Have you ever felt a wave of guilt wash over you after binge-watching TV all day? How long have you gone without washing your hair – just because you didn’t feel like it? Can you live off yogurt and almond butter for days because you’d rather not go to the store?
The common term for behaviors like this is laziness, but what if it’s not that simple? And what if you’re not doomed to live the rest of your life ignoring that pile of dirty laundry in the corner and your non-existent social life?
- New research suggests laziness might not be just the product of a bad personality. What looks like lazy actually has scientific underpinnings in DNA, cognition, and brain health.<1>
These new findings imply nootropics for laziness could help you get more active – and like it.
Laziness Could Lie in the Limbic System
It can feel great to lounge around all day doing nothing. We’ve all had those days, and it’s a way of recuperating from super-busy and often over-stressed schedules. But when it becomes a habit, it can become a big problem.
Why are some people lazier than others? Is it genetic? Well, kind of.
Evolution has wired our limbic system to respond positively to feel-good activities that have helped us survive as a species. Eating, drinking, and sex are the big three at the top of the evolutionary response pyramid. But there are a slew of other behaviors that stem from primal brain programming.
Activity vs. Laziness
The brain rewards physical activity - like exercise - by sending dopamine through our system. For some people, exercise can even become addictive, like food, sex, or alcohol.
But just because it can become addictive doesn’t mean it always does. Some people struggle with getting enough food, sex, or exercise – despite the fact that our biology demands them.
Scientists conducted a study with mice to try to find out what’s behind laziness. They divided mice into two groups – those who ran on their exercise wheel frequently, and those who ran less often. The findings were clear. Activity-related predispositions were passed on to later generations. And they were amplified by 75 percent 10 generations down the line.
The Dopamine Factor
What caused the difference? Dopamine. The running mice had larger dopamine systems and more activity in areas that deal with motivation. This made them actually crave physical activity.
If they didn’t stay busy their brains would exhibit the same symptoms drug addicts experience during withdrawal.
Scientists now believe that personality traits like impulsivity, procrastination, and laziness are partly genetic. And researchers have recently discovered one genetic culprit that can make us "lazy."
Laziness in the Brain
The “couch potato gene” is a mutation of the gene SLC35D3. This gene produces a protein that’s an integral part of the dopamine system’s communications.<2>
- In clinical studies, scientists found that mice with the mutated gene had fewer dopamine receptors on the surface of brain cells. Instead, the receptor was trapped inside the cells, unable to receive messages.
This particular genetic predisposition is only one cause of laziness, and it’s pretty rare. But other, more common brain-related factors can make us seem lazy too.
Laziness and Procrastination
Procrastination is often confused for laziness. But they come from two different places. Procrastination is often a symptom of an anxiety-driven fear of failure. Or it can stem from something more serious like depression. And sometimes procrastinators just don’t care about the task at hand, so they’re not invested in an outcome.
Procrastination and laziness both operate from the limbic system but from different mechanisms within it. Procrastinators’ brains often view the action they should be taking as a threat. Perceived threats activate the amygdala’s fight-or-flight response.
Laziness, on the other hand, can stem from a lack of reward input from the dopamine system.
The response is similar – you just don’t care enough to put the required energy into attaining a desired outcome. And although the mechanisms differ, nootropics for laziness and nootropics for procrastination can boost some of the same cognitive functions that can help you get motivated and stay on track.
Laziness and Depression
Like procrastination, laziness could be a symptom of a mood disorder like ADHD or depression. A life-changing event can lead you into a period of laziness too. If you lose your job, become ill, break up with your significant other, or suffer some other major loss, you could very well lose interest in outside activities.
Depression is signaled by a chemical imbalance in the brain. “Happy” neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine become blocked, leading to a feeling of ennui or lethargy – an “I don’t care” attitude characterized by typical laziness.<3>
If you think you may be suffering from clinical depression, you should consult a professional for help with a diagnosis and recovery regimen. But if you’ve just been feeling a little blue and out of sorts, nootropics for laziness could help you get out of your funk and back into living a vibrant life.
Laziness and…Intelligence?
Couch potatoes may have a new reason to veg out. A study published in the Journal of Health Psychology suggests people with a high IQ get bored more easily, leading them to spend more time thinking introspectively. But people who are more active tend to occupy themselves with physical activity to avoid higher-level thinking.
For the study, the researchers divided 30 “thinkers” and 30 “non-thinkers” into separate groups and fitted them with fitness trackers for a week.
- The study’s results showed that the thinking group were much less active Monday through Friday than the non-thinking group, who engaged in a significantly higher level of physical activity.
But don’t let this information justify spending all your time with your head in the clouds. Lead study author Todd McElroy says
"Ultimately, an important factor that may help more thoughtful individuals combat their lower average activity levels is … awareness of their tendency to be less active, coupled with an awareness of the cost associated with inactivity. More thoughtful people may then choose to become more active throughout the day."
Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue is a fairly new term that refers to a a collection of common symptoms like fatigue, body aches, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. You may have seen it in health forums and on alternative medicine websites, but it is not an accepted medical diagnosis.
Adrenal glands produce hormones and neurotransmitters like cortisol and adrenaline. The accepted medical term adrenal insufficiency, also called Addison's disease, refers to inadequate production of these hormones in reaction to an underlying condition.
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- Fatigue
- Lightheadedness
- Body aches
- Loss of body hair
- Unexplained weight loss
- Skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation)
- Low blood pressure<4>
Adrenal insufficiency can be diagnosed by blood tests and other tests that reveal low levels of adrenal hormones.
