I recently got into a debate with someone about this. I am a serious believer in resting and taking care of yourself, but I also cannot STAND laziness and I strongly believe there is a difference.
So, let's get into it.
Sometimes we have to take a step back and re-evaluate what is actually resting and what is making excuses.
Are you really tired? Or are you burnt out?
Are you unmotivated or are you depressed?
Are you overworked and underpaid or are you lazy and want to get paid more for minimal effort?
These are important questions to ask and they really don't work without some level of self-awareness. Self-awareness keeps you honest and keeps you progressing forward in the right direction.
So here are some key ways I think can help you tell the difference between whether you are being lazy or whether you are resting.
Rest feels restful. Laziness feels stressful. When someone is truly resting, you are going at it full throttle and completely unbothered. Being lazy is usually met with anxiety or dread to what you know you'll have to do later that you should probably be doing now.
You regret being lazy. You feel the satisfaction you rested. Afterward, if you don't feel refreshed... you either didn't do it right or you didn't do it for the right reasons. I'm sorry if that steps on toes..
Laziness is distracted. Rest is quiet. Enough said.
Resting is super key for mental health but there is a line between resting for health or being lazy to avoid responsibility.