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SatAug 10

National Lazy Day – August 10, 2024

In today’s plugged-in world, we often find ourselves wishing for a day when we didn’t have to do anything.

Nothing at all. Not even the tiniest bit of work.

In other words, we long for a lazy day. And yet, when we set aside a day to do nothing, we find it difficult to actually be lazy — as if we’re hardwired to do something, even if we don’t really need to do anything.

Let’s put a stop to that. August 10 is the day to do it. Or not do it.

It’s National Lazy Day. And it’s glorious.

Lazy Day 2021 is the best day to celebrate your inner couch potato by just ignoring all your daily work routine and doing nothing the whole day long.

This day, just lay back on your couch, give your T.V. remote control some exercise, and do enjoy a well deserved rest.

When is National Lazy Day 2024?

Couch potatoes, lazy bums, and slackers, we’d tell you to celebrate National Lazy Day on August 10, but you can go ahead and be lazy about it.

History of National Lazy Day

The origins of National Lazy Day are unknown. We did our research but got lazy and didn’t dig deeper. Perhaps the creators of this holiday were too lazy to pen down the inspiration behind it. The only thing we know is that it is zealously celebrated on August 10 by not being overly zealous.

The whole point of National Lazy Day is to be a lazy good-for-nothing and just relax. Today is the one day nobody can call you out for staying in bed all day or lounging on the couch in front of the television, munching on snacks. We are not telling you to get out of your literal comfort zone but a few add-ons could keep you entertained, like playing the 2010 song by Bruno Mars, titled ‘The Lazy Song,’ or grabbing a copy of “The Myth of Laziness” by Mel Levine to better understand and debunk myths surrounding laziness and its impact on our productivity.

As much as it is frowned upon, laziness can actually be a blessing. At times it is not that a person is lazy, it is that they’d rather prefer to save their energy for things that are really important. Lazy people are usually well-rested and reap the benefits of getting sufficient sleep — this includes improved memory, decreased stress, a greater attention span, and decreased inflammation.

The best part about laziness is that you are less likely to experience burnout. Being lazy allows the body to rejuvenate and restore its balance and energy. Burnout can lead to insomnia, depression, and chronic fatigue.

National Lazy Day timeline

The Seventh Day
God rests

After creating everything in six days, even God found time for a lazy day.

1819
Irving Publishes "Rip Van Winkle"

Washington Irving's character Rip Van Winkle isn’t lazy per se, but he does drink some booze and sleeps for 20 years, missing the American Revolution!

1850s
The Leisure Class is Born

Working classes begin to enjoy a measure of financial security that allows them to have lazy days.

1990
Linklater Releases "Slacker"

Richard Linklater's film follows a bunch of people who film critic Peter Travers describes as “a generation of bristling minds unable to turn their thoughts into action.”

July 24, 2018
We Did Nada

In honor of future National Lazy Days, we wrote this without doing any difficult research. Salute!

Traditions

National Lazy Day doesn’t have too many traditions, as people are too lazy to come up with any activity that can be made into a tradition. Take a break, laze around, and give your mind a rest. Many people glorify hustle culture, but it is good to be lazy once in a while and take the time to reflect and really think about things, otherwise, there is the risk of burning out. 

Today can also be used as the ideal excuse as to why the dishes are not done, why the garbage is not taken out, or why any other errand has not been completed. For once, laziness is the answer! 

By The Numbers

2007 — the year after which people have been relaxing more and working less. 

78% — the percentage of Americans who don’t meet their daily requirements of physical activity. 

#3546783628876  — the figure that lazy people don’t read completely! 

1 — the number of Google search results pages that lazy people don’t go beyond. 

2015 — the year when a study published in the Journal of Health Psychology stated that less active people are more intelligent. 

National Lazy Day FAQs

What is the laziest day of the year?

Lazy Day on August 10 is the laziest day of the year.

Is it bad to be lazy all day?

Once in a while, it’s okay, but if it becomes a daily lifestyle, being lazy can be too much.

Is it okay to have a lazy day in bed?

Of course! Always being productive and a go-getter can get exhausting. Spending an entire day in bed sleeping or watching movies is a great way to rejuvenate. Switch your cellphone off while you are at it too.

National Lazy Day Activities

  1. Plan something (and by something — we mean nothing)

    Don't plan anything. Be lazy. Wake up. Then go back to bed. Then get out of bed. Or stay there. Just don't do anything. It's National Lazy Day! Enjoy!

  2. Find a lazy river upon which to float lazily.

    Park yourself inside a cushy inner tube and let the river take you downstream.

  3. Turn your phone off.

    Although sitting around doing nothing but checking our phones for text messages or Facebook notifications may seem like a lazy thing to do, it's not. It's far too active a thing for National Lazy Day.

5 SLEEPY FACTS ABOUT LAZINESS

  1. Oscar Wilde admired lazy people

    Or at least his characters did — with one of them opining that "to do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual."

  2. Sloths aren't lazy

    They've just evolved to conserve energy. (Still, they move so slowly that algae has time to grow on their fur, turning them green and providing a measure of camouflage in the trees.)

  3. You can't be lazy if you like etymology

    The origin of the word "lazy" is uncertain, but it likely derives from the Middle Low German word "lasich," which meant, well, lazy.

  4. It is genetic for some

    Laziness is in our genes — a mutation in the gene that controls the dopamine receptors in our brains potentially makes us lazier.

  5. Laziness leads to creativity and deep thought

    When we are in standby mode, the default mode network (DMN) part of our brain is activated, propelling deep thinking and daydreaming.

Why We Love National Lazy Day

  1. We're exhausted

    This is a go-go-go world and we're constantly go-go-going. We need a day to do nothing, and we aim to do it — with as little effort as possible.

  2. It's good for us.

    Science and medicine all point to the same conclusion: We work too hard for too long. National Lazy Day reminds us to step back, take a deep breath and just be alive and lazy for once.

  3. We can reconnect.

    Observing National Lazy Day means we can reconnect with the things we love — like our families and the great outdoors. Just be sure that — whether you're with family or outside in nature or both — you don't actually do anything. Just. Be. Lazy. For once in your life.

National Lazy Day dates

YearDateDay
2024August 10Saturday
2025August 10Sunday
2026August 10Monday
2027August 10Tuesday
2028August 10Thursday

Let’s get social

Here are some special hashtags for the day.

#lazyday #NationalLazyDay #Lazy #BeingLazy #LazyCat

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