Lazy is such a loaded word in our culture. Rest assured– you are most likely NOT lazy the way you think of it.
In this episode, I’m showing you a way to use the word lazy in your favor. Especially if you find it difficult to slow down and do things for yourself.
Full Show Notes:
Do you ever have experiences when you say something and then you’re like “That was really good!”? I did recently, and I wanted to share with you my new insights.
The word “lazy” is something that comes up with nearly all of my clients, and it has come up with myself and in my family. It’s such a loaded word for most of us.
I think within a patriarchal, conservative Christian community with high work ethic kind of values, AND post WWII ideology of waste-not-want-not, we are taught that work and effort are better than less work and less effort.
But what we don’t do is slow down and think about our own personal definition of work.
Effort = work = cleaning/job outside the home…. physical effort.
What about mental effort? Or spiritual effort? These look and feel different.
For me (and I know for many of you!), cleaning bathrooms, kitchens, dishes, etc. is easy. I KNOW exactly how to do it, what it looks like when it’s done. There’s a clear done or not done delineation.
But when it comes to mental effort, it is sometimes a different story.
And here’s the most fascinating thing: rest is often more mental-emotional-spiritual effort than traditional “work” is.
The definition of lazy is unwilling to work or put forth effort.
Are you truly unwilling to put forth effort?
For most of us the answer is a big, emphatic NO. In fact, we probably spend MORE effort doing things because of all our judgement of ourselves and the emotion and nervous system responses we have to wade through in order to get things done.
I have been doing the work and more work than necessary to prove my worth almost my whole life. What is more difficult for me is to slow down and rest. To believe. To feel.
These are the things that require more effort for me.
So if the definition of lazy is unwilling to put forth effort, and it takes effort to rest, or recharge yourself. Perhaps you are being lazy if you don’t rest or do things just because you like doing them?
Perhaps it’s lazy to not sit down and read?
Perhaps it’s lazy to not meditate?
Perhaps it’s lazy to not go tend your garden?
Perhaps it’s lazy to not do your art that you love, but it always gets pushed to the bottom of your list?
Perhaps it’s lazy to not go for a walk? Not because walking requires physical effort, but because you do it for yourself and it feels nourishing?
What is it that you do just for you, just because you want to, but then you tell yourself you are lazy for doing it? Perhaps for you it’s lazy not to do that thing? I would love to know- use my contact form to let me know.
If you want to learn how to unravel the meaning of “lazy” in your brain, schedule a free session with me!
Denita
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