Abstract: Online course developers and instructors often face unmanageable workloads, endless busyness, and high stress, which can all paradoxically lead to poorer outcomes for students. With faculty stress and overwork at all-time highs since the COVID-19 pandemic, a rethinking of approaches to work is necessary. This overview of instructional design strategies for instructors of higher education online courses provides a framework for becoming “lazier”: spending less time working, experiencing less stress, and embracing sloth so that focus can be redeployed to tackle bigger goals with a relaxed mind. But laziness doesn't mean neglect: each of the strategies use best practices to deliver quality instruction.