 Have you or anyone you know ever experienced depression? According to the American Psychological Association, some of the most common signs of depression include frequent feelings of tiredness, difficulty concentrating, social withdrawal, and emotional detachment. But when you imagine someone who can't focus on their tasks, has low energy, and spends most of their time alone and at home, it can be easy to mistake it for a simple bout of laziness. So how do you tell the difference? Well, here are 7 psychology-backed signs to help you figure out if what you're experiencing is just laziness or something more serious. 1. You used to be highly self-motivated First and foremost, the most important way we can distinguish laziness from depression is to look at how the person acts now and compare it to how they used to be. Since laziness is a relatively stable character trait, it should stand to reason that someone who's just lazy has probably always been this way. Someone who used to be highly self-motivated and high-achieving but suddenly isn't anymore might actually be struggling with depression. 2. You've lost interest in everything in your life, similar to the last point. If you feel that you've lost not only your motivation but also your interest to do just about anything, even the things you used to love and were passionate about, then it might not be laziness you're struggling with, but depression. In fact, a markedly diminished interest or pleasure in activities is one of the hallmarks of a depressive episode. This is especially true if your laziness happens not only towards the things you usually don't want to do like chores or homework but even at the hobbies and activities you used to enjoy. 3. You feel like you can't do anything anymore Do you feel like you just can't bring yourself to do anything? Perhaps you feel like your laziness is getting out of hand because it's getting in the way of your work, studies, and or relationships. But in truth, if you're already struggling to function mentally, emotionally, physically, or socially, you may be dealing with something much more serious than laziness. 4. You don't know why you feel the way you do Have you been feeling upset but you don't know why? Another sign that there may be more to your laziness than you think is if it's accompanied by a lot of negative feelings that you just can't seem to make sense of. Whether it's loneliness, sadness, hopelessness, or even anger, you might find no obvious culprit behind these feelings, which can be frustrating and troublesome. So if you've been feeling this way lately and don't know why, it could be because you're actually depressed. 5. You struggle with other unexplained symptoms Have you been able to sleep well recently? Apart from the emotional toll depression can cause, you may also experience physiological symptoms as well. This may include finding yourself sleeping too much, losing your appetite, or overeating too much out of the blue. Other common examples include sudden heart palpitations, racing heartbeat, difficulty breathing, chest pains, and chronic pain and fatigue, even when doing nothing. 6. You don't know why you've suddenly become lazy A lot of the time people tend to become lazy when they feel overwhelmed or pressured to succeed. They may also procrastinate due to low self-esteem or lack of discipline, self-control, or lack of positive recognition from others. But if none of these seem to describe you and you just feel like you suddenly became lazy for no apparent reason, then it might be depression you're experiencing. Psychologists are currently still struggling to figure out why some people become depressed, but the bottom line is if you feel that nothing has triggered your sudden bout of unexplained laziness, this might be the reason why. 7. You're trying your best not to be lazy Alas, but certainly not least, if you've made every effort you can to try to snap yourself out of your own laziness, but just can't seem to, then it might be because it's not actually laziness at all that you're experiencing. It's depression. See, unlike depression, laziness can be easily remedied. There are a lot of productivity hacks you can apply to help get you out of your funk. But depression is a whole other story. If left undiagnosed and untreated, it can worsen over time and increase the likelihood of risky behaviors such as substance abuse, addiction, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Fortunately, the National Health Institute has reported that more than 80% of people who seek professional help for it do recover and get better. So if you're struggling, don't hesitate to seek help. Did you relate to any of the things we've mentioned here? For so, please reach out to a mental health professional today and get the help you deserve. Because the earlier depression is diagnosed, the easier it'll be to treat. Also, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with those who might benefit from it. And don't forget to hit the notification bell icon to get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video. The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. Thanks so much for watching and see you in our next video.