How to Transform Your Life From Languishing to Flourishing

(Unlock your true potential and be the best version of yourself)

Have you been feeling like you’re just going through the motions of life lately? If you’ve found yourself joylessly binge-watching TV shows, scrolling endlessly through the news, or just navigating your day feeling uninspired and aimless, you’re not alone.

According to organizational psychologist Adam Grant, this state of well-being is known as “languishing,” and it has become all too common after many months of the pandemic.

In this article, we’ll explore the key indicators of languishing, what flourishing is, and seven practical ways to escape that “meh” feeling and start finding your flow.

What is Languishing?

Languishing, a term coined by sociologist Corey Keyes, describes a state of emptiness, stagnation, and disconnection lurking just beneath the surface.

It’s a feeling of being stuck in a rut with little motivation or energy to move forward.

Before the pandemic, more than half of the workforce was languishing, and with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, even more, people are likely experiencing it.

Languishers have an absence of well-being—almost like they’re looking through life with foggy lenses. While it’s not a mental illness, languishing can leave you feeling like you’re wasting away or deteriorating as life passes you by.

How to Recognize Languishing

Languishing can affect both our work and home lives, and it’s important to recognize the signs before it takes a toll on our mental health.

Languishing can be unpredictable and creep up on us through subtle shifts in mood or energy levels. Red flags of languishing include boredom, unproductivity, lack of purpose, fatigue, and disinterest in socializing.

Signs of languishing in the workplace:

Procrastination and task avoidance
Lack of motivation to take on new projects or challenges
A sense of apathy or detachment from work
Difficulty concentrating or staying focused
Feeling stuck in a routine or lacking growth opportunities
Strained relationships with colleagues or supervisors
Constantly feeling bored or unfulfilled with work tasks
Lack of enthusiasm or excitement about work-related events or initiatives
Experiencing high levels of stress or burnout.

Languishing is the void between depression and flourishing. Are you in the void?

Languishing and depression can feel similar, but they are distinct mental health states.

Languishing is characterized by a lack of energy, enthusiasm, and motivation, while depression is a more severe mental health condition that can cause prolonged feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and helplessness.

Keyes says that people who languish are five times more at risk of a major depressive episode, which is two times higher than mentally healthy people and, remarkably, six times greater than a flourisher.

Burnout and existential crises are also similar. Burnout is primarily work-related and stems from feeling overloaded and overwhelmed in one’s career, while an existential crisis is brought on by an intense questioning of life’s meaning, leading to a major crisis about one’s purpose. Languishing is like being stuck in the gray zone between joy and extreme sadness. Recognizing the nuances can help people better understand and address their struggles.

What is Flourishing?

Flourishing is the opposite of languishing; it’s a state of optimal functioning where individuals experience positive emotions, a sense of purpose, engagement in life, positive relationships, and a sense of accomplishment.

Flourishers are confident, optimistic about the future, and far more resilient to life’s challenges. Dr. Martin Seligman’s PERMA model outlines five key components to flourishing:

Positive emotions,
Engagement,
Relationships,
Meaning, and
Accomplishment.

Unlike languishers, flourishers have the resilience to rebound from setbacks and challenges, unlike those who languish. They exude a contagious passion and optimism that infuses their personal and professional lives with a deep sense of mastery, mindfulness, and meaning.

What is the Difference Between Languishing and Flourishing?

Languishing involves a stagnant, unmotivated, and unfulfilled feeling, while flourishing involves connectedness, confidence, gratitude, and presence.

Flourishing people have better physical and mental health, have stronger relationships, miss less work, and are more productive and satisfied.

Flow is the Antidote to Languishing

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant suggests that the flow state is the ultimate solution to the feeling of languishing.

When in the flow state, you become completely absorbed in an activity, and everything else fades away.

This leads to a sense of purpose, engagement, and achievement. To reach this state, it’s important to have clear goals, receive feedback, and find a balance between skill and challenge.

You can experience flow by engaging in creative pursuits, learning a new skill, exercising, or immersing yourself in an activity that you find enjoyable and stimulating.

7 Tips to Flourish in Life

If you’re sick of feeling stuck and unmotivated in your professional life, it’s time to unleash your full potential and flourish.

Set specific goals that align with your strengths, challenge you, and are clear and measurable. Goals that are too easy or too difficult can lead to a lack of engagement or frustration, respectively. By setting challenging yet achievable goals, we can feel a sense of accomplishment and progress as we work towards them.
Resist the urge to compare yourself with others and practice self-love instead; affirm yourself daily because no one deserves it more than you do!
Remove distractions and create an environment conducive to focusing. This might involve turning off notifications on our devices, finding a quiet place to work, or using music or other stimuli to enhance our concentration.
Find activities that bring you joy and meaning. This might involve hobbies, volunteer work, or spending time with loved ones. When we engage in activities that we find intrinsically rewarding, we are more likely to experience a sense of flow, flourishment, and fulfillment.
Build meaningful relationships with family and friends who will provide a positive support system; this will help you maintain motivation during tough times.

Stay organized; plan ahead to allow yourself time to breathe and relax when needed.
Working with a professional coach can be a valuable tool for those looking to go from languishing to flourishing in the workplace. A professional coach can help you identify your goals and develop a plan to achieve them, as well as provide support and guidance along the way.

Client Story – She was Already Successful in Her Life But Clearly She Was Not Happy.

She felt she was just going through the motions and not doing enough for herself and she was not even sure what she needs to do to get out of the feeling of emptiness.

I will share a streamlined version of what we did over the course of 8 weeks.

We worked together for 8 weeks and she became clearer about her values, and vision and gained further clarity on what was holding her back.
We unpacked her energy level using Energy Leadership Index(ELIT) assessment tool.
She developed bite-sized action plans to shift her mindset and started allocating focused time behind herself.
She initiated two activities that she wanted to pursue which would give her joy,
She started a daily 3-minute gratitude reflection every night before going to bed (this is extremely powerful)
She allocated 30 min time during the weekend for self-reflection.
She connected back with 2 of her closest friends.

While she continued her journey towards flourishing, after 8 weeks she was much clearer about what she wanted, she was happier and she felt the empty feeling of languishing is gone.

Take Action Today to Reclaim Your Professional and Personal Life

In times of uncertainty and stress, it’s easy to get stuck in a state of languishing, but there are ways to shift towards a more positive state of being and pursue your dream profession.

By recognizing the signs of languishing, understanding its distinction from depression, and cultivating a sense of flow through goal-setting, focus, and meaningful activities, we can move towards a state of flourishing and greater well-being.

If you’re ready to move from languishing to flourishing and contemplating talking to a coach, please visit www.ignite2flourish.com. I can help you identify your strengths and values, create a roadmap for success, and provide support and accountability as you make positive changes in your life. Visit our website to learn more and schedule a free consultation.