Instead of doing something more productive, do you love afternoon naps and hours-long Netflix binges? How about nice, long stare-downs with your ceiling while lying comfortably in bed? If yes, some friends and family might call you lazy. But the joke’s on them because science may be on your side. According to a compilation of studies, your lack of motivation is actually benefiting you.
After reading the outline below, you might consider changing your plans to burrowing in bed all weekend.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially classified “burnout” as an occupational syndrome. The condition characterizes individuals who experience a state of vital exhaustion due to chronic workplace stress. The effects of burnout are serious, causing insomnia, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Fortunately, taking a much-deserved break from work and allowing yourself to be “lazy” can prevent you from draining your mental and physical state.
From reduced stress, improved mood, greater attention span, and decreased inflammation — the benefits of getting enough sleep are countless. Sleep deprivation can lead to health-threatening fallouts, such as heart disease and a vulnerable immune system. Insufficient rest also has a complex relationship with depression and anxiety.
So, never feel ashamed about taking mid-day naps or hitting the snooze button once in the morning. You’re just taking care of your well-being.
When you allow your subconscious to wander, you think about your future 14 times more, as opposed to when you force yourself to concentrate. Therefore, giving your mind a break can encourage long-term planning and goal-setting.
This claim is not as contradictory as it seems. Because your ultimate goal is to finish an assignment as soon as possible to rest immediately after, you often work hard to maximize efficiency. And because your worst nightmare is having to redo a task, you also ensure quality output. You are the personification of the “work hard, play hard” philosophy.
Take it from Bill Gates himself, “I will always choose a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” Genius.
For years, television shows have had a bad reputation for allegedly “brainwashing” or influencing the thought process of people, especially children. But believe it or not, watching TV shows can enhance your emotional intelligence.
In a study conducted by the University of Oklahoma, the researchers found that watching certain TV dramas — including Lost, The Good Wife, Mad Men, and The West Wing — improves one’s ability to interpret other people’s emotions. They reasoned that the amount of time you spend observing the emotions of TV characters can help you become more empathetic.
Say no more. Hulu and Netflix subscriptions, renewed.
Laziness has a lot of bad connotations attached to it, but this blog post proves that there are many perks to being idle, too. In fact, we should change the term “lazy” to “well-rested genius.” Just make sure to never abandon your responsibilities at work, okay? That could get the both of us in trouble.