How To Stop Being Lazy, Per Astrology
Stop being a couch potato.
unsplash I’m going to risk sounding like an out-of-touch person from another generation and say that it really is so easy to do nothing in our technological world.
I mean, I have Instagram, Netflix, and the entire Internet at the tips of my fingers.
Sometimes, all I want to do is lay in bed for hours and scroll through photos while Netflix is playing in the background instead of doing the things I actually need to do.
Plus, it’s easy to not want to tend to our physical or mental health when zoning out on our phones is a lot cheaper than therapy or a gym membership, and it has the ability to still make us feel like we’re doing something good for ourselves by “relaxing” after a long day.
Unfortunately, being lazy can come with a lot of other negative side effects besides the fact that it makes us more sedentary. Every Sun sign deals with laziness, whether you’re more prone to long bouts of acting like a couch potato or you’re able to find your motivation again.
RELATED: The Laziest Zodiac Signs (And The Ones That Work The Hardest), According To Astrology
Doing nothing can lead to laziness. Laziness and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to things like heart disease and weight gain, as well as mental laziness. Have you ever had one of those days where you don’t want to do any work simply because you can’t bring yourself to use your brain at the moment?
Where it feels like your brain is only working at half capacity, and you don’t feel like getting up and trying to work is going to help? Letting yourself just accept that means that your laziness wins.
But, while there are a lot of negativity that follows laziness, letting yourself be lazy every so often isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. Some zodiac signs need that kick in the butt telling them to stop being lazy and get back to work.
RELATED: These 3 Zodiac Signs Simply Can't Be Bothered (They're LAZY)
Other horoscopes want to know that being lazy every once in a while can be good for productivity (it really can). Long periods of laziness are obviously not good for you, but taking short breaks every once in a while is good for brain health.
Overworking yourself with absolutely no breaks only burns you out, which is one of the worst feelings in the world (trust me). Plus, letting your mind wander without forcing it to focus can actually help you find an answer to something you’ve been trying to figure out or help you reduce stress.
Not only that, but you deserve some guilt-free Netflix binges, too. Being lazy isn’t good for your health, but neither is beating yourself up because all your brain wants is a break from working so hard. Shouldn’t you try to be kind to your body?
Of course, you should! But look, I get it. That project for school or work isn’t going to finish itself. While a little laziness can be good for you, it’s still a good idea to have some motivation techniques on hand in case you ever do get sucked into one of those black holes of laziness.
Per astrology, here is exactly how to stop being lazy and zoning out, according to your zodiac sign.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
Aries, you are used to being busy all the time. You are a firm believer that hard work pays off, so you always try to fill your days with tasks that will keep you busy and successful. But when you do this over and over, every single day, it can start to get boring. And when you get bored, you get lazy, which means you stop staying busy.
The best way for you to stop being lazy is to mix up your routine. Your old routine worked pretty well before, but now that you can anticipate what comes next, it makes your laziness worse – why stick to your routine when you can just not do it at all? Trying a new routine that keeps you just as busy will keep you on your toes and make checking things off your list much easier.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Taurus, your worst habit is easily how lazy you can get. Once you get on your phone, or you lay down on the couch “just for a minute,” all of the motivation you once had is totally gone. Unfortunately for you, not being lazy isn’t as easy as just telling yourself that you need to get something done.
Laziness is truly a curse for you. The easiest way for you to overcome it is to take baby steps. It might not seem like it’s making much of a difference at first, but it definitely helps in the long run.
Got some tasks you can do in two minutes or less? Get those out of the way and then take a break (or keep going if you’re feeling yourself). You’ll be surprised how easy it is to find your motivation again when you don’t pressure yourself to get it all done at once.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
Let’s be honest, Gemini. No one likes doing things they don’t want to do, least of all you. There’s just something so boring about having a to-do list that’s a mile long when you could just as easily spend your time doing something fun, right?
You live for fun, but when you have to be responsible, you shut down and become totally lazy. Of course, you know as well as I do that being lazy is only going to make that to-do list even longer, so the best way for you to get over being lazy is to make the things you have to do just as fun as the things you want to do.
You’re amazing at making any boring situation fun, so turn it into a game, put some music on while you work, or reward yourself for every task you get done, and you’ll find your motivation again.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Cancer, you’re one of those zodiac signs that, if you don’t stop yourself before it’s too late, will work yourself up over things you can easily do. When you get behind on the things you need to do, or when laziness strikes, you get overwhelmed.
Not only that, but once you start feeling lazy, it’s really hard for you to be active again. So, that overwhelmed feeling gets ten times worse because you can’t stop being lazy. The best way for you to stop being lazy is to stop yourself from becoming overwhelmed early on.
Sure, you might be behind on a few things, but there’s no need to get everything done in one day. Let yourself take frequent breaks when getting caught up after that stretch of laziness. It will keep you motivated, as well as help you focus better on your tasks.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Like Aries, you are no stranger to staying motivated, Leo. In fact, you’re probably one of the few zodiac signs that rarely falls victim to laziness. That said, you can’t always be perfect, so when laziness strikes, you need to figure out the quickest way to finding your motivation again. For someone who is so used to being in control, laziness can make you feel chaotic and out of control.
