12 Phrases Lazy People Use To Fool Their Bosses Into Thinking They’re Working Hard
Lazy people often use these phrases to avoid being productive.
Aliaksei Kaponia / Shutterstock Being productive is often something that's glorified, considering we live in a society that glamorizes working every minute of the day. Some people don't play around when it comes to getting things done and use their time wisely, making sure everything gets checked off their to-do list. But there are also plenty of lazy people who spend just as much energy trying to find ways to avoid getting their work done.
Many of these people are pretty good at creating an illusion that they are getting things done, but when you look deeper at their habits, you realize they aren't doing much of anything at all. They're able to get away with this by using phrases to fool their bosses into thinking they’re working hard. While these individuals can be pretty adept at opting out of real work while still appearing intentional, it can sometimes be easy to spot the phrases they rely on.
Here are 11 phrases lazy people use to fool their bosses into thinking they’re working hard
1. 'I've got a lot on my plate right now'
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Considering that productive people may use this phrase frequently, at first glance, it sounds like the person saying this is truly overwhelmed with all their responsibilities. However, when you dig deeper, you realize that they never follow up with specifics. They never actually talk about the things that are on their plate, and keep it vague for a reason, which is the fact that they actually have nothing on their plates at all. Or at least, nothing on their plate that they genuinely want to tackle and complete.
"Procrastination negatively impacts our performance, leads to burnout, and leaves us emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted. It compromises our immune systems and makes us susceptible to illness," explained clinical psychologist Monica Vermani.
The reason why they may still feel stressed out is that they've put it off and are procrastinating. Most of the time, people don't tend to push those who use this phrase because they don't want to overwhelm them more than they already seem to be, but lazy people rarely want to solve the deeper reason why they actually feel stressed.
2. 'Just circling back on that...'
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When a lazy person uses this phrase, it may sound as if they're being professional and keeping tabs on the tasks that they have left to do. But oftentimes, they use this phrase without actually getting anything back or even circling around on something that's been left unfinished. It's such a vague and noncommittal way to fool their bosses into thinking they're working hard.
"The point is that procrastination can indeed be a coping mechanism, but that doesn’t mean we should embrace it. Regardless of what you call it, procrastination remains largely maladaptive and can result in many adverse outcomes," pointed out psychologist Christopher Dwyer.
Most of the time, a person who's talking about "circling back" hasn't done something and isn't ever really planning on it either. It's their way of pretending to be engaged, and while there are people who say this with the genuine intention of meeting their deadline and being productive, when it's overused, it can be quite obvious.
3. 'Been meaning to get to that'
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People who have trouble dedicating their time to being productive may use this phrase as a way of trying to seem like they're being busy when, in reality, they aren't. It's their way of saying that while they may have had the time to check off certain tasks and projects, they haven't actually taken the time to complete them.
They're simply trying to avoid the confrontation of having to explain themselves, while still hinting at the fact that they have good intentions and will eventually get to that specific task. However, they leave out the part of just delaying it until they simply can't delay it anymore. People use this phrase to claim responsibility, but they actually aren't prioritizing it either.
"Taking responsibility for our actions, even when they are accidents, means that we can change our behavior going forward. And knowing that we can make changes gives us a sense of agency, a feeling of power over what we do and don’t do, and a sense of competence," explained psychotherapist F. Diane Barth.
4. 'I'm letting the ideas come to me'
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When an individual uses this phrase, it may sound as if they're getting their ducks in order and working towards getting back in their creative bag. But more often than not, they're simply saying that they aren't really doing anything right now, nor are they making steps to actually be creative. It's normal to get stuck in creative ruts.
"Being stuck in a rut is something we all experience and can happen for a number of reasons. Though the initial push is undoubtedly the hardest part, remembering to set realistic expectations in the short term can help us quickly shake off fatigue and rediscover our drive," encouraged research psychologist Richard Brown.
Life can sometimes become overwhelming, and it's hard to find inspiration in the mundane. But you can't expect creativity to hit you if you're just sitting around and doing nothing. You have to actually go outside and interact with people and places to get that creative spark again. If you're someone who's just "letting the ideas come," then you may be disappointed when that actually doesn't happen.
