Why I Thought I Was Lazy (But My Body Was Actually Talking to Me)

For a long time, I told myself I was lazy.

I’m a single parent. There is always something to do. Someone to look after. Something that needs sorting. So when I felt heavy, slow, or unmotivated, I assumed something was wrong with me.

But it turns out my body was trying to tell me something.

Being a Single Parent Is Constant Mental Work

Even on quiet days, my mind is never really off.

I’m planning meals, money, school things, work, emotions — mine and my child’s. There’s no “handover”. No shared mental load. That constant background thinking adds up.

What I thought was laziness was actually mental overload.

I Was Tired in a Way Sleep Didn’t Fix

I could sleep and still wake up exhausted.

Not because I didn’t rest enough hours, but because rest isn’t just sleep. Rest is not having to decide, manage, fix, or hold everything together for a while.

As a single parent, that kind of rest is rare.

My body wasn’t saying “do nothing”.

It was saying “I need real recovery”.

Emotional Exhaustion Looks Like Laziness

There’s a lot of quiet emotional work in single parenting.

Staying calm when you’re worried. Being strong when you feel uncertain. Putting someone else first even when you’re empty.

Over time, that drains you.

I wasn’t lazy. I was emotionally tired.

When You’re Always Coping, Burnout Sneaks In

I didn’t collapse. I didn’t stop functioning. I just… slowed down.

Less motivation. Less energy. Less care for things I used to push through.

That’s what burnout looks like when you don’t have the option to stop.

I Realised My Body Was Asking, Not Failing

Once I stopped calling myself lazy, everything shifted.

Instead of asking:

“Why can’t I just get on with it?”

I started asking:

“What am I carrying?”

“What do I need more of?”

“What can I let be easier?”

That changed how I treated myself.

What Helped Me Most

Not big changes. Small, kind ones.

• Letting some things be “good enough”
• Taking short quiet moments without guilt
• Accepting that tired doesn’t mean weak
• Reminding myself that this season is demanding

Final Thought

If you’re a single parent and you feel lazy, heavy, or unmotivated, please hear this:

You are not broken.

You are not failing.

Your body is communicating.

And listening to it is not weakness — it’s care.

Look after yourself 

Love Vikki xxx