Lazy at work but still want results? Here’s the cheat code
Feeling lazy at work? Totally normal, it’s summer. While your motivation melts like a popsicle left in the sun, some tasks (like that mountain of filing) just keep piling up. No time off for them.
Summer’s finally here. Your colleagues are vanishing one by one, the coffee machine is slowing down, and it seems like the perfect time to… do absolutely nothing and indulge in being lazy at work.
Except that pile of files in the corner? Still there. Staring at you. Judging. And guess what? It has zero plans to go on holiday.
“I’ll deal with it after the break” — the sweetest of lies
Do you really think you’ll come back to work fresh and full of energy, ready to dive into filing after two weeks of bliss? Spoiler: you’ll be drowning in urgent emails, a clogged inbox, and zero time. That’s when you’ll push this task… to next year. Again.
When you pass by that ever-growing pile — which seems to glare at you and mutter “Well? When exactly were you planning to deal with me?” — you’ll curse your July self for having procrastinated out of sheer laziness.
Why laziness wins (and how your brain is totally playing you)
Dr. Jacques Fradin, a specialist in behavioural neuroscience (basically Kahneman’s brainy cousin), explains it plainly: our brain loves autopilot mode. It goes for what’s easy — the little hit of immediate comfort. And let’s be honest: sorting archives? Definitely not comfy.
But there’s another mode: strategic, clear-headed, efficient. That’s the “future you” mode. The one who wishes you’d just deal with it now so you can relax later.
The catch? It doesn’t activate on its own. You have to summon it. Like a colleague you’ve ghosted for way too long. (Yes, they’re sulking. With good reason.) Laziness is a terrible motivational coach.
4 anti-laziness tricks tested in real-life July conditions
No need for incense or a week-long retreat to get going. These are simple tactics, tested by tired brains in half-empty open spaces. How do I know they work? Because they helped me file my taxes in peak Procrastination Season™.
1. Tiny step, big shift
Forget the fantasy of doing it all in one go.
Just say: I’ll grab one folder. I’ll file five documents. That’s it.
It’s enough to get the gears moving. And then? Who knows, you might keep going.
2. The painful question (that totally works)
Ask yourself: If I don’t do it now, who’s going to pay the price?
Spoiler: you. But the sweaty, stressed-out version of you, juggling three crises, with fake composure and a cortisol spike.
3. Filing with music (aka brain trickery 101)
This isn’t the FBI archive. It’s a few sad binders and dusty rubber bands.
Put on your feel-good playlist, set a 20-minute timer, and pretend you’re in The Devil Wears Prada: stylish, in rhythm, getting things DONE.
(If the stapler starts to feel like a power accessory — who’s gonna argue?)
4. Buddy system: suffering in pairs
Find another brave soul still around in July. Offer them a coffee or a cheeky mojito (no judgement), and dive in together. It may not be fun, but at least it’s social.
Laughing at laziness: filing as a seasonal ritual
You can see it as a chore. Or, you can reframe it as closure.
Filing means this chapter is done. It tells your brain: You did it. You wrapped it up. You’re allowed to go on holiday now, guilt-free and clear-headed.
It’s also a way of marking your place in time. You handled it. You planned ahead. Even if it’s just once a year, that deserves a slow clap. Your laziness shouldn’t rob you of that small but mighty feeling of completion.
What you choose now shapes your September stress levels
You’ve got two options, both very simple:
Either you deal with it now, in July, while everything’s calm, with music, coffee, and just a dash of guilt.
Or you delay it — and let this task become the monster that ruins your post-holiday vibe.
Me? I’m listening to Jacques Fradin. And also that tiny inner voice whispering: Come on. It won’t kill you. You’ll be proud of yourself.
And you? Are you listening to your future self, or still feeding the hungry beast that is the archive pile — aka the monstrous embodiment of workplace procrastination?
Right, I’m off — I’ve got a year’s worth of invoices and bank statements to sort. Wish me luck!