Current blood tests can't detect adrenal fatigue, but proponents claim it is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency triggered by chronic stress. The condition theoretically causes adrenal glands to misfire under perpetual fight-or-flight arousal. As a result, feel-good hormones become depleted leading to the ascribed symptoms.
While it is frustrating to experience persistent, undiagnosed symptoms, addressing a medically unrecognized condition with unproven remedies could make things worse.
If you think you’re experiencing symptoms of adrenal fatigue, nootropics for laziness is a safe, natural supplement that could give you the push you need to get up and get going.
Mind Lab Pro® Nootropics for Laziness
Energizing nootropic supplements protect the brain from mental fatigue, boost cognitive performance, and optimize hormone levels so you can get off the couch and get things done. But not all supplements are created equal.
Mind Lab Pro® provides the best nootropics for laziness, including:
Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola rosea battles laziness by optimizing dopamine and serotonin levels and boosting Brain Reward System function so its easier to get active. It also combats the lethargy that can accompany mental fatigue and exhaust motivation, rebooting poor cognitive performance for more enthusiasm and energy.
Rhodiola's adaptogenic action helps balance the stress hormone cortisol to fight chronic stressors that can lead to poor mood and fatigue, while it safely increases dopamine levels and supports dopamine reuptake to improve mood without side effects.<5>
More on Mind Lab Pro® Rhodiola Rosea
B12
While B vitamins don't directly supply energy, they are involved in energy production. The body requires adequate levels of B vitamins in order to complete the citric acid cycle (CAC) or Kreb's cycle that releases stored energy from cells.<6>
B12 helps supports dopamine and serotonin synthesis, boosting the Brain Reward System and increasing energy. The body does not produce B12 on its own, instead we ingest it from nutritional sources like red meat, dairy, and shellfish. But as we age the stomach stops producing enough acid to absorb B12 from food sources.
- While adding B12 to an already sufficient supply won't boost energy, at least one large study indicates nearly 40 percent of all Americans may have at least marginal B12 deficiency.<7>
Including an absorbable, moderate dose of B12 in your health program can help your body access the stored energy it needs to get moving.
More on Mind Lab Pro® Vitamin B12
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine (NALT)
The body metabolizes the amino acid L-tyrosine to produce dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain, supporting mental performance while reducing stress. N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine adds the active compound acetic acid for better bioavailabity and enhanced absorption.<8>
- L-tyrosine can cross the blood brain barrier, but N-acetyl L-tyrosine is more soluble than L-tyrosine alone.
NALT is often stacked with B vitamins to balance the stress response and boost mood, mental energy, and motivation by complementing each others metabolic action as neurotransmitter precursors.
More on Mind Lab Pro® N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine
Citicoline
Citicoline is a true multi-tasking nootropic that works in multiple ways to increase energy and amplify brain activity.
- It supercharges brain cells by working with the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and acetylcholine (ACh).
- Further, citicoline metabolizes into choline and cytidine, precursors to cell membrane-engineering phospholids and DNA nucleotide base Uridine respectively.
- Plus, citicoline provides energy by enhancing ATP and Phospocreatine, a power-boosting duo that provides instant energy by breaking down energy-storing phosphates.<9>
But when it comes to genetic laziness, citicoline's most important mechanism may be its role in smoothing dopaminergic bio-pathways and increasing dopamine transporters.
Conclusion
Mind Lab Pro® nootropics for laziness boosts mood, energy, and motivation to support a healthy, more active lifestyle.
Mind Lab Pro® is a Universal Nootropic™ that works on a whole-brain level to activate 100% Brainpower™ for advanced cognitive performance, mental energy, and mood support.
When your brain is energized with Mind Lab Pro®, motivation and well-being follow so you can stay active and do more every day.
References
- Knab AM, Lightfoot JT. Does the difference between physically active and couch potato lie in the dopamine system? Int J Biol Sci. 2010 Mar 9;6(2):133-50.
- Zhang Z, et al. Mutation of SLC35D3 Causes Metabolic Syndrome by Impairing Dopamine Signaling in Striatal D1 Neurons. PLOS Genetics. 13 Feb February 2014. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004124
- Dremencov E, et al. The serotonin–dopamine interaction is critical for fast-onset action of antidepressant treatment: in vivo studies in an animal model of depression. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 28 (2004) 141 – 147. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2003.09.030
- Nippoldt TB. Adrenal fatigue: What causes it? Mayo Clinic. 12 Apr 2017.
- Ross SM. Rhodiola rosea (SHR-5), Part I: a proprietary root extract of Rhodiola rosea is found to be effective in the treatment of stress-related fatigue. Holist Nurs Pract. 2014 Mar-Apr;28(2):149-54. doi: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000014.
- Ramakrishna T. Vitamins and brain development. Physiol Res. 1999;48(3):175-87.
- Tucker KL, et al. Plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations relate to intake source in the Framingham Offspring study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Feb;71(2):514-22. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/71.2.514
- Møller SE, Honoré P, Larsen OB. Tryptophan and tyrosine ratios to neutral amino acids in endogenous depression. Relation to antidepressant response to amitriptyline and lithium + L-tryptophan. J Affect Disord. 1983 Feb;5(1):67-79.
- Silveri MM et al. Citicoline enhances frontal lobe bioenergetics as measured by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy. NMR Biomed. 2008 Nov; 21(10): 1066-75.
