3 reasons why there is no such thing as laziness!

Exactly!

I remember one time whilst in a depressive episode being disgusted with how little I was doing each day in comparison with other people.  Our fast paced society values productivity and being busy is glorified and admired.  The result is that the guilt about being unproductive a depressed person feels increases more and more and the depression worsens. Those with depression often hold the same harsh, critical judgements that other people have about the condition.  

I've found myself googling 'What's the difference between depression and laziness' before and wondering if I'm just a complete self-indulgent slob and why I can't just be normal, busy and productive like everyone else.  The more widely I read about depression, the more I do understand that it is a medical condition that impairs a person's functioning.  It is nothing to do with being lazy, ill-intentioned or unwillingness to contribute anything to society or other people.  In my case (and I think for a lot of people with my kind of personality) I'm someone who cares very much about a lot of different things (not just veganism!) and I have a real drive for making a positive difference in the world.  It can be quite exhausting caring about so many things at once and it's almost like the depression has to happen to give yourself a break! I don't think Homer Simpson is really one of my top role models but the picture on the top right makes so much sense.  We all need to recharge our batteries sometimes and it's ok to do this without guilt.

On my nutrition course when we learnt about the blue zones (certain areas in the world where people have an especially long life expectancy) one of the 9 keys to longevity was working less and taking time to relax. For more on this see: https://www.bluezonesproject.com/power9#power9-3

Is all 'laziness' depression?

No, that's not what I'm trying to imply but sometimes what appears to be pure laziness might be hidden depression.  Apparent laziness or apathy can be simply due to tiredness that can have many underlying causes.  Aside from anaemia or low iron levels which I've talked about on my previous blog: 

http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/iron-like-lion-in-zion.html

tiredness can be due to prolonged stress (which causes exhaustion of the adrenal glands and fatigue), being too busy, autoimmune conditions, ME, digestive disorders in which the absorption of nutrients is impaired, thyroid and other hormonal problems, the list goes on. If a person is neglecting their work in their job or in the home to the extent that it impacts negatively on the workload of others then it needs to be addressed but it's always good to consider the possibility there might genuinely be something wrong with them before casting judgement.

I got this book out from the library.
I'm erm, gonna read it later

Can 'laziness' sometimes just be fear? 

Absolutely! In my blog about letting go of guilt http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.
com/2016/05/more-guilty-nutritional-therapy.html I've talked about the procrastination/guilt cycle.  Sometimes we can appear to be lazy when really we're just afraid of doing something and so we avoid it and procrastinate.  Once we work out the reason why we are afraid of doing something that needs to be done or we know will most probably benefit us, we can think of ways we can get around this fear, take steps towards doing whatever it is and end up feeling so much better in the long run.  Sometimes inaction can just be about uncertainty.  It's very normal not to be sure what to do and in these times it's best to not put too much pressure on yourself.

Humans are strange creatures and we have a tendency to behave in counter-productive ways a lot of the time that make us unhappy and dissatisfied with our lives. Criticising ourselves and others for being lazy just creates guilt and hostility.

Some of us are tortoises, some are hares! 

We're all different. Some people thrive on being busy and enjoy it and there's nothing wrong with that if it doesn't result in stress or ill health.  For those who have a mortgage, bills and/or children to feed and look after, taking a break when you want one isn't always an option but it doesn't make you a bad person if you feel like you want a holiday.  Just focusing on what is essential and ignoring the not so important stuff may help. (I like the motto "everyone fed, no one dead!") Attempting to be superman/woman and constantly 'keep up with the Joneses' is just likely to cause misery. Those like me who are in a position to take a break and like taking things a bit slower should enjoy it without feeling the need to impress others. 

I will not feel guilty!