How do I tell apart 'tired' and 'lazy'?

If you think that you need to take a break but you are feeling guilty or uneasy about it, try taking a minute to read your body. Signs that you are experiencing the negative effects of sustained, elevated cortisol levels include: Racing thoughts or inability to focus on one task for very long. Feeling “tired and wired”. Short temper, high anxiety and/or panic attacks. Difficulty winding down to go to sleep or difficulty staying asleep. Abdominal weight gain. Low libido. If you are not experiencing any of these signs or any other clear signs of physical or mental fatigue, you are probably just being lazy. Get up and continue focusing being actively productive! You are energized and ready – and you can probably stand taking a break later, when you really need it.

Tired is a physical symptom when your body and/or mind are fatigued and need rest. You can be emotionally tired too, which would focus around feeling "drained". Lazy can be a form of inactivity or lack of focus on something. To tell them apart is if you don't use either word in the wrong context... if you are used to hearing either word in the wrong context, then it's worth identifying their meanings so things could be rewired (given that is the issue) I suffer(ed) with laziness being wrongly placed in my life, and would assume that was the case, when in actual fact I was tired. It took acceptance and reflection to figure it out.