If You're Lazy You're Probably Not Going to Read this though You Should

Filipinos are known for being indolent. The Spaniards would always point that out back in the colonial times when enslaved Filipinos wouldn't work as hard as expected of them. Anthropology says it is because of the climate. It could be, because we even like sleeping in the middle of the day to escape the harsh heat. However, lethargy is not just a Filipino thing (at least not like the known "Filipino Time").

Idleness is caused by the lack of motivation (obviously), but deep inside your brain, it's not just as simple. The brain has several neurotransmitters responsible with the many emotions and actions you have. Dopamine, the well-known pleasure and rewards center affects your brain's choice of whether to just lie on that couch the entire day or carpe diem.

This neurotransmitter is sensitive. When a proposed activity such as a demanding school or job assignment gets into the censors of your brain's recognition, and the task is then processed and evaluated as something with a delayed reward, the reward center gets turned off and gets your brain to excuse itself with the fake "I have a headache" reason--also an excuse used by a partner when you're initiating sex which dopamine considers as a rewarding act though, along with food and exercise.

Now EXERCISE? You might be thinking, "The brain thinks exercise is rewarding, yet many people find this as their laziness trigger?" Well looking at the three mentioned rewarding things, they all contribute to keeping humanity going--satisfaction, pleasure or reproduction, and fitness. These things except for fitness has immediate noticeable results. Going to the gym does not come with a quick outcome that triggers pleasure while the other two gives you heaven during, after, and of course most especially when they are combined (go figure how).

Don't blame it all on yourself though, for according to studies, laziness could be described as genetic. In an experiment, two groups of mice were observed. First group had mice who ran a lot on their wheels while the other group was comprised of the lazy ones. What the scientists have found out of that experiment was that the next generations of each group of mice acquired their respective traits. 75% of the last observed generation of the mice driven to run were still as motivated that they were already running 7 miles when the other group remained in the average of 4 miles. Time to pick a fight with your parents? Yes!

Now, if you really want to get that task at hand started, do it! Trick your brain by making the task rewarding in your own terms--eat that carb-rich meal in that restaurant you have been avoiding for some time now or make that booty call your pride has been hindering yourself from doing for weeks already. If you can't find a long-term motivation just yet, do those, but if you really want that constancy, figure ways to get there!