The 3 Modes of Nature and Why You Feel Lazy, Restless, or Peaceful

At some point, you’ve likely wondered why you wake up clear-minded and motivated on some days, but feel completely drained on others, while other times you feel like doing absolutely nothing, or worse, you’re restless, irritable, and can’t sit still? According to Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, this has less to do with your personality and more to do with how you’re being influenced by the three modes of material nature.

Understanding these modes—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas – can completely change how you view your moods, habits, and even your relationships. This isn’t theory. Krishna lays out a practical way to identify and rise above these influences, so you’re not pulled around by forces you don’t understand.

Let’s explore how these three energies affect everything from your state of mind to your life choices—and what to do about it.

In Sanskrit, they’re called Gunas. Krishna explains them in depth in chapters Bhagavad Gita 14 & Bhagavad Gita 18. These modes are constantly acting upon every living being in the material world. They are:

• Sattva (Goodness): clarity, peace, truth

• Rajas (Passion): activity, desire, restlessness

• Tamas (Ignorance): inertia, laziness, confusion

We are all influenced by a combination of these three. You may feel more sattvic after morning meditation, more rajasic during a competitive project, and tamasic after binge-watching a show for hours.

Tamas, or the mode of ignorance, is heavy. It clouds judgment, slows the body, and disconnects you from purpose.

Krishna describes it as:

“Tamas is born of ignorance and causes illusion in all living entities. It binds the soul through negligence, sleep, and delusion.”
— Bhagavad Gita 14.8

You feel this especially when you procrastinate endlessly. For instance, when your alarm rings and you snooze it ten times. When you keep numbing out with social media, food, or distractions, not because they help, but because facing life feels too hard.

What’s important is: don’t judge yourself. Instead, recognize this influence and shift your inputs, light food, sunlight, clean spaces, and sacred sound all help clear tamas over time.

Rajas, the mode of passion, pushes you to act. That sounds great—until you realize it doesn’t give peace. This mode makes you chase things without being satisfied.

Krishna says:

“Rajas, born of unlimited desires and longings, binds the soul by attachment to fruitive action.”
— Bhagavad Gita 14.7

This is the ‘hustle’ energy we often glorify. However, it’s also the anxiety behind constant ambition. The need to be productive, validated, or in control. You might look successful on the outside, but still feel empty.

Rajas is useful when channelled properly—driven work, focused ambition—but dangerous when it runs your life. The solution? Reconnect with purpose. Ask yourself: why am I doing this?

Sattva, or the mode of goodness, brings light. It clears the fog and brings a natural sense of joy and purpose. It isn’t hyper or passive—it’s balanced.

Krishna says:

“Sattva, being pure, is illuminating and free from disease. It binds one by attachment to happiness and knowledge.”
— Bhagavad Gita 14.6

When you’re in sattva, you don’t need much to feel fulfilled. A quiet walk or a meaningful conversation is often enough, or deep reading fills you. It’s not that everything outside changed—it’s that your inner atmosphere became clear.

How do you cultivate sattva? Eat clean, rise early, chant mantras, associate with spiritually minded people, and reduce noisy inputs.

Yes, and you constantly do. Krishna explains that the modes compete for dominance:

“Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance. Sometimes passion dominates, and sometimes ignorance overcomes goodness and passion.” — Bhagavad Gita 14.10

Still, one key to self-awareness is noticing which mode is influencing you in the moment. Once you recognize the shift, you gain the power to respond with clarity. Are you tired? Driven? Clear? That awareness helps you respond instead of react.

The goal is not to stay in sattva permanently. Even sattva binds you to happiness and knowledge. Krishna recommends going beyond all three modes entirely—and that’s where yoga begins.

Krishna tells Arjuna to rise beyond the gunas, not just manage them.

“One who remains fixed in the Self, who regards happiness and distress alike, who looks upon a clod, a stone, and a piece of gold with an equal eye… is said to have transcended the modes of nature.” — Bhagavad Gita 14.22–25

This doesn’t mean you become indifferent. It means you become rooted in your real self—the eternal atma—and stop being swayed by temporary moods or results.

1. Start your day early, before sunrise. This is a sattvic time, ideal for reflection and chanting.
2. Chant the Hare Krishna mantra or read one verse from the Bhagavad Gita.
3. Eat fresh, light, and pure food, avoiding heavy and overly spicy meals.
4. Watch your inputs—content, music, company. They shape your mind more than you think.
5. Reflect before you act. Ask: Is this coming from clarity, craving, or dullness?

Battling inner dullness or restlessness becomes easier when you realize they aren’t you. They’re just layers over your consciousness. Krishna’s teachings help you strip away the noise and connect to the eternal clarity within.

Each mode has its time and purpose. Nevertheless, you are meant to rise beyond all three, to live from your true nature. That’s what real peace looks like.

Related Reads You Might Find Helpful:

• Battling Inner Negativity: Krishna’s Tips on Self-Mastery

• Meditation vs. Medication: A Vedic Take on Mental Wellness