Are you listening to your laziness?

The ongoing saga of Covid in our house means that I’ve struggled to keep consistent energy. I’ve been up and down for the last week. One day I’m so exhausted that I can barely get out of bed, the next I feel fine, and the next I’m somewhere in between. While I am still testing negative, I can’t imagine I don’t have Covid in my body.

Because my body wants to be lazy.

Even now, writing this week’s post, I’m not sure how much I have in me. I had lots of ideas on the topic for this week, but I’ve adjusted my expectations.

My cat, Phoenix, is laying across one of my arms as I type. It’s almost like she wants me to stop being “productive” too. Phoenix often channels my energy, and I feel like she might be listening better to my laziness than I am.

Perhaps I should start listening.

I’ve been reading Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price for the last six or seven months. I pick it up every so often, read for 10-15 minutes, and then something comes over me that makes me put it down. It’s not a very efficient way to read a book.

But it might be exactly what Price is talking about in the book - listen to your laziness because it means something.

It means that you need something. And that something is probably rest, which takes many forms.

For me this week, it means not writing a full post (or recording an audio version). My laziness also includes making frozen pizzas instead of salads, letting the dishes pile up, and shutting down my computer before I planned.

My laziness may look like I’m being unproductive, when in fact, it’s the opposite. I’m productively putting care first. Care of myself by knowing my limits, of my partner, and of my community by not leaving the house or exposing anyone to our germs.

Resting is productive. And you’ll never convince me otherwise.

If you’d like to learn more about why laziness does not exist, I highly recommend this NPR Life Life episode. It’s a great conversation with Devon Price.