Languishing .. it’s a thing ..
Languishing .. it’s a thing .. and I’m doing it.
I read an interesting article in The New York Times written by Adam Grant. Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at Wharton, the author of “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” and the host of the TED podcast WorkLife. He writes:
It wasn’t burnout — we still had energy. It wasn’t depression — we didn’t feel hopeless. We just felt somewhat joyless and aimless. It turns out there’s a name for that: languishing. Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield. And it might be the dominant emotion of 2021.
Adam Grant
.. and I can totally relate (can you?) This is me in a nutshell lately .. I’m
- lacking motivation
- having trouble following through on tasks (even though my mind is whirling with ideas)
- experiencing a loss of focus
- irritable
- wanting to be alone
- a bit indifferent (like .. meh)
Ugh.
It’s not that I’m totally incapacitated (I’m not). I’m busy with life and day-to-day living. I’m exercising, eating right, and mostly getting enough sleep. I’m even creating .. but when it comes to sharing things (think Insta) I can’t seem to hit the “publish” button.
One thing I’ve noticed on Insta is that no one seems to be acknowledging COVID. Maybe it’s because your post gets slapped with a warning if you do, but it’s almost like it doesn’t exist (say wha?) COVID has been the story of our lives for almost 3 years. And I think it’s wearing us down. Maybe it’s just too much of a downer and we like to pretend things are different when we’re online? Like things are perfect? Ahem .. we know that’s just not true. But, even here I’m going to move on from that distressing subject .. I’ll just add that I hope you are all well and safe.
I’m planning to show up here on my blog more often .. where I can speak my mind and share my creations without being judged. Maybe no one will see them .. but strangely, it’s very satisfying to see your own work, on your own site, accompanied by your real thoughts and feelings. For me it’s the perfect way to get things out of my head .. my safe place.
Thank you for being here xoxo
Totally get it. Feeling similar. I’ve decided to hibernate or ‘veg’ this January and I’m not putting pressure on myself to do anything. If I feel prompted to create, I will, but I’m not going to feel badly if I don’t. I’m going to luxuriate in aimlessness and be grateful that I can. Besides with omicron out there, I don’t want to go anywhere or mingle. We’re supposed to have a big snowstorm this weekend and I’m so excited. (I know that’s not a big deal for you!) But it will suit my mood to be snowbound.
Hi Carolyn, thank you for visiting my site and reading my thoughts. I agree .. I’m going to be producing less for Instagram and more for me .. it’s how I used to do things .. I’d post to my blog and then share to Instagram. We’re being very careful too but have been seeing some family which does carry some risks. We’re all double-vaccinated and boosted.
Yep , totally agree Barb . I read something yesterday about “reply anxiety” , and that’s what IG gives me . I like the community but I got so stressed about commenting back etc . Using your blog more often is a great idea I think ! Remember those days when we posted a pic with a link to our blog ? That was so nice , less stress and we could share our work and thoughts as and when we liked .
Hi Caz! lovely to see you here! Yes, reply anxiety is a thing (I think we’re collectively burned out). I do remember the days that blogs were top of mind and I miss them. I have seen a trend where people are blogging more and some have basically left Instagram (I wish they weren’t leaving Insta, but I get it). Thank you for sharing, and take care xo