You’re Not Lazy,You’re Just Cooked (AKA Burnt Out)

Let’s get one thing clear: you’re not lazy.

You’re tired. Emotionally. Mentally. Cosmically. You’re not unmotivated, you’re overloaded.

You’ve been carrying too much, for too long, with not enough snacks and zero proper rest. You’re emotionally wrung out like a kitchen sponge that’s been used to clean up every other person’s disaster.

But because you’re still technically “functioning”, showing up to work, replying to texts, folding laundry at 1am, no one sees it. Not even you. So you call it laziness.

It’s not laziness. It’s burnout in disguise.

TL;DR: Burnout vs Laziness

• Laziness is a lack of motivation.
• Burnout is a lack of capacity.
• Laziness says “I don’t want to.”
• Burnout says “I want to… but I literally can’t.”

If your brain wants to do the thing, but your body feels like concrete, that’s not laziness. That’s your system saying, “Mate, we’re maxed.”

Why You Can’t “Push Through” Anymore

Your motivation’s gone AWOL. Your thoughts feel like they’re wading through porridge. You stare at the laundry and genuinely consider burning it all down and starting a new life in a forest.

This isn’t a willpower problem. It’s your nervous system trying to keep you alive. You’ve hit emotional burnout, and now your brain’s putting the brakes on everything that feels like “too much.”

🚩 Signs You’re Burnt Out (Not Lazy)

• You want to do the thing, but can’t get moving
• You feel guilty for resting but still can’t function
• You mentally rehearse your to-do list, then scroll TikTok for an hour
• You’re paralysed by tiny decisions like “which pasta shape?”
• You sleep, but wake up wrecked
• You call yourself lazy to mask the shame

These are symptoms of burnout, not character flaws. You’re not weak, you’re exhausted.

Why “Lazy” Is Easier to Say

Because burnout isn’t visible. Because you don’t feel like you’ve earned your exhaustion. Because saying “I’m tired” feels dramatic when you didn’t even leave the house.

So instead, you call yourself:

• Lazy
• Useless
• A procrastinator

None of those are true. What’s true is: You’re human. You’re tired. And you’ve been doing too much for too long.

What Burnout Looks Like in Real Life

You:

• Say yes when you mean absolutely not
• Forget what you were doing mid-task, again
• Snap at people and feel guilty instantly
• Spend more time recovering than actually living
• Feel disconnected from joy, purpose, or even breakfast

You’ve normalised running on empty. But empty isn’t sustainable.

How to Recover From Burnout (Without Turning It Into Another Project)

This isn’t the part where I tell you to drink green juice and meditate at sunrise. You don’t need a new planner, you need a bloody pause.

1. Rest Without Guilt

Let stillness be medicine, not punishment. (See: [How to Rest Without Feeling Guilty])

2. Reframe That Inner Critic

When your brain says “lazy,” try:

“I’m allowed to rest. That doesn’t make me bad.”

3. Start Stupidly Small

Forget the 47-item list. Drink water. Change your socks. Clap for yourself. That counts.

4. Stop Comparing Your Energy

You’re not behind. You’re healing. Recovery isn’t linear, and hustle culture is a liar.

5. Read Something That Gets It

The Strong One Is Tired wasn’t written for people thriving. It’s for people surviving. Slowly. Softly. Sarcastically.