October Book Club: Laziness Does Not Exist
If you know me, you know how much I love books (reading them, buying them, talking about them, wandering amongst them at any used book store I can find.) Book Club is a monthly post about a book I’ve read–and recommend–because books can be one of our greatest therapeutic tools.
I don’t believe in laziness.
This first occurred to me in my early work as a therapist. I would hear my clients undersell their value and write off their own ability with an “I guess I’m just lazy.” Something about that statement just didn’t sit right with me. I’d think: is it laziness or is there something else you’d rather be doing? Is it laziness or are you burnt out? Is it laziness or are you simply trying to do too much? And how could I so easily believe that of my clients and struggle to let go of productivity in my own life?
Laziness Does Not Exist, by Dr. Devon Price, is an exploration into this idea. Price goes into their own experience with over-productivity, and then zooms out to give us the societal expectations around productivity and accomplishment. The chapter titles themselves–”You deserve to work less” and “You don’t have to be an expert in everything”--give you a clue about where this goes. The book ends with some guidance on how to build a life that actually aligns with your values rather than what society expects.
Who’s this book for? If you have trouble resting, if you constantly feel badly about not being productive in your free time, or if you feel like your accomplishments are linked to your worth as a person, give this book a try (and you’re not alone!)
What this book is not: A guide for how to rest for the sake of being more productive.
Favorite part: Price writes about how many hours are actually productive for a sustainable work week. Spoiler alert, it’s less than you’d guess…and certainly less than the 40 hours required of most full-time work…and especially less than the overtime hours many people tend to take on. A crucial reminder, particularly with it being so easy to access work from home these days.
