Languishing

As scientists and physicians work to treat and cure the physical symptoms of long-haul COVID, many of us are struggling with the emotional long-haul of the pandemic. 

This is called Languishing -  a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if we're muddling through our days, looking at our life through a foggy windshield. 

According to experts languishing is the neglected middle child of mental health. It’s the void between depression and flourishing, the absence of well-being. 

Languishing dulls our motivation, disrupts our ability to focus, and triples the odds that we'll cut back on work. 

The term was coined by a sociologist named Corey Keyes, who was struck that many people who weren't depressed also weren't thriving.

Part of the danger is that when we're languishing, we might not notice the dulling of delight or the dwindling of drive. We don’t catch ourselves slipping slowly into solitude; we're indifferent to our indifference. 

So folks it could give us a socially acceptable response to “How are you?”

Instead of saying “Great!” or “Fine,” imagine if we answered, “Honestly, I’m languishing.” 

"Inch by inch I conquered the inner terrain I was born with.

Bit by bit I reclaimed the swamp in which I'd languished. I gave birth to my infinite being, but I had to wrench myself out of me with forceps."

— Fernando Pessoa

Seal Cave in New Zealand 
Chairs in the Wilderness