While talking with a colleague, we were both longing for the warmth of sunshine to serve as an infusion of energy that is currently lacking in our lives. We felt that a combination of COVID/winter/the inability to gather was like a slow leak in our collective psyche and we needed the spring sun to patch it.
It turns out that psychologist Adam Grant was simultaneously writing about the same phenomenon which he terms as languishing. “Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness,” Grant writes. “It’s the blah you’re feeling; not depression, but the absence of wellbeing” where you have trouble concentrating and aren’t excited about things. I think everyone who has lived through COVID has been there (is there?).
Like any good psychologist, Grant offers strategies to combat languishing and move closer to the other end of the spectrum, flourishing. Step one he did for you: naming the emotion you’re feeling, a known trick to help your mental health. But beyond just identifying the name for your blah-ness, Grant suggests three additional strategies: 1) give yourself some uninterrupted time to get into a flow, 2) set boundaries (very helpful to achieve #1) so you are able to see a sense of progress, and 3) focus on a small goal (his is a daily word puzzle) to achieve small wins.
Whether it is allowing yourself time to soak in some sunshine or carving out time to go in-depth on a task, proactively addressing your emotions can help you get closer to feeling 100% present. Don’t ignore that slow leak of energy and wait until your productivity and joy are totally flat.
