In a society hyper focused on productivity and doing more, it can be easy to bully yourself about being lazy and not accomplishing enough. Today’s guest, Dr. Devon Price, Professor at Loyola University Chicago and author of Laziness Does Not Exist believes that worth is not tied to productivity and that the perception around laziness is toxic.

In this episode, Devon explains their personal experience with overachievement and how that mentality changed. They discuss what they call the laziness lie, how mistrust from employers is damaging employees, and how organizations can change the perception around laziness. Lastly, Devon offers an excellent tangible tip for people who have a hard time saying no.

Interview Highlights (with timestamps):

• [3:48] Devon’s overachievement and when it stopped helping
• [9:52] Learning to rest
• [12:55] The laziness lie
• [16:23] Scamming your way to work life balance
• [21:06] Mistrust from employers
• [26:23] Unpacking the “it’s never enough” mentality
• [30:11] Organizations changing the perception around laziness
• [33:07] Devon’s tangible tip

Mentioned in this episode:

• How to Overcome the Pressure to Always Do More – Greater Good Interview with Devon
• Devon’s writing on Medium
• Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price
• Resilience Training by Redesigning Wellness

Full Bio:

Dr. Devon Price is a social psychologist, author, and professor at Loyola University Chicago. Their work has appeared on NPR, The Huffington Post, the Financial Times, Slate, and Jacobin. Laziness Does Not Exist is their first book.