Depression, Not Laziness
They say procrastination is one of the biggest issues faced by teenagers in the 21st century. Teenagers have also been called lazy, stupid, and pseudo-intellectual and so on.
But the dilemma stands; are our teenagers lazy or depressed?
In most cases, teenagers are accused of being lazy, not studying, not doing their chores on time etc. What the adults in our society do not realize is that all the kids are depressed. It is only due to recent efforts in discovering the links between depression, motivation, and laziness that people are beginning to understand how depression can alter daily routines and motivation.
One of the key differences between laziness and depression is that being lazy usually means avoiding tasks one considers either beneath them or simply avoiding them because those tasks do not appeal to them. Laziness is putting off work for no odd reason.
On the other hand, a depressed individual does not want to avoid tasks. The individual knows they have things to do and want to do them, but they just can’t. They feel as if they lack the energy to do so, and get exhausted by completing even the most minimal of tasks. Coupled with anxiety? The depressed individual does not want to perform the task at hand but they keep panicking as the deadline grows closer by the second.
They keep thinking,
“I’ll do it tomorrow; I don’t need to do it now.”
“Is it necessary for me to do this?”
“How much time before I really need to tackle the situation?”
“I’m too tired for this. I’m always tired.”
Anhedonia is also a major component of depression to consider. It means that an individual does not enjoy whatever used to bring them joy or pleasure, anymore. Perhaps, someone cannot enjoy music anymore. This individual works in a music store and is used to bringing in customers by offering recommendations. However, the individual doesn’t feel up to discovering new music, and/or associating with people. Customers don’t come in as often as they did, and the employer accuses the employee of being lazy. The individual will then beat themselves up for not bringing in customers and perceive themselves negatively. The negative thought process must be removed. The anxiety and shame will cause the individual to throw themselves a neat little pity party which does not help the individual out of their stump.
So, when you start to call someone lazy, do not assume that you share the same experiences with another individual.
What may be a slice of cake for you, could be a Thanksgiving turkey for someone else. Do not accuse people of laziness.
