 Hey, Psych2Goers, welcome back. Do you have days where you do literally nothing? You know you have things to do, but it's just not happening. In today's society, we tend to glorify those who are always working, always productive and always on the go. However, this could be more harmful than beneficial. This can leave us feeling like we're lazy if we're not doing something that can be labeled as productive. In actuality, you may not be lazy at all. Instead, this could actually be a warning sign that your mental health is declining. So here are six signs you're struggling with your mental health, not laziness. Number one, doing nothing isn't normal for you. There are a lot of reasons why someone may want to do nothing for the day. Maybe you have a lot going on at school or work or you need a day of self-care. These are all normal and healthy reasons for wanting a quiet day to yourself. And laziness, on the other hand, is having things to do and not caring to do them. Even though you have the energy or time, author Devon Price writes about how he was always a put together organized, diligent little worker bee to anyone looking in. However, he put himself into a position where he'd feel guilty for spending any recharge time. This could be due to poor mental health awareness or even a toxic childhood environment where you were taught that you were valued for what you do rather than who you are. Next time you have a lazy day, make a list of all the work you've done to show yourself how deserved your rest time really is. Number two, things that you once did easily are more of a chore now. Mental health isn't linear. If you're an anime fan, you may know a guy named Naruto Uzumaki. He loves eating ramen and could have a bowl for every meal every day. The last thing he wants to do is be stuck in a classroom. If you told him to study, even on his best day, he might drag his feet. But if Naruto declined ramen on a bad mental health day, we wouldn't call him lazy for not wanting to get some. You'd be more inclined to see if he's okay. When you have a day where you can't do much of anything, ask yourself, does this thing bother me normally? When you're feeling a bit off, ask yourself what needs to be done. If it's something you normally don't like, take some recharge time. If you notice you're ditching your normal routine and it's affecting your daily life, please reach out to a mental health professional to get extra support. Number three, you're motivated, but you lack energy. It's your day off. You have a list of errands, but you can't seem to get started. Do you have the motivation to do them, but not the energy? This is the big defining factor between laziness and mental health. When you're being lazy, you don't have any motivation to do anything no matter what it is. However, if you have a list of things to do that you actually want or need to get done, but can't seem to, this is a sign of mental health decline. The motivation to complete the task is there, the energy may not be. Take some time for a self check-in and real recharge time. Number four, you're always scrolling when you have things to do. When you're with people or when you have things to do, do you notice yourself retreating into your phone? This is a huge sign of mental health concern, not laziness. You may still want to be present with your friends or start that to-do list, but just can't seem to be able to. This doesn't mean you're lazy. Not wanting to be present and wanting to seclude yourself, our self-soothing coping mechanisms we do when we feel uncomfortable. If you find yourself doing this, try to put your phone down for five minutes, then try again for 10 and see how you feel. Number five, you don't feel anything. When you're struggling with mental health, it can be very difficult to keep up with normal life and tasks. Falling behind would normally stress someone out and cause them to rush to complete all of their tasks. But when you're struggling with mental health, you may not feel that panic that a deadline brings. You may not care that you haven't eaten or drank any water. Speaking of which, grab a sip right now. You may not even care that you haven't showered in days. This is a huge red flag. You might want to make an appointment to talk with a mental health professional. And number six, you find yourself daydreaming most of your day away. Do you frequently daydream to the point where it gets in the way of your day-to-day life? A 2017 study connected maladaptive daydreaming with the existence of a mental health condition. Maladaptive daydreaming is a condition where someone experiences daydreams so intense that it distracts them from the tasks at hand. 74.4% of participants in the study that displayed maladaptive daydreaming had three or more other conditions. 41.1% of the participants had four or more conditions. So if you find yourself lost and thought most of the day, it may be a sign that something is off. You may be tired. You may be binging that third season. You're not lazy. We hope this video gave you some hope and some signs to look out for the next time you're feeling like a couch potato. Do you notice yourself doing any of these things? Do you have any tips to shake yourself out of the funk? Let us know in the comments below. As always, keep an eye on site for more Psych2Go content. If you found this video helpful, like and share it with friends that might find insight in this too. Remember to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell for more new content. All the sources used are added in the description box below. Thanks so much for watching. Until next time.