We often associate laziness with apathy, carelessness or lack of motivation. And while some people are more likely to look for the easiest option, performing tasks with as little effort as possible can have its benefits. These people are actually good at finding out the quickest way of doing something with little mental or physical activity.

One study published in the Journal of Health Psychology suggests that people who are more physically active have a lower need to engage in activities that require thinking. But this “difference was most pronounced during the 5-day work week and lessened during the weekend“, which means that an easy-going weekend will only benefit your brainpower. The researchers also found that those with high IQ go bored less easily. That's why they tend to be less active and spend more time thinking while the "non-thinkers“ preferred to engage in physical activities.

Also, an easy mistake would be to confuse laziness with proper idleness – choosing to do nothing. As the famous quote by Oscar Wilde goes, “to do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual.” And it's true. Believe it or not, but being idle is actually good for you.

Chris Bailey, author of “Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction”, said that our attention is either focused (when we get our work done and have meaningful conversations) or unfocused which actually makes us more creative. “Think back to your last creative insight — chances are it didn’t happen when you were focusing on one thing. In fact, you probably weren’t focused on much at all,” Bailey said.

According to the author, an idle mind allows us to do three things: rest, plan our future and long-term goals, and think of the most insightful and unique ideas. So in other words, when we see a bunch of do-nothings just sitting around and idling, they might actually be using their energy to think and create.

Some even think that laziness is the key to success. Michael Lewis, bestselling author of “The Big Short,” said that it serves him as a filter. “Something has to be really good before I’ll decide to work on it,” he said. In other words, it helps you to avoid being busy just for the sake of... being busy and also prevents you from taking on opportunities that you do not care much for.

However, if you're feeling lazy more often than not, it could mean that something else is going on. If you're having trouble getting things done, set unrealistic goals and feel exhausted, you might be experiencing a job burnout. Since it's sometimes presented in such a way that overlaps with the concept of do-nothingness, it's not that easy to spot.

Devon Price, a social psychologist and author of “Laziness Does Not Exist” speaks of the Laziness Lie, “a belief system that says hard work is morally superior to relaxation and that people who aren’t productive have less innate value than productive people“. In short, those who do more are worth more. Today, this kind of thinking can lead to physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.

And let's not mistake indolence for procrastination. We often think it's a form of passivity when in fact, people and especially students might be facing barriers that are unknown to us. “If a person’s behavior doesn’t make sense to you, it is because you are missing a part of their context,“ Price explained. “People do not choose to fail or disappoint. No one wants to feel incapable, apathetic, or ineffective. If you look at a person’s action (or inaction) and see only laziness, you are missing key details. There is always an explanation,” the author said.

So it seems that being lazy is not always a bad thing. In fact, you should probably do it more often. If you use it the right way, it even makes you more productive and leaves more room for original thoughts and ideas. Although if you're doing nothing because you're overwhelmed, it might be good to take a step back and figure out the nature of your laziness. Then try to overcome it. Or don't. It's completely up to you.