In a world that glorifies hustle, productivity and constant motion, laziness has become a dirty word. We’re taught to equate rest with weakness, idleness with failure, and slowing down with falling behind.
But what if laziness is exactly what we need to feel better, to think more clearly and to live more fully?
In other words, what if being lazy now and again is good for our mental wellbeing?
Redefining laziness: from shame to self-care
Let’s start by redefining what the term ‘laziness’ means. Laziness isn’t always about neglect or apathy, but is instead often a signal from our bodies and minds that we need a break; it’s a way of saying ‘enough’.
When we ignore that signal we risk burnout, anxiety and stress, but when we acknowledge it we can open the door to better mental health.
We can, in fact, see laziness as a form of self-care: it’s us choosing to rest instead of constantly meeting the demands from those around us for more mental and/or physical effort.
The distracting beeps on our smartphones, endless to-do lists, caring for dependents – these things can eventually take their toll on our mental wellbeing if we don’t allow ourselves to hit the reset button now and again. 1
Five mental health benefits of slowing down
Slowing down, or ‘being lazy’, can have significant benefits for our mental health. When we allow ourselves to slow down, here’s what happens:
1. Reduced anxiety and stress
Being constantly busy keeps our nervous system in a state of fight-or-flight. Slowing down – whether through naps, quiet time or simply doing nothing – activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and recovery. It’s like pressing our brain’s reset button.
2. Improved emotional resilience
When we’re always rushing, we don’t give ourselves space to process emotions. Laziness creates that space by allowing us to sit with our feelings, reflect and respond, rather than react. This leads to better emotional resilience and fewer impulsive decisions.
3. Enhanced creativity and problem-solving
Have you ever noticed how your best ideas come in the shower or while daydreaming? That’s not a coincidence. Downtime gives our brain the freedom to wander, to connect dots and to generate insights. Far from being the enemy of innovation, laziness is the birthplace of it!
4. Better sleep and recovery
Quality sleep is one of the most powerful tools for mental health, improving our mood, memory, and overall cognitive function. When we slow down during the day, we tend to sleep better at night, so a bit of laziness can help us be better prepared for the day to come.
5. Greater self-awareness
Slowing down helps us tune in. We’re better able to notice how we’re feeling, what we need and what’s important, which all helps our emotional wellbeing.
Laziness as a rebellion against burnout culture
We live in a society that rewards overwork and punishes rest. The idea of us always being ‘busy’ has become a badge of honour and talk of burnout is often seen as something to be proud of.
But this approach to living culture is unsustainable and people are pushing back.
As the charity Mental Health UK points out: ‘Burnout’ is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an ‘occupational phenomenon’. While it is not a medical or mental health condition, it has been classified as a syndrome, meaning a collection of symptoms or signs associated with a specific health-related cause. Burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. It can occur when you experience long-term stress and feel under constant pressure. 2
In recognising that rest is a necessity not a luxury, choosing laziness is a quiet form of rebellion. It’s refusing to measure our worth by our output and instead saying ‘I am enough, even when I’m doing nothing.’
This shift isn’t just personal, it’s cultural. Movements like slow living and digital detoxing are part of a wider recognition that good mental health is a prerequisite for a more balanced, humane way of life.
Six practical ways to embrace therapeutic laziness
If you’re ready to slow down and feel better, here are six gentle ways to start:
1. Schedule nothing: Block out time in your calendar for absolutely nothing: no tasks, no goals – just space to be.
2. Take microbreaks: Step away from the screen and stretch, breathe or stare out the window. Even five minutes can reset your mind.
3. Practice mindful idleness: Sit in silence. Watch the clouds. Let your thoughts drift.
4. Say ‘no’ more often: Protect your energy by declining commitments that drain you.
5. Nap without guilt: A short nap can boost mood, memory and focus. It’s not lazy – it’s smart.
6. Unplug regularly: Reconnect with yourself by disconnecting from digital noise.
Don’t say you’re lazy
Instead of calling yourself lazy, try describing time out by saying things such as:
‘I’m prioritising rest.’
‘I’m giving myself space to recharge.’
‘I’m practicing mindful slowing.’
These aren’t just changes of language, they’re psychological tricks that help us move from shame to self-compassion, from guilt to grace, from burnout to better mental health.
Laziness as liberation
Ultimately, embracing laziness is about liberation, about freeing ourselves from the tyranny of constant productivity. It’s reclaiming our time, our energy and our peace. It’s recognising that we are human beings, not human doings.
So the next time you feel the urge to slow down, don’t fight it. Instead, embrace it; let yourself rest, wander and breathe. You might just find that laziness isn’t the problem in your life – it’s the solution.
Will you be celebrating National Lazy Day?
In some countries, including the UK, 10 August each year is celebrated as National Lazy Day.
There has even been an attempt to have it recognised as a public holiday, on the grounds that: ‘Having a lazy day gives your brain a break and your body a chance to recover. And having a lazy day can bring a lot of positive impacts for your physical and mental health.’
However, although the petition to the UK Parliament ran for six months, it only received 21 of the 10,000 signatures required to get a government response. 3
References
1 AXA Health: Self-care: an indulgence, or a modern-life necessity?
2 Mental Health UK: Burnout
3 UK Government and Parliament: Petition Make ‘National Lazy Day’ a public holiday
Further reading
World Health Organization: Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases
Enabling Transitions: Are You Just Being Lazy?
Huffington Post: Love A Lazy Day? You Should Be Having Them More Often Than You Think
La-Z-Boy UK: How being lazy is good for your mental health
NHS: Mindfulness
Mind: Relaxation
Days Of The Year: National Lazy Day
National Day Calendar: National Lazy Day
Calendarr: Lazy Day