Laziness vs. Dysfunction: Who's Winning

Laziness vs Dysfunction: Who's Winning?

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Let me introduce you to a battle you're probably having everyday - even without knowing it, Executive Dysfunction vs Laziness. Let's begin by defining our challengers today:

Executive Dysfunction: Broadly speaking, executive functioning refers to the cognitive and mental abilities that help people engage in goal-directed action. They direct actions, control behavior, and motivate us to achieve our goals and prepare for future events. People with executive dysfunction struggle to organize and regulate their behavior in ways that will help them accomplish long-term goals (Diamond, 2013)[^1].

Examples of This:

• Planning and Organizing: Difficulty breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps, planning ahead, or organizing materials.

• Prioritizing and Managing Time: Trouble prioritizing tasks, managing time effectively, and staying on schedule.

• Decision-Making: Struggling with making decisions, especially when there are multiple options or consequences.

• Focusing and Staying on Task: Difficulty paying attention, staying focused, and resisting distractions.

• Following Instructions: Problems understanding and following directions, even when they are clear and simple.

• Emotional Regulation: Difficulty controlling emotions, impulses, and behaviors (Barkley, 2012)[^2].

Laziness: Laziness is described as a person's reluctance to perform a chore or an exercise despite having the ability to actually do it. Such hesitancy can be traced from a person's lack of motivation to utilize one's energy for the task (Burton 2014; Pelusi 2007)[^3][^4]. Thus, laziness is differentiated from a state of physical exhaustion. As Laird (1934) puts it, "True laziness… is mental and not physical. It is caused by ideas and emotions, and is not caused by work or poor physical condition" (Laird 1934, p. 23)[^5].

Examples of This:

• Unwillingness to work or exert oneself: this is the core definition, implying a disinclination to engage in effortful activities.

• Lack of motivation or energy: laziness can be a result of feeling tired, bored, or simply not wanting to do something.

• Reluctance to perform tasks: it can involve avoiding chores, tasks, or activities that require effort or attention.

Basically at the core - executive dysfunction is about struggling to start/complete tasks despite genuine desire and effort, while laziness involves a conscious choice to avoid effort. Now, the main battle us folks who may be diagnosed/undiagnosed with mental disorders that feature executive dysfunction as a symptom, is that we have a whole stack of other symptoms that sometimes mix in with it to form a bad cocktail like imposter syndrome or lack of self-esteem. This cocktail is further garnished with guilt from authority figures or peer pressure that ties your whole perception of your worth with how much you do or don't do. By doing this, you end up with a formula: your work output = your worth as a human, not much math to that, huh?

You likely end up procrastinating - a lot - which brings you to the question, am I lazy? The answer to that? You need to do some more math. Procrastination can come as a result of a million different things: perfectionism, fear of rejection/failure, lack of motivation or energy, poor time management, overworking, to name a few (Steel, 2007)[^6]. So, how do you know which is which? Well, at face value that answer isn't simple, and trying to make it simple is how we got here in the first place.

Here's a small twist: people with executive dysfunction can still be lazy, and if you try to make it as easy as "Oh, I haven't achieved what I need to today so I must be lazy," then that's how you end up with that formula I mentioned earlier. To get the real answer, start by asking yourself questions on a case-by-case basis because all humans, even those who may not have mental disorders, do not have perfectly consistent mental health, and your inner world is directly affected by your outer world.

Some questions to start with? What does your inner monologue look like in that moment?

"Why can't I just start? I've been staring at this blank document for hours."

"The deadline is tomorrow and I'm panicking but still can't make myself work."

"I've made seven to-do lists but still can't execute a single item."

"My room is stressing me out but I get overwhelmed whenever I try to clean it."

or

"I know I should, but I don't feel like it."

"That sounds like a problem for Future Me."

"I'll just hit snooze again. Five more minutes won't hurt."

"I could clean now, but that's what weekends are for."

Notice how some of these have a lot more substance to them, real fears and emotions that are chaotic and probably anxiety-inducing, and the others kinda just look like you don't care much about anything at all. Can you tell which is executive dysfunction and which is laziness? Come on, there's no scores or timers. Here's the answer:

Common Executive Dysfunction Inner Monologues:

"Why can't I just start? I've been staring at this blank document for hours."

"The deadline is tomorrow and I'm panicking but still can't make myself work."

"I've made seven to-do lists but still can't execute a single item."

"My room is stressing me out but I get overwhelmed whenever I try to clean it."

Common Lazy Inner Monologues:

"I know I should, but I don't feel like it."

"That sounds like a problem for Future Me."

"I'll just hit snooze again. Five more minutes won't hurt."

"I could clean now, but that's what weekends are for."

