Languishing: The Middle Child of Mental Health – Why Do We Feel Empty?
In the modern world, we usually define our mental state through two extremes: either we are thriving (flourishing) or we are depressed. However, millions of people live right in the middle, in a gray area. This state, coined by sociologist Corey Keyes and becoming the dominant emotion of the 2020s, is called: Languishing.
What is Languishing?
Languishing is the neglect of mental health. It’s not a mental illness, but it’s not mental wellness either. It is the feeling of looking at life through a fog, losing your excitement, and just “muddling through” your days. It doesn’t paralyze you like depression, but it drains your vitality.
Common Symptoms:
- Difficulty Focusing: Spending more energy than usual to start or finish a task.
- Sense of Aimlessness: A decreased desire to make plans for the future.
- Stagnation: A weakening belief that something good will happen, even if nothing bad is occurring.
- Fragmented Attention: Feeling like your time is slipping away in meaningless distractions.
The Antidote: The “Flow” State
The best way to overcome languishing is to reach a state of “Flow.” This happens when you are so absorbed in a challenging task that you lose track of time.
- Find Your Flow: Engage in a hobby or a project that is challenging enough to be interesting but simple enough to achieve.
- Set Boundaries: Protect your time from constant notifications to allow deep work and meaningful connection.
WRITTEN BY: DİLARA TÜRKOĞLU
