Languishing

RichardParker

This article really resonated with me. I’ve been feeling it for a while - not depression, but I’m not thriving. I’m finding it really difficult to be focused and productive at work. I don’t know how to get my mojo back. I feel like the suggestions in the article are a bit dumb, but it’s nice to know I’m not alone.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html?referringSource=articleShare

ZuluAlpha

RichardParker thanks for sharing, some really good info in this article. Certainly can see some of it in me, and def my husband. Yes some suggestions were overly simple, but it certainly puts a good amount of words and framework to moving forwards. Is there someone you can speak to at work about how your feeling in putting in place some things that might help you get your mojo back? Two things I know helped us, I booked a holiday - so I actually booked time off work, instead of always keeping the routine and digging in to help out. We got a dog which has refocused DH outside of his own routine and doing a walk before work has helped him kick start his mojo at the office.

NightHawk

RichardParker 100% yes! Thanks for the article, it’s the perfect description.

LadySybilVimes

That was a good article. I don’t know if I’m languishing but I’m finding so many