Here's another inner secret to the test: most people with executive dysfunction tend to look for reasons that their thoughts are invalid and they really are lazy, while anyone who's being a bit lazy will defend their thoughts with excuses like "It's not that important" or "One day won't make a difference," really anything to avoid being called lazy. As someone with undiagnosed ADHD, I know this inner battle like the front of my phone screen, and you want to know an even bigger twist? It doesn't matter which you are.

I think the world focuses on giving as much guilt as possible rather than just helping people where they need it because, face it, we're all a little lazy sometimes and that isn't something you should vilify or use to bring yourself down. At the core of it, you're probably struggling to get your tasks done, so let's work on that, huh?

14 Steps to Help Get Work and Tasks Done

1. Break tasks into smaller pieces - Divide large tasks into manageable chunks that feel less overwhelming (Oakley, 2014)[^7]

2. Use the 5-minute rule - Commit to just starting on a task for just 5 minutes or typing one word; that'll usually make it easy for you to continue

3. Create a structured to-do list - Write down specific, concrete actions rather than vague goals (and a little sweet treat as a reward doesn't hurt)

4. Prioritize with the Eisenhower Matrix - Look this up! It's a genuine way to sort tasks by urgency and importance to tackle the most critical first and ensure you don't miss the most important details (Covey, 2004)[^8]

5. Set specific time blocks - Schedule dedicated time periods for different tasks

6. Remove distractions - Put your phone in another room, use website blockers, or find a quiet dedicated workspace that gets you in the zone

7. Use the Pomodoro Technique - Work intensely for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break (Cirillo, 2018)[^9]

8. Establish a consistent routine - Train your brain to work at certain times of day or after certain actions like: Meditation, Stretches, Setting up Your Desk, or Drinking Coffee/Tea

9. Set clear deadlines - Even for tasks that don't have external due dates/pressure

10. Create accountability - Tell someone else about your plans or work alongside others; you can also use productivity apps for this

11. Reward progress - Give yourself small rewards after completing difficult tasks: sweet treats, watch time, reading time, or anything that'll motivate you to finish the task at hand (Clear, 2018)[^10]

12. Use visual cues - Keep visible reminders of tasks that need completion

13. Start with a small success - Begin your day with something simple you can complete quickly and work your way up slowly; you can do this by setting an easy recurring task like "Set up my Laptop" on a to-do list and tick it off for a quick dopamine boost

14. Track your progress - Use apps or journals to monitor how much you've accomplished each day to put your progress at the forefront of your mind

You see, what many guilt-tripping figures in your life probably haven't told you is that finding the source of the problem is only half as important as your willingness to solve the problem. Nothing makes executive dysfunction worse than guilt, because you end up trapping yourself in a cycle of heavy questions that weigh on your heart:

"Why am I not good enough?"

"What's stopping me from being as far as my peers?"

"Why can't I just get up and do it?"

Those questions act as a barrier that stops you from working, but also reinforces the lack of function by basically telling your brain, "Hey, you're not good enough anyway, so why bother trying." That certainly doesn't help you get where you need to, right? So why continue with those questions? Start asking real ones:

"I want to get out of bed and do my paper, how do I do that?"

"This task is due tomorrow, what simple steps can I start with?"

"My room is overwhelming, is there one simple spot I can clear or even just take out the trash?"

The answer to all of those is yes, yes, and maybe sometimes no, but at least you've shifted to asking the right questions that actually get you to what you want done, and I think that's a bit more helpful than finding another way to hate on yourself. The world is full of so much hustle and work culture right now, and if you lose yourself in what you aren't doing, you'll end up focusing more on that than what you actually need to be doing because, final plot twist: that won't help you get your to-do list done. So maybe let's let go of all those years of guilt-tripping? I think there's more than enough people out there doing that, and you do not need to add yourself to that list. The real formula? You Existing = Your Worth as a Human, and you don't need much more math than that.

If you'd like more tools to help out with productivity, time management, or just trying to be a girl in this economy, check out all the @opusdigitaldesigns socials for more tips and insight. I also have a blog post up every Monday, so you can keep a lookout and subscribe to stay connected. Opus is here for anyone who works unconventionally, because they love to bring us down or talk down our worth rather than just actually providing that support and tools that actually help. Trust you can find both here.❤️

References

[^1]: Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135-168.

[^2]: Barkley, R. A. (2012). Executive functions: What they are, how they work, and why they evolved. Guilford Press.

[^3]: Burton, N. (2014). The Psychology of Laziness. Psychology Today.

[^4]: Pelusi, N. (2007). The Lure of Laziness. Psychology Today.

[^5]: Laird, D. A. (1934). How to make people want to do things. McGraw-Hill.

[^6]: Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65-94.

[^7]: Oakley, B. (2014). A mind for numbers: How to excel at math and science (even if you flunked algebra). Penguin.

[^8]: Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change. Free Press.

[^9]: Cirillo, F. (2018). The Pomodoro Technique: The acclaimed time-management system that has transformed how we work. Currency.

[^10]: Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Avery.