How to Have Self-Discipline When You Feel Lazy

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You know you need to get to work.

Your to-do list is staring you dead in the face, but quite frankly, you don’t feel like working.

You are exhausted, and that new television show you’ve been binging is calling your name.

Self-discipline is something that you’ve been struggling with, and you aren’t sure how to improve it.

Has that ever happened to you?

If so, don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, work on ways that you can improve your self-discipline when you feel lazy.

This may take some retraining your brain and reworking your habits, but in time and with these tips, you will be able to master self-discipline and be more productive and focused. 

Self-Discipline Tips

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Keep your daily to-do list manageable and realistic

Many times, the root of laziness is overwhelm.

You don’t feel motivated to start because there is just too much on your plate, so you do nothing.

A lot of these tips actually relate to minimizing overwhelm because if you don’t feel stressed about your workload, you will be more motivated to get things done.

Having a lengthy to-do list may just cause you to freeze. Make your to-do list manageable and realistic.

Don’t have 12 different things to get done in one day—maybe reduce that to four or five tasks. This also means you won’t be discouraged if you can’t get to everything on your list for that day. 

Break larger projects into smaller tasks

Small tasks are easy to picture, get to work on and knock out.

Wouldn’t you rather cross off each small task than have a large project looming over your head?

When you feel lazy, you can just try to work through a small task or two. This will feel much more doable than trying to tackle a large project in one foul swoop. 

Related Reads:
• 8 Ways to Stick to New Habits
• 12 Habits That Are Making You Less Productive
• 8 Ways to Hold Yourself Accountable

Eliminate the things that are encouraging laziness

Working from your bed may not be the best idea when you feel lazy.

Working on the couch right in front of the television could be dangerous territory as well.

Try to avoid the things that are encouraging you to feel lazy—wearing pajamas, sitting by the television, working from bed, etc.

This will just make it easier on yourself.

Reward yourself for getting things done

Anytime you cross a task off your to-do list or even just make progress, you should reward yourself.

This could be in the form of eating your favorite food, taking a short break, or doing something else that motivates you.

When you work rewards in throughout your process, you will be more determined to keep moving forward.

Give your tasks a time limit

Your to-do list might feel daunting, but what if you just told yourself you would work on X task for Y amount of time?

For example, 10 minutes of work should feel better to you than completing 3 tasks when you feel lazy.

Give yourself a time limit and if you are feeling good at the end of that time, you can always keep working!

Factor breaks into your day

If you don’t take breaks all day, then there is no wonder that you feel lazy! You are probably just exhausted.

Try to take a break every half hour to an hour to stretch, walk around, grab some water, or go outside.

Breaks will give you a boost of energy each time and will prevent you from feeling lazy.

Remember that taking breaks is a part of self-discipline, too.

You have to be disciplined to walk away from your computer and take a few moments for yourself.

Not only are you minimizing laziness by doing this, but you are also strengthening your self-discipline.

Create your own focus ritual

What is a focus ritual?

A focus ritual is a series of things unique to you that remind your mind and body that it is time to get to work.

This ritual might look like lighting a candle, making a hot cup of tea, putting on your headphones, and playing instrumental music.

Your focus ritual is something that you should do every single time you sit down to do deep work.

Once you have this in place, it should help you flip the switch from lazy to disciplined and productive.

Act on the five-second rule

The five-second rule comes from the book by Mel Robbins, “The 5 Second Rule”.

Essentially, the rule states that when you have an instinct to act on a goal, your body has to physically move within five seconds, or else your brain will kill the idea.

You can countdown “5-4-3-2-1” and then get up.

If you feel the need to work, countdown and then go sit at your desk.

If you feel the urge to go for a run, countdown and then put on your running shoes.

Acting within those five seconds takes courage, but it can be the secret sauce to self-discipline.

Give yourself grace 

No one feels motivated all of the time. Everyone feels lazy on some days.

Self-discipline isn’t about beating yourself up over feeling lazy, but instead, it is about forming new habits, routines, and ways of thinking in order to get to work and kick the laziness aside.

Be kind to yourself and give yourself grace if you struggle with self-discipline.

Some days are going to be better than others, and that is okay. All you can do is your best, so keep moving forward.

Final Thoughts

It isn’t possible to feel motivated all of the time, so sometimes you are going to need some self-discipline. On days when you are feeling lazy and just don’t want to do the things that you have to do, refer to this list.

Having self-discipline and being self-motivated is going to take some practice, but over time it will come naturally to you.

Get to the root of the laziness—are you overwhelmed? Exhausted? Distracted?

Once you get to the root of it, you will feel better equipped to eliminate it.

Keep these tips on how to have self-discipline in mind the next time you are feeling lazy, and believe that you can do anything you set your mind to!