5. 'I'm creating space for what's next'
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When someone uses this phrase, it may sound as if they're being intentional about how they want to use their time. Maybe they're trying to mentally declutter and keep away from distractions so they can be productive in a meaningful way, but in reality, when lazy people say this, they're just trying to fool their bosses into thinking they're working hard.
They actually haven't figured out their next move, and they seemingly have no plans on figuring it out either. They're keeping it vague because they are just unsure of what they want to do next, which is so common. While creating space is necessary, when it's being repeated all of the time with zero follow-through, then it becomes clear that they're delaying it for a reason.
"Take time and ignite that creative spark. You deserve it and, most of all, you are one of a kind; no one has a mind like yours. You are here to share all the light inside you. Come on and play, be creative, and give yourself the time to be free. It’s good for your mind and body, so let us see all that’s inside," insisted neuroscientist Nicole Tetreault.
6. 'I'm letting myself be'
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When a lazy person uses this phrase, it may seem as if they're putting self-care first. While that's true because you can't work hard and be productive without taking care of yourself first, lazy people sometimes use this as a way to blur the line between self-care and avoiding tasks they should do.
It also puts others in a place where they can't criticize someone for saying it, because then it sounds as if you don't want them to be at peace. It's such a vague placeholder for refusing to get things done. It becomes a shield that lazy people may use to avoid change and the need to grow. And there's nothing worse than trying to avoid change.
"Sure, at times we can get ahead of ourselves and set unrealistic goals that may be difficult for us to achieve or maintain, and we must overcome obstacles or barriers that can be detrimental to our success; however, it is also true that staying on track with our new goals and resolutions consists of much greater and complex processes than we may realize," said psychiatrist Ralph Ryback.
7. 'I just need to get in the zone'
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This is one of those casually thrown-out phrases that lazy people will use to make it seem as if their motivation for getting things done is right around the corner. In reality, they have zero plans of ever "getting in the zone." More often than not, they say this as a way of delaying the things they have to get done altogether by hiding under the umbrella of needing to be in a specific headspace.
While other people may need to get in the zone by cleaning their space, lighting a candle, and maybe even going for a walk, lazy people might do all of that and still have their tasks remain untouched. Getting in the zone requires focus and actually wanting to get things done, versus using it as a repeated excuse.
8. 'I'm not forcing it'
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When a lazy person uses this phrase, they may not be forcing that spark to get things done, but they aren't exactly encouraging it either. They use it as a way of shutting down anything urgent that comes across for them to complete. Rather than admit to having a fear of failure or procrastination, they simply claim that they aren't forcing things at the moment and are instead choosing to respect their intuition.
In the long run, they end up deflecting any sort of accountability. By living in this mindset, they won't ever be in a position to actually get the things done that they need to get done. There's such a difference between actually wanting to practice self-care and using it as an excuse to avoid real work.
9. 'Let me just get through today'
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In a time when everyone feels burnt out and stressed, taking it a day at a time is a normal response when things just feel so hectic and overwhelming. However, when a lazy person uses this phrase, they may actually feel burnt out, but they're not using any of their energy to tackle the things they need to get done.
They're not actually offering any real timeline for when things will change. It becomes this vague mindset that there will come a day when they can get things done, but they aren't being specific about what day that will be. It buys them time because everyone does have "one of those days," and they know that people will back off and not question them, which ends up being the point.
10. 'I'm working on multiple projects at once'
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It might sound impressive when someone says they have multiple projects on their plate and are juggling all of these deadlines, but for a lazy person, they're admitting that they have started all of these things, but haven't finished any of them. They may find it easy to start projects, but when it comes time to finish them, they seem to struggle with that the most.
When everything is being worked on all at once, it becomes difficult to commit fully to one thing, which ultimately becomes the problem. You can't really give your energy to more than one thing at a time, and the chaos of all of that keeps them from finishing things and being productive.
11. 'I'll jump back on that soon'
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When a lazy person is trying to give the illusion that they're busy when they're not, they'll often claim that they're just waiting for the right time to jump back into things. They're being vague on purpose, giving the illusion that they're just waiting for the perfect time to do their tasks, when in reality, they aren't creating space to be busy at all.
More often than not, these individuals aren't really planning to be productive. They're avoiding accountability so that people won't press them about the things they have yet to finish.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
