Languishing (And How To Go From “Meh” to Meaningful)
Not burned out. Not thriving. Just… meh.
Sound familiar?
That’s languishing—a state of emptiness, stagnation, and ennui. It’s like floating in a grey area between burnout and thriving. You’re functioning, but there’s no spark.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of doom-scrolling and bingeing Netflix, thinking it might help. Spoiler: it doesn’t. Passive activities may feel comforting in the moment, but they don’t lead to the sense of flow that allows us to move forward.
Flow is the antidote to languishing.
What’s flow? It’s that magical state of being deeply engaged and energised—the opposite of languishing.
According to Dr Adam Grant, here’s how to encourage flow in your life:
Mastery: Do something that gives you a sense of achievement, no matter how small.
Mindfulness: Focus on one thing at a time. Be present.
Mattering: Contribute to something bigger than yourself. Know you make a difference. (This is peak flow).
The good news is that languishing isn’t permanent. Small steps toward mastery, mindfulness, and mattering can shift you from “meh” to meaningful.
What’s one small thing you could do today to spark flow?
