Ep #82 'Feeling blah like you should' says Adam Grant: Languishing and how to combat it

The Happiness Project

Hello guys, how are you doing today? And well, I also realise that I can’t expect you guys to be totally fine all the time right?! Well, we are humans going through a pandemic. So today’s topic is very close to my ‘state of being’ like many of you. And I believe it’s very important for us to talk about it and acknowledge this feeling! I am happy to bring to you some insightful information on this topic 'Languishing' from our very expert Adam Grant, Organisational Psychologist. I going researching quite a bit about a wide range of topics that I am planning to cover in my upcoming episodes but this one definitely calls for some attention. And I wanted to bring about what I am going through and how am I dealing with this. And trust me, you’d all agree that I am not the only one. More than half of the population is going through this! Recently, I have felt stuck, in a sort of limbo where essences of life have kept buzzing around me, but I just can’t access them. Life is at once too overwhelming and not engaging enough. Each task I do requires a search for motivation beyond anything I’ve ever known. I’m tired, burnt out, and not often excited, but also restless, eager to engage, and trying. Just like in the New York Times, Adam Grant says, there’s a word for it and it’s called Languishing. ‘And languishing is the neglected middle child between depression and thriving. And can dull out motivation and focus — and it may be the dominant emotion of 2021. What can you do to combat it? Calling it by name is an excellent first step. This can put a stage light on its presence in your life. Try to source the symptoms of your own languishing (e.g. Have you stopped walking? Reading? Cooking?) while identifying habits that could pull you back to where you deserve to be. Tune in to the entire episode to know more about Languishing and how to combat it - from taking time whenever possible, finding your flow to embracing healthy thoughts!