Laziness and burnout can look alike.
Do you feel tired and unable to complete even simple tasks?
Are you wondering why you spend so much time on the couch or laying down mindlessly watching videos, scrolling on social media, or watching TV?
Did you turn into a lazy person?
Differences Between Laziness and Burnout
Burnout is physical or mental exhaustion that happens when we are unable to cope with excessive stress, that occurs for a long period of time.
Here are some stressful situations that over time can lead to burnout:
- Relentlessly striving for unrealistic goals
- Dealing with an over demanding work or home environment
- Experiencing constant conflict at work or home
- Taking care of an emotionally or physically sick person
A survey conducted in 2019 claimed that 77% of professionals in the US have experienced symptoms of burnout at their current job.
On the other hand, laziness is related to a low energy level that can be caused by lack of sleep, lack of exercise, or poor nutrition combined with low self-esteem or low confidence.
Laziness or Burnout Questions
1 – Were You a High Achiever?
Think of yourself a few months ago.
Were you confident in your abilities?
Did you go above and beyond to meet other people’s expectations?
Always having an “I can” attitude can lead to burnout.
People who were once high achievers that are now tired, stressed and unmotivated are burned out, not lazy.
People who are lazy are not sure what motivates them.
Laziness is a result of poor choices that turn into unproductive habits while burnout is the result of a stress overload.
2 – Did You Have Many Areas of Interest?
Are you unable to engage in activities you once enjoyed?
Were you once interested in sports, art, academic or professional work?
Someone who’s burned out used to have many interests, even if it is difficult for the person to notice these activities lately.
A person who is lazy has always had a difficult time finding things they are interested in.
3 – Do You Feel Disconnected?
Do you feel detached from yourself without being able to connect to your feelings?
It’s like you are looking at the situation or yourself as an observer from the outside.
Do you feel like you are not yourself anymore?
Not being able to take back control of your life is one of the things you might experience if you are suffering from burnout.
Emotionally disconnecting from yourself is a copying mechanism to protect yourself from overwhelming stress or trauma.
On the other hand, someone who is lazy does not feel like getting things done.
4 – Are You Easily Irritated?
Does the smallest inconvenience put you in a bad mood?
Do you frequently feel out of control, without being able to find the reason behind your sudden shift in mood?
If before you were able to control your emotions and feelings and now are overcome with moodiness and irritability it may be a sign that you are burned out.
Lazy people are usually easy going and don’t let others get on their nerves.
5 – Are You Practicing Self Care?
Did you stop making an effort to look good?
Do you spend more time by yourself doing nothing?
One warning sign of burnout is when you neglect self-care.
This includes making unhealthy food choices, sleeping too much or too little and socially withdrawing yourself from others.
When you are burned out, even simple tasks such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or drinking enough water can feel too much to handle.
6 – Did Your Enthusiasm Decrease?
The process of burning out starts slowly.
As the stress level increases, your optimism, interests and motivation decrease as well.
You find it difficult to complete simple tasks.
Later, you disconnect from others. In the end, you neglect your self-care.
Later the overwhelming stress makes you more likely to develop depression or anxiety.
Being aware of the signs of burnout, helps you identify the causes of stress and look for ways to manage or reduce the stress.
Knowing the difference between laziness and burnout makes it easier to brainstorm possible solutions so that you can take action to steer your life in the right direction.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
