7 of the Laziest Animals to Inspire Your Seasonal Slow Down

Winter is a

time of dormancy for plants and

animals alike—and that includes you. If rest seems like a tough ask, the world's laziest animals provide endless inspiration, all without much effort (naturally).

Whether the snow locks you indoors or you’re just in need of a moment to recharge and soak up some family time, rest is the key to showing up as your best self. By choosing to incorporate more downtime in December, you can

improve your mental health, boost your immunity, and reduce unwanted stress for both you and your loved ones.

So return to a state of homeostasis and prepare for a restful new year. Here's exactly how to get the job done (or not) courtesy of critters who know a thing or two about the art of doing nothing.

No one understands sloth like the

sloth itself. Notoriously known for their slow-motion movements, sloths spend an average of 15 hours per day asleep. This means that they only spend about nine hours a day pondering food, or the next shady place where they'll find respite from their hectic schedules. 

Panda bears love to play, eat, and sleep. They spend an average of 12 hours a day asleep to accommodate for their very low energy expenditure but very high intake of food, at least 44 pounds a day mostly of bamboo which contains little nutrients. (Sounds like holiday mode to us!)

Physically, panda’s have

under-active thyroid glands that contribute to their tiredness, slow movements, and weight gain—so you can’t blame them for wanting to spend their days in deep slumber. 

There are more than 100 species of

lemur residing in Madagascar, the only natural place they call home. Lemurs are silly but docile creatures that spend roughly 16 hours a day asleep. Once up, lemurs rummage around the trees eating fruit, leaves, and small insects, typically working alone. But once it's time to go back to bed, they form pods by

huddling together. 

Koalas are not only extremely cute, they're smart, too! The marsupials know how to listen to their bodies and can dive into a deep sleep for an average of 22 hours a day. Koalas snack on eucalyptus leaves, which aren't high in nutrients—the abundant rest makes this diet possible. Let the koala be your seasonal mascot.

These little fur balls simply don’t like daylight. They are naturally

crepuscular, meaning they're most active at night, though they can adapt to their surroundings if necessary.

In the wild, though, hampsters spend most of their time underground to avoid predators, only moving above ground to hunt for seeds and fruit. Hampsters spend about 14 hours per day asleep but are very mission-oriented when awake, qualities that make for more worthy inspo.

Hippos are giant sleepy creatures who spend up to 16 hours per day snoozing whilst submerged in water. Their favorite meal is grass which makes for a nice and simple lifestyle, and the animal can even sleep underwater for up to

30 minutes—a very impressive party trick. 

The

tiger makes for a surprising addition to the lazy list. They spend an average of 18 hours per day sleeping despite their hearty diets, but this hustler needs its downtime. It takes a lot of energy to make a kill, and most attempts are failures—usually, it takes about 8-10 tries to get a meal. So even if you’re a go-go-go type, take a cue from this cat and prioritize rest.