People often confuse depression with laziness, yet these are two distinct constructs. Laziness can be mostly defined as being in a state of inactivity as a result of an individual’s unwillingness to perform a task despite having the capacity to do so. Laziness can occur periodically and is believed to be more of a mental state, deliberate act or personal choice. Some experts theorize that laziness is a personality trait or character deficit, while others believe laziness is a behavioral sign of an underlying concern. Regardless, laziness often carries a derogatory connotation.¹

Depression also bears some stigma and is falsely viewed as a problem related to a person’s will. Depressed individuals may appear lazy due to underlying symptoms of depression such as lack of motivation and energy.  However, depression is a psychiatric disorder accompanied with many other pervasive features like deep sadness, inability to feel pleasure, a desire to isolate, apathy and more.

1. Balmores-Paulino, R. S. (2020). Laziness. In T. K. Shackelford & V. Zeigler-Hill (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_2098-1

Am I Depressed or Lazy? How to Tell the Difference

To many, these two feelings may seem the same. Being lazy means not having the motivation to do something, right? When I hit a depression slump in January earlier this year, I truly felt the embodiment of having no motivation and no energy to do anything. I would stay in bed for whole days. I would call off work for a mental health break and to reset myself. I would sulk in my headaches rather than try to relieve them. I would think, “I really need to clean the apartment,” or “I really need to shower,” and make no movements towards getting out of bed. I would go several days without a shower because I just couldn’t will myself to physically do the needs I needed to do.

After increasing my sertraline dose to 100mg, I have my motivation and energy back, but sometimes I still choose not to do the same things – and that’s just me being lazy. Laziness, to me, is having the resources to do something such as time, energy, and motivation, and still choosing not to do it.

At some times, I feel like it was better to have no motivation/energy than to just be lazy because I could at least attribute my lack of care to something I had less control over. Even now, I contemplate whether I need to wash my hair today or if I can just get by one more day.

The difference here is that:

• Before (lack of motivation and energy): I didn’t even think about whether I needed to wash my hair. I just wouldn’t do it. I didn’t weigh out my options, I didn’t plan anything out. In my mind, I knew I didn’t have the energy to get out of bed, let alone stand in the shower for 15+ minutes or hold my arms up to wash my hair. I didn’t shower for five consecutive days at one point before realizing I really needed to do something. I would dread the thought that I had to shower and that I had to wash my hair. It seemed like such an impossible feat.

• After (with basal energy levels): I have energy. I can wash my hair. I recognize that I have a choice: wash my hair or not wash my hair. I try to plan out how long I can procrastinate before I absolutely need to wash my hair. I typically wash my hair every 3-4 days. Today would be day 3. If I don’t wash my hair today, then I’ll do it tomorrow. I no longer absolutely dread having to take a shower (sometimes I actually look forward to it) or washing my hair.

This is the overall encompassing pattern when it comes to my depression. I know I’m in a depressive episode when I feel like I don’t have choices. I just can’t get out of bed. I can’t work. I can’t do anything except lay in bed and wallow in my depression. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the following day after I wallow, I’m okay again because I just let my emotions run their course. I recognize the helplessness and despair I feel and allow myself to feel it before it can truly pass. (I am a strong believer that pretending you’re okay or trying to ignore negative emotions will only lead to denial and compound the problem.) The issue in January was that this cycle occurred repetitively. Once I reset myself and took care of myself, it would falter once again, and the cycle continued for the entire month before I reached out to a psychiatrist to evaluate my medication.

Now, I know I have choices. I can choose to be lazy or I can just do it because I have the energy to do it. The motivation part is debatable – which comes first: motivation or action?