In 2023, Time magazine published shocking data: 89% of people trying to overcome laziness give up on the 7th day.
But what if there are methods that don't require titanic efforts?
Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman said in his podcast: “Laziness is not a personality trait, it’s a glitch in the dopamine system. It can be fixed in 300 seconds.” One of the participants in his experiment, Jacob Reynolds , an ordinary teacher from Ohio, increased his productivity by 4 times in a month using the “mirror question method.”
How does this work
According to MIT research, our brains view laziness as a defense mechanism, not an enemy. Psychology professor Laurie Santos explains: “When you tell yourself ‘stop being lazy,’ the amygdala is activated, which increases resistance.”
Instead, she suggests a technique called “paradoxical acceptance”: spend five minutes a day asking yourself questions like, “What will happen if I keep lying on the couch?”
It sounds absurd, but an experiment at Cambridge University showed that this caused a sharp increase in motivation in 70% of participants.
Writer and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss described a similar method in his book The 4-Hour Body. He called it the "reverse sabotage rule": instead of fighting laziness, you need to allow yourself to be lazy, but strictly according to a timer.
"I set it for 5 minutes, lie down and stare at the ceiling. After 120 seconds I get so bored that I jump up and start working," he writes. Salvador Dali used a similar technique to overcome creative block - he fell asleep with a key in his hand, and its fall woke the artist, returning his focus.
Why 99% of People Fail
Psychotherapist Amy Morin, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Strong People Don't Do, blames the "Goldilocks effect": people either overcomplicate their methods or expect instant results. The story of Emily Gardner, a student from Sydney, confirms this.
She tried meditating, running, and journaling, but gave up after 2-3 days. Everything changed when she started spending 5 minutes on the “Dali Technique.” A month later, Emily launched a travel blog that has amassed 100,000 subscribers.
The danger is in the details
Neuroscientist Sam Harris warns: "If you don't put a strict time limit on the method, the brain will start to perceive it as punishment."
That's why time management guru Chris Bailey recommends using a timer with a loud signal. And Reddit founder Steve Huffman admitted in an interview with The New York Times : "I only use the '5-minute rule' in the morning. In the evening, the brain is too tired for such games."
What if we start today?
In 2024, blogger David Chen held a challenge: 1,000 people implemented the "mirror question method" for 30 days. 91 participants changed jobs, 47 started a business, and 12 got out of depression.
But the key takeaway was different: those who didn't set reminders in their calendars quit after a week. Laziness isn't a monster, it's a shadow that disappears when you turn on the light. But are you willing to spend 5 minutes a day on it?
Author: Igor Zur