A few days back, I had posted a question on Insta Stories - "What are the challenges/obstacles you face in achieving your health goals?"
I received many responses to this question and one of the common challenges that many respondents mentioned is laziness.
Laziness is triggered by a lack of enthusiasm or energy to get things done in a day. The word "energy" here implies both physical as well as mental energy. It might be hard to pinpoint whether we are lacking physical energy or mental energy while we introspect, as both feeds off each other. A year ago, I had written this post - 10 factors that impact our energy levels. Do take a look if you haven't seen it.
Given the current pandemic situation, many of us have our "off" days. Let's not beat ourselves too much and push harder to be productive every single waking hour. At the same time, keeping ourselves busy with productive and enjoyable activities take our minds off the uncertain situation.
I have compiled below a list of 20 different ways that have helped me overcome laziness. The intention behind this list is to have sustained energy throughout the day and not have energy spikes for a couple of hours and then come crashing down.
- Do not snooze but at the same time, do not wake up with a jerk. Once the alarm rings, take a few minutes to tune your mind that it is time to wake up
- Do not scroll through your phone first thing in the morning. A quick check of messages/emails is okay. If you can delay that, it is even better
- Get a few minutes of quiet time with yourself
- Do not rush into anything as soon as you wake up. Allow yourself to sit down and sip your favorite beverage slowly for 15-20 minutes
- Spend a few minutes in the morning, doing an activity you enjoy - for me, it is either reading, writing, or journaling
- Get some form of workout done in the morning - a brisk walk, Yoga, jogging- whatever you like
- Take a few deep breaths and feel grounded
- Make your bed. Do not unfold your cozy blanket anytime during the day
- Have a bath before 10 AM
- Wear comfortable and presentable clothes. Change from your night pajamas or workout wear.
- Expose yourself to morning sunlight for 15-20 minutes
- Get connected with nature - plants, flowers, chirping birds, clouds, sky, or pets. A few minutes of conversation with my pet cat gives me so much energy.
- Have clear intentions for the day. It needn't be a long to-do list, but 2-3 important goals you want to accomplish for the day. Make this list the night before
- Eat a light breakfast. Heavy breakfast usually makes me sluggish and I don't like the feeling, especially when I want to get some work done.
- Restrict your cups of tea/coffee as much as possible. The energy fluctuates quite a bit when we get too dependent on caffeine.
- Keep moving every hour, especially if you have a desk job.
- Finish a few minor activities that don't require much time but helps you to move a bit -putting things in their respective place, a little bit of cleaning or organizing, folding washed clothes, etc
- Avoid lying down on the couch or the bed when you want to catch a break for a few minutes. Sit down on the floor and stretch your legs if need be.
- Avoid long afternoon nap. A 15 min power nap is okay but if possible, avoid that as well.
- Have dedicated, fixed times for TV, Netflix, social media, or Youtube. The more time we spend on these distractions, the less time and energy we have to get anything done.
Are there any other tips/tactics that have helped you kick laziness out of your lives? Do share in the comments below.