“There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing. The neglected middle child of mental health can dull your motivation and focus – and it may be the dominant emotion of 2021.”
This is the opening paragraph to Adam Grant’s (organizational psychologist) recent article posted in the New York Times (well worth the read) and it gave me pause to reflect on the whirlwind ride of 2020 and now 2021.
I recall watching a news broadcast in the middle of last year, where a psychologist explained that mental illness can be a slow burn process and we will not ‘see’ the full effects of the pandemic on people’s mental well being until 6-12 months after the (initial) event. This article goes further into exploring this notion, citing a study of Italians who were languishing in the spring of 2020 were three times more likely than their peers to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
So what can we do about this? The article offers a few ideas, including:
• Allocating some uninterpreted time for yourself and dive into something you enjoy doing so as to give your mind a break
• Focusing on a small goal, something challenging but not so difficult it becomes overwhelming, and gives you a sense of enjoyment
And remember, think about your family, friends and work colleagues. Take the time to check in on how they are feeling as you might both be surprised to discover that they are languishing and didn’t realise it because it is easy to brush over something that you’re not aware of existing.