Do you know what depression is? Have you or anyone you know experienced depression?
Depression is the most common mental disorder in the world. According to the World Health Organization , the world loses an average of up to 76 million human hours to depression,
Some of the most common symptoms of depression include frequent fatigue, difficulty concentrating, social isolation, and emotional withdrawal.
But sometimes people who are unable to focus on their tasks feel low on energy and spend most of their time at home, which can easily be mistaken for downtime or laziness. So, how do you differentiate between laziness and depression?
Here are 7 psychologically proven signs that can help you figure out whether what you're experiencing is actually laziness, or maybe something more serious:
1. You've lost interest in everything in your life.
If you've lost interest in everything, even your favorite things and the things you're so passionate about, it's probably not laziness.
2. You have been highly self-motivated.
First of all, the easiest way to distinguish laziness from depression is to understand a person's current behavior and compare it with previous behavior. And since laziness is a relatively stable character trait, it's obvious that a person who is simply lazy may have always been that way; and a person who was once very motivated and achieved high grades, but suddenly stopped, may actually You’re fighting depression, not laziness.
3. You feel like there is nothing you can do.
In addition to losing all your usual motivation, interest, and desire to succeed, you often feel like there is nothing you can do. You feel like your "laziness" is getting out of hand because it's interfering with your work, school, and/or relationships.
4. You don’t know why you feel this way.
Another clear sign that you may be more "lazy" than most people realize is that it brings up a lot of negative emotions that you don't understand. It can be loneliness, sadness, despair, or even anger. On top of that, not only will you feel lazy, but you'll feel terrible in general and not even know why. There's no obvious culprit for your feelings, which makes them even more unpleasant.
5. You are struggling with other unexplained symptoms.
In addition to the emotional problems that so-called "laziness" seems to impose on you, you also notice some other unexplained physical symptoms. For example, you may have trouble falling or staying asleep, or you may sleep too much. Maybe you've lost your appetite or started bingeing for no reason. Other common signs include: sudden increase in heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain and chronic fatigue even if you are not doing anything.
6. You don’t know why you suddenly became “lazy”.
In most cases, people become lazy when they feel overwhelmed, or they are too "chasing" certain results. They may also procrastinate due to a lack of approval from others, or due to a lack of self-esteem, self-discipline, and self-control. But if none of these things seem to describe you and you just feel like you've suddenly become "lazy" for no apparent reason, this could be a sign of depression.
7. You try not to be "lazy".
Last but not least, if you've tried everything you can to "break your laziness" and you haven't succeeded, it's probably because what you're really experiencing isn't laziness but depression. You see, unlike depression, laziness is easily treatable; there are many productivity techniques you can apply to get rid of depression. But depression is a completely different story. If left undiagnosed, it can worsen over time and lead to substance abuse, alcohol dependence, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
Fortunately, more than 80% of people who recognize and fight depression actually get better.
I wish you and your mental health happiness!
