that have been prepared for you and you just have to warm up. Eating better can give you the fuel to get moving in the right direction and most importantly, make you feel better about yourself.
2. Knock off a few quickies. Next try the one minute wonders, a multitude of tasks that you can complete in under a minute each.  This is a good approach for your email inbox – a fast scan then delete, file or send a one line response to any emails you can.
3. Set a timer. The Pomodoro Technique is a proven time management method that breaks down work into timed increments where you concentrate like mad for short periods then take a breather.  How about tackling that difficult task in intervals of 25 concentrated, uninterrupted minutes?
4. Capitalise on the morning. Most people have more energy and focus first thing.  Exercise is a good example - get it out of the way early before the end-of-day lethargy has you making up excuses and your lazy cycle repeats.  The same goes for healthy eating - start with a wholesome breakfast and you’re more likely to carry on with good choices throughout the day.
5. Get accountable. Tell a friend or colleague your intentions or write them down and stick them somewhere noticeable.  It’s less likely you’ll back out.
6. Work smarter not harder. Cutting corners isn’t always a bad thing!  Bill Gates once famously said, “I always choose a lazy person to do a hard job, because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”
7. Eat well. Laziness is often synonymous with feelings of sluggishness and tiredness.  Turn that around by nourishing yourself from the insides out.  You’ll be surprised how much better you feel when you eat healthy wholefoods that are unprocessed and low in sugar, fat and salt.  Start with one meal and go on to the next.  Your energy levels, skin health and sleep will all be improved and this in turn can help you get your head right. You have no excuses with a freezer full of healthy options available from Dietlicious!
8. Mingle with motivators.  If you want to break your cycle of laziness, then associate with doers and just watch the good habits rub off on you.  Workout next to the fittest guy at the gym or try hot-desking beside a mover and shaker.
9. Don’t be too hard on yourself.  Why am I so lazy! Sometimes it’s easy to focus on what hasn’t been done but we forget to stop and look back at how much we have achieved.  Milestones such as the end of financial year, our birthday, Christmas or even the end of the month are a good times to stop and reflect.  You might even impress yourself and realise you’re not as lazy as you thought!
10. Change your mindset and your language.  Once you get on track with achieving what you have to do, you can find time to do the things you want to do.  Relabel your lazy moments as either ‘recreation’ or ‘reward’ time and suddenly you can see it as a healthy pause before you push forward rather than something to be ashamed of.

Most of all just start! Get your wheels moving and things will start to fall into place.

And with our gourmet range of healthy prepared meals you can look forward to each day knowing that no matter what happens (or doesn’t), at least your diet is delicious.