Let’s be honest, we all have those days where the couch seems permanently welded to our backside, and the remote control feels like an extension of our arm. But is that just a harmless chill session, or are we venturing into the territory of full-blown laziness? As someone who once spent an entire weekend debating whether getting up to change the TV channel was worth the effort (spoiler alert: it wasn’t), I’m curious to see what psychology says about our “laziness.” Are we simply wired for relaxation, or are there deeper signs to consider?

So, grab your snacks (or maybe not, if you’re truly embracing the sloth life), because we’re about to dive into the science behind our motivation, and uncover the 9 signs that might indicate we’re more “Netflix and chill” than “get up and go.” Buckle up, it’s gonna be a fascinating (or maybe not-so-fascinating, depending on your current energy levels) ride!

9 Signs You’re a Lazy Person, According to Psychology

1.You just don’t want to do your tasks—period

You have your tasks, and you want to do something about them…but you just CAN’T. That, my friend, is procrastination. There are many reasons why it happens— from ADHD paralysis to burnout. But it’s NOT laziness, even if people do call you “lazy” for it.

So what is laziness?

According to psychology, you’re only ever lazy if you simply don’t have any intentions of finishing a task. In other words, you can but you don’t want to. There are no mental chains or fatigue keeping you from doing something that you MUST do, and yet you somehow, just don’t want to do it.

2.You don’t have a sense of purpose

Sometimes people call us “lazy” simply because we’re not motivated to do something. You wouldn’t be motivated to study hard if your parents forced you to attend sewing classes against your wishes, for example. And many experts agree that having a feeling of meaning and purpose can be a strong motivator for work.

I myself get “lazy” when it comes to things I find meaningless or pointless. But on the other hand, I work extra hard on things I find meaningful. And that might be the case here. People might call you “lazy” for not putting in effort in life, but it might just be a sign that you’re on the wrong track.

Find your purpose in life, and you might just find yourself motivated to actually work. But then what if you’re also lazy in other areas of your life, say—with household chores? I’ll talk about it in my next point.

3.You’re Depressive

According to psychology, laziness is a symptom of depression. Psychologist Ernesto N. Lira de la Rosa said that “there are many symptoms of depression that can mirror what we have come to believe is laziness.”

And in fact, 90% of the people we call “lazy” are just horrifically depressed. Effort isn’t easy! And it becomes infinitely harder when you really just have no real will to live. When you’re so depressed it takes every ounce of energy you’ve got to trudge on from one day to the next, you can’t be productive.

Depressed people are known to stop caring for themselves. Their rooms become a disorganized mess, and their clothes and dishes just pile up unwashed. So if you’re feeling depressed—and especially if you’ve been diagnosed with depression—then don’t be too harsh on yourself if you feel like you’re being “lazy.”

4.You’re a Perfectionist

I know a lot of geniuses who just can’t finish anything they start. And when I ask them why, they say things like “Bah, it’s so hard” or “I can’t seem to get it right.”

It doesn’t matter that, in my eyes, their work was already exceptional. It’s simply too flawed for them. Psychologists believe that procrastination is really perfectionism. Our need to make things great (and not just “good enough”) can lead to perfection paralysis, which most people just see as plan laziness.

Do you have fear of failure?

Do you want to be the best and the greatest?

Are you worried people would judge you for doing bad work?

Then chances are you’re “lazy”, and not actually lazy.

5. You find it hard to focus

Are you easily distracted?

Do you often zone out?

Do you find it hard to stick to one task?

Or Do you have difficulties maintaining a schedule even if you want to?

Then you probably have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). This possibility is even more likely if you also identify with how I described depression and perfectionism earlier. You still have to work on it though if you want to be more productive. Getting officially diagnosed and medicated is a good start.

6. You spend too much time making decisions

It’s simple for most people to decide whether to go left or right, or to eat pasta or sushi. But even simple choices like these stress you out, and people just don’t get it when you tell them about how hard it is for you.

You overthink, in other words. And it gets even worse with bigger decisions like what to name your upcoming business or how you’re going to open your thesis paper. You probably suffer from what psychologists call analysis paralysis. It’s basically overthinking your decisions. It becomes a hindrance to your productivity because it stops you from making the next steps.

Perhaps a lot of your tasks need decision-making. And if making decisions overwhelm you, then you’re likely seen as “lazy” by everyone around you.

7.You detest the 9-5

You hate how it leaves you with too little time to enjoy life. You hate how it forces you to go out and work when you don’t have the energy for it. And You hate how your bosses will even force you to take calls outside of working hours.

And because of all of these, people like to call you lazy—uncooperative, even. It doesn’t matter even if you’re the most productive person at work. While science says that the most productive time is 1:30pm, this doesn’t apply to everyone.

Our society expects people to just work for eight hours straight after 2 or so hours of daily commute. But there are people who work better when allowed to rest all day and then finish their tasks in a 2 hour-long burst of activity. I’m one of those people, and I’m lucky that I work freelance. I get to choose my schedule and work hours, thankfully.

Also I used to struggle back when I worked in an office, and I used to call myself “lazy” all the time. I wouldn’t have been harsh to myself if I knew then what I know now.

8.You ‘re bad at ‘task switching’

Task switching is the ability to switch attention from one thing to another. And if you happen to be neuro divergent, you’re bound to struggle with this more than the average John and Joe.

I used to be a teacher, and I noticed that the ones people called “lazy” were those who find it hard to switch between tasks. Doubly so for those who also struggle with perfectionism. Their minds would remain fixed on perfecting one task that they don’t account for a second, or a third.

When seen from the outside, it seems like they’re simply “not respecting schedule” or “being lackadaisical”, but really…they just can’t easily let go of one to do another. Can you relate? Then, it’s probably why you’re “lazy”.

9. You’re forgetful

People might call you “lazy” or “careless” because how dare you forget to do this-and-that. But don’t beat yourself up if you happen to be especially forgetful. It’s a lot more normal than you think!

In fact, studies show that forgetfulness may actually be a sign of brain efficiency. So you see? Your brain is in fact working hard! They’re simply calling you lazy because you’re not as productive as everyone else.

But the thing is that the problem isn’t that you’re lazy. It’s not like forgetfulness is something people can just “get over” after all. What you need is someone to check up on you and remind you, and probably help you plan around your tendency to forget important information