We live in a culture that glorifies hustle, productivity, and “settling” for something that does not feel quite right for us. If you slow down, feel tired, or procrastinate, the first thing you might hear or even tell yourself is: “I’m lazy.”
But what if you are not lazy at all?
What if your body is actually trying to tell you something deeper?
This feeling stems from your nervous system, it sometimes feels like it’s working against you, the only way to heal this part of you is to reset your nervous system.
What Your “Laziness” Might Really Be
Feeling unmotivated, tired, or “stuck” is not a reflection of your character or work ethic. Often, it’s a signal from your nervous system.
Your nervous system has two main parts:
- Sympathetic Nervous System – your “fight, flight, or freeze” mode. This kicks in when you feel stressed or unsafe.
- Parasympathetic Nervous System– your “rest, digest, recover” mode. This helps you relax, heal, and recharge.
When your sympathetic nervous system is constantly triggered from work stress, trauma, overthinking, or even chronic low-level anxiety your parasympathetic nervous system can’t begin to do its job and therefore is less efficient. Your body feels “stuck” and you might struggle to start tasks, feel exhausted, and people around you might mislabel this as laziness.
But it’s not laziness. It’s dysregulation.
Signs Your Nervous System Is Overwhelmed
Here are a few signs your nervous system may be overworked:
- You feel physically tired but mentally tense.
- Every task feels overwhelming
- Procrastination is big even with small tasks
- Anxiety gets heavy without a real cause
- You feel emotionally numb
Recognizing these signs is not weakness. It’s awareness, the first step toward healing.
Why Pushing Through Doesn’t Work
Our culture tells us that the solution to low energy or lack of motivation is to “just do it.” But forcing yourself to push through chronic nervous system stress can backfire.
When you ignore the signals your body is sending, you risk:
- Burnout
- Emotional shutdown
- Physical symptoms like headaches
- Feeling like you’re failing at life
Your nervous system isn’t a machine it doesn’t run on willpower alone.
It needs care, understanding, and reset.
How to Reset Your Nervous System
Resetting your nervous system doesn’t have to be complicated. It is about creating a place where you feel comfortable enough to let your nervous system breathe. Here are some practices that can help:
- Breathwork: Slow, deep breathing signals safety to your body. Try inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 2, and exhaling for 6. Repeat for a few minutes.
- Movement: Gentle movement yoga, stretching, or even walking releases tension and stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system.
- Grounding: Notice physical sensations around you: feel your feet on the floor, the texture of your clothes, or the temperature of the air. Grounding brings your body back into the present.
- Micro-breaks: Step away from screens or work every hour. Even 5 minutes of calm can reduce sympathetic nervous system overdrive.
- Boundaries: Say no to things that drain you emotionally or physically. Protecting your energy isn’t selfish; it’s essential.
- Self-compassion: Remind yourself that being “stuck” doesn’t mean failure. Your body is doing its best to survive and adapt.
Reframing The Word “Lazy”
When you start to see dysregulation instead of laziness, a huge weight lifts. What looks like laziness might actually be:
- Recovery mode: Your nervous system is asking for rest.
- Signal for help: Maybe your workload, relationships, or lifestyle are too heavy.
- Opportunity for growth: Learning to listen to your body builds resilience and emotional intelligence.
Your productivity doesn’t define your worth. Your nervous system health does. When you treat yourself like this, motivation comes naturally, not forced.
A Personal Perception
I remember feeling completely “lazy” during a time when I was juggling work, school, and relationships. This was during a time in my life when everything was new and I took it all on at once. I would stare at tasks, unable to start them, feeling shame about not being able to do what my peers where doing.
I began small: breathing exercises in the morning, walks outside, saying no to tasks that weren’t essential. Gradually, my energy returned. Tasks became manageable, creativity flowed, and I finally felt at ease in my own body.
It was not until recently, that I learned about the nervous system and after a lot of research my life became easier, like a breath of fresh air because I knew why I was reacting in the way that I was.
Final Thoughts
Feeling unmotivated does not make you lazy. It makes you human. The nervous system is trying to communicate with us not sabotage.
Instead of fighting it.
listen, nurture, and reset.
When your nervous system is regulated, your focus, energy, and joy naturally return.
So next time someone or even yourself says that you are lazy, remember: your body is just asking for care.
And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Remember, it all starts with self love
-M
Join the Healing Circle for mindset prompts, journal templates, and weekly soul lifts
https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1718524/161997336578361018/share
Leave a comment