How do you feel? Tired? Frustrated? Sad? After months and months spent indoors in the company of only boredom and monotony, it is normal to feel a little apathetic, empty and aimless. You are not alone. Indeed, it is very likely that most people right now – after the chaos, pain and stress of the pandemic and a year of lockdowns and restrictions – are experiencing this same strange emotion.
In a recent article for the New York Times, psychologist Adam Grant explained what lies behind this feeling of indifference that we experience, perfectly encapsulating this phenomenon of mental health in the term languishing.
By languishing we mean that sense of languishing in a state of malaise. It is used to describe feelings such as emptiness, lack of will to do, lack of motivation and purpose.
«Languishing is the neglected middle child of mental health. It is somewhere between depression and prosperity. It is the absence of well-being “, explains the American psychologist, author of bestsellers including Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. “There are no symptoms of mental illness, but neither is it the portrait of good mental health. Those suffering from languishing are not functioning at full capacity. It dulls your motivation, disrupts your ability to concentrate, and triples the chances of reducing your work efficiency. It is as if you are looking at your life from a fogged window. The languishing extinguishes your motivations and destroys your desire to do “.
First coined in 2002 by the American sociologist Corey Keyes, it can be said that languishing is synonymous with “a life of quiet despair”. According to Keyes, there were already those who suffered from this problem a decade ago. In fact, in one Research conducted by him on 3032 adults, aged between 25 and 74 years, as many as 12.1% had symptoms associated with languishing. These were individuals who did not show any specific psychic discomfort, but who, despite the absence of disorders, were still not well.
More than a year after the pandemic arrived last spring, this sense of languishing in a state of malaise has only increased. With the various restrictions in place, the lack of social contact and the obligation to work from home, the days seemed to merge into a continuous monotonous cycle with no major events. The arrival of 2021 then brought with it some hope: access to vaccines against Covid-19 was for many a light at the end of the tunnel. However, at the same time, he emphasized those feelings of continuous anticipation, and the idea of not having control over one’s present or what the future will bring.
As Adam Grant is keen to specify, languishing is not a mental illness, but suffering from it means not living in peace and well-being. So just like a dull ache, if left unattended, it can develop into more serious problems. In this regard, one Research published on Journal Of Affective Disorder, shows that healthcare workers in Italy, particularly in Lombardy, who suffered from languishing during the first wave of Covid-19 had three times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the pandemic.
So what can we do if we are worried that we may be suffering from languishing? First of all, it is important to know how to recognize it. In this regard, according to experts, there are some signs to watch out for. In fact, languishing can manifest itself in many ways: for example, you can be more lethargic, do less exercise, not be in the least interested in planning anything, even positive events such as holidays. You prefer to stay away from people, you are less fun and more negative or apathetic about everyday matters, from politics to sport. Basically, it is a negative change in one’s normal behavior.
HOW DO YOU FIGHT LANGUISHING AND THIS SENSE OF EMPTYING?
To overcome this psychic distress, Adam Grant suggests mindfulness-based daily practices. A concept called flow (flow) which according to Grant could be the antidote to languishing. According to the psychologist, in fact, during the first months of the pandemic, the best indicator of well-being was not optimism or awareness, but flow. In other words, the people who immersed themselves the most in their projects managed to avoid this sense of apathy and emptiness, and maintained their pre-pandemic mental well-being.
In fact, the flow is nothing more than that state of abandonment that makes us temporarily lose track of time and space and that we feel when we are “absorbed” by something we particularly like. Everyone has their favorite activity, so take the time to fully immerse yourself in it – whether it’s doing a crossword puzzle, gardening activity or watching Netflix. Let yourself go and immerse yourself in the realization of “personal projects” that gratify us rekindles motivation and increases well-being, thus counteracting languishing and that annoying sense of emptiness.
Other remedies include giving yourself some uninterrupted time, thus avoiding frequent activity changes (such as anxiously checking emails every ten minutes) and focusing on small, achievable goals, one at a time, rather than a long list of Things to do.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
