Laziness and Depression are two different things that are often intermixed. Both of these problems need to be addressed separately. Before going for a proper solution, you must first identify what contributes to the condition you are suffering from. This article will define laziness and Depression and help you identify the symptoms, causes, and treatment. So, without any further delay, let’s get started and find out if you are depressed or lazy.

Laziness

Laziness is the reluctance to do work despite having the power and abilities. Lazy people are hesitant to perform their daily tasks. They lack enthusiasm and wish that they didn’t have to do any work. They sit or lie down with no motivation to do anything. This can often happen with an underdeveloped work ethic, feeling overworked, or lacking energy.

Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options for Laziness

Let’s understand the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for laziness.

• Causes of Laziness

An unhealthy lifestyle, procrastination, and feelings like boredom and stress cause laziness. Disturbed sleep patterns also lead to fatigue. Many people also become lazy due to distractions in their minds or surroundings. Mental or physical exhaustion can also make a person experience laziness.

• Symptoms of Laziness

Major symptoms of laziness include:

1. Lack of discipline
2. Low Confidence
3. Lack of Self-Awareness
4. Lack of Ambition and Enthusiasm

• Treatment of Laziness

Identifying the cause of laziness is the first step in treating it. To motivate oneself, set goals according to one’s interests, choose one’s priorities, and start with small tasks.

Take breaks so you don’t get bored. Create a strategy to achieve your goal and stick to it. It is like sticking to an exercise program; it will be challenging at first, but you can gain strength and stamina over time. Try to avoid distractions as much as possible to work with maximum productivity.

Depression

It is a very sensitive mental disorder that affects one’s thoughts and emotions. Depressed people experience a loss of interest in their activities. They constantly have a low mood and feel downhearted. It causes a continuous feeling of sadness and guilt. Depressed persons also face other issues, such as insomnia, sleep paralysis, loss of appetite, and loss of focus.

Causes, symptoms, and treatment of Depression

Let’s try to understand the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for Depression.

• Causes of Depression

Multiple social and psychological factors lead to Depression. It may be due to some stress, like the loss of a loved one, poor financial conditions, violence or physical abuse, and genetics. Hormonal imbalances, anxiety, and disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can also cause Depression.

Depression can also be the result of feeling ‘suppressed’, like there is no space for you in the world. You can feel invisible, forgotten, minimized, or dismissed. The prolonged experience of being suppressed takes a toll on the body, which can cause a person to feel Depressed.

• Symptoms of Depression

The following are the symptoms of Depression:

1. Sadness and feeling of guilt
2. Aggression and uncontrolled emotions
3. Feeling hopeless and pessimistic
4. Becoming irritable and not communicating with anyone.

• Treatment for Depression

The treatment of Depression varies from person to person. Psychotherapy helps people deal with Depression. It enables them to increase their tolerance for negative feelings and create new ways to think positively, manage stress, and communicate with people. Psychotherapy includes behavioural, talking, somatic (body and mind), and problem-solving therapy. Medications like antidepressants can also prove to be helpful, but it depends on the person, and they may also come with side effects.

Signs that Indicate that You’re Not Lazy but Depressed

A lazy person might not feel like working for a day or two, but for a depressed person, it’s a persistent feeling. If you have lost interest in doing things that you once used to perform with great interest, it might be an indication of Depression rather than laziness.

Moreover, Depression is more than just a state of very low energy. It is where you find your daily tasks, like going to the gym, as a real-life challenge. You no longer enjoy the things you once cherished and can feel like you are ‘checked out’ of life.

Emotional disturbances such as hopelessness can be a clear indication of Depression. Trouble sleeping and change in appetite are also significant signs of Depression.

Signs that Indicate that You are Lazy and not Depressed

Laziness is just a trait or behaviour. A lazy person can do all the tasks but feel more at ease hanging on the sofa than engaging in activities or goals. If you don’t have negative thoughts indulging your mind and you just want to take a break or to have some rest, then most probably, you are more lazy and not depressed.

Laziness is a kind of chosen behaviour in which you are unproductive. It is a condition in which you can manage your work but prefer not to. Lazy people mostly like to be in their comfort zone.

In contrast, a depressed person is incapable of doing things. If the symptoms like feeling low or being unproductive are not affecting your daily activities and life, you are likely just experiencing laziness and not depressed.

Coping with Laziness and Depression

Effective communication can help a lot in eliminating laziness and Depression. Support from friends and family is crucial. Self-discipline and time management can deal with laziness. Setting a goal or aim is of primary importance as it gives a reason to work hard and be productive.

Treating Depression requires patience and consistency. Keeping yourself busy with daily tasks and adopting some healthy hobbies can help prevent developing negative thoughts. Depression also requires some medical treatment and mental health counselling from the best counselling center in Canada.

You should set small, easy-to-achieve goals at the start and enjoy the accomplishments. Regular exercise and a nutritious diet can help avoid problems like changes in appetite and disturbed sleep routines.

Spending time with people around you is helpful. Try to do something new and productive daily. Being productive doesn’t require performing many tasks; it requires performing even a single task in the best way possible.

Role of Counselling in Coping with Laziness and Depression

Laziness is a controllable behaviour, but Depression is a psychological condition. Although both are different, they have a few things in common and have somehow related treatment methods. Counselling with the right therapist is the most effective intervention, as it provides an opportunity to feel seen and heard. It mainly assists people in discovering possible contributing causes of their Depression and helps them find ways of dealing with it or having compassion for their situation. You need counselling, no matter you are depressed or lazy.

How Counselling Helps in Dealing with Depression?

Counselling mainly includes talk therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and interpersonal therapy. Talking with a mental health professional helps people explore their negative self-reflections and low energy and consider alternatives to think about life differently. They also get a safe place to express their feelings and thoughts.

Another important benefit of counselling is that people learn to eliminate continuous shame, guilt and sadness. They learn to differentiate between what they can control and what they can’t.

Counselling enables people to feel like someone cares and then supports them in developing a regular routine and hobbies according to their interests. Socializing is another vital thing that helps treat Depression. Counselling also helps people communicate and spend quality time with friends and family. Interactions with the best therapist in North Vancouver and other social interactions positively impact the brain.

In addition, problem-solving therapy also enables people to identify and deal with their problems. It helps people deal with daily issues effectively rather than escaping from them. They make strategies and implement them according to their capabilities.

Conclusion

Laziness and Depression can both hinder living a happy life and competing with others. That is why both benefit from supportive, professional care and attention. Proper treatment can help the issue and develop hope for a successful life. At Boomerang Counselling Centre, we have a team of wonderful therapists who can help you with your feelings of laziness or Depression. You can book an appointment online at your convenience or contact our office manager here to answer any questions you may have.