Rather than convince yourself that it’s easier to just be lazy forever, try prioritizing your tasks. It might suck at first, but once you get the worst tasks out of the way, you can relax and know that the hardest part is over. Nothing is more satisfying than knowing that huge project is done or that even when laziness takes over, you’re still able to kick some butt.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
One of the worst feelings for you, Virgo, is laziness. I mean, how can someone who is so good at staying organized, motivated, and on top of things get lazy, am I right? Hey, it happens to the best of us.
But it doesn’t help any to beat yourself up when you get lazy because all that does is make you even more frazzled and stressed. The best way for you to stop being lazy is to do exactly what you do when you’re feeling motivated.
Make a schedule to get things done on time, set reminders and notes on your phone, and even color-code your planner – whatever helps you stay organized! Having everything laid out in the method that’s easiest for you to follow will help you get back on track.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
Laziness can be really dangerous for you, Libra. You’re the kind of zodiac sign that gets sucked into distractions that you sometimes end up procrastinating things for weeks.
We all get sucked into our phones and Netflix, but because one of your weaknesses is overindulgence, you take it farther than the average person. I’m talking hours of scrolling through Instagram and watching entire seasons of a TV show in one day.
If you want to stop being lazy, you need to cut off your distractions completely. Taking breaks or rewarding yourself with another episode of your favorite show won’t work for you.
Put your phone in another room, get out of your apartment if it helps, and ask friends to help you stay on track. It’s going to be painful, I know, but it’s the only way you’ll get things done.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
Scorpio, you are the polar opposite of Libra. Rather than be strict about getting rid of the distractions that make you lazy, let yourself give in to those distractions. Sometimes, you just can’t get your brain to want to do anything – and that’s okay!
You’ve never been one to deny yourself the things that you want, so why not play on your phone for an hour or two? It might actually help you out. For some zodiac signs (like yourself), nothing good ever comes of forcing yourself to do something.
Just because you’re feeling lazy doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. Letting yourself be lazy will clear your head and sometimes, if you spend enough time lazing out on your phone, you’ll get bored and stop wanting to procrastinate and do something productive. Think of it like reverse psychology.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
It’s no coincidence that you always do better in situations where your friends are involved, Sagittarius. So, why suffer through laziness alone? And no, I don’t mean get them to be lazy with you. I mean recruit your friends to help you get out of your funk and find your motivation again.
There’s a good chance that they know exactly what you need to stop being lazy, so why not let them do all the work for you, right? You might be an independent person in general, Sagittarius, but you also value your friends a lot.
And when you need them the most, you know that you can always count on them to be there for you. So, when you’re feeling lazy, it’s a good idea to team up with people who will give you the kick start you need to succeed, rather than isolate yourself and hope your laziness goes away eventually.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
Capricorn, you don’t get overwhelmed often, but when you do, it can really take the wind out of your sails. You’re another one of those zodiac signs that is constantly starting new projects and generally kicking butt, so it’s always a shock when you start to feel lazy.
You try to avoid anything that can make you lazy like the plague because you know you’ll never get out of that trap. If you want to make sure that the laziness you’re feeling right now doesn’t get any worse, you need to clear your mind of everything that’s stressing you out right now.
Yes, you have a lot on your plate, and when you have no motivation, it can feel impossible to accomplish. But if you focus on what you’re good at, you’ll get the easy things out of the way first and have enough motivation afterward to tackle the hard stuff.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Laziness is a funny thing for you, Aquarius. There are some times when you feel lazy, but then you’re able to snap out of it and get back to what you need to do. Then, there are other times when your laziness turns you into a blob that can barely function.
When your laziness gets this bad, you turn into this hopeless person that would rather not do anything than at least try to check things off your to-do list. The best way to stop being lazy when you feel hopeless and overwhelmed is to create small goals and make a plan to get sh*t done.
Rather than see one giant task that could take days to complete, see it as bite-sized chunks you can get done in hour increments. Scaling back the things that stress you out into smaller, more manageable pieces can work for all areas of your life too, Aquarius.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Pisces, you are pretty familiar with laziness. It’s not so much that you like being lazy, it’s just that your bed is sooo comfy and Netflix just added your favorite show and you can always get caught up later.
Yeah, yeah we’ve heard it all before. The thing is, when “later” comes around, you make up even more excuses, and then you have a meltdown because you knew you should have just gotten your work done.
Relax, it’s fine. If you want to stop being lazy, you have to first stop putting so much pressure on yourself. When you have a long to-do list and no motivation, everything else in your life can feel like it’s closing in.
Take some time to declutter and eliminate any distractions that will stop you from getting your stuff done. Having a clean apartment will clear your mind and get you back to feeling motivated.
Emily Ratay is a full-time writer living in Pittsburgh. She's passionate about the environment and feminism, and knows that anything is possible in the right pair of shoes. She plans on writing a non-fiction book in the future.