LAZY DOESN’T EXIST

Rest, resistance, and the systems that made you doubt yourself

I believe this deeply: from my own experience, and from years of working with brilliant, creative, often neurodivergent humans:

Lazy doesn’t exist.

What we’ve been taught about “laziness” is a label passed down through systems that value productivity over presence.
Systems that measure worth by output.

Capitalism, classism, ableism, racism (all the -isms!) would have us believe we’d get ahead if we just worked a little harder.

But that framework ignores context. It dismisses the nervous system. It shames people who move differently, rest more often, or need slowness to survive.

In my experience, what gets labelled as “lazy” is actually:

🔥 Burnout

🌊 Overwhelm

🤲 Lack of support

👻 Fear

🌙 Creative stillness

🧩 A mismatch between task and values

🐾 A nervous system just doing its honest best

“Lazy” isn’t a reality, it’s a dismissal.

Instead of asking yourself “Why am I so lazy?”
Try asking:

🤔 What do I need right now that I’m not getting?

✨ What would make this task fulfilling?

🥁 What would change if I followed my own rhythm?

Be More Cat

House cats don’t get called lazy.
They nap, stretch, and blink at you like tiny mystics.
Then suddenly at 3am, they sprint down the hallway like it’s an emergency.

They’re not “on” all the time.
They follow their rhythm.
And nobody questions their value.

You don’t have to question yours, either.

Let’s take “lazy” out of our vocabulary, and make space for something truer, kinder, and more honest.

Want more like this?
You can subscribe to my newsletter or explore more gentle thoughts on work, creativity, and leadership at allisonbennie.com/thoughts.

👉 Grab my a free copy of WHAT TO DO NEXT: The Creative Reorientation Handbook
👉 Or let’s chat about coaching that feels like a cozy nudge, not a bootcamp.

You’re doing fine. Take that nap 💤

Allison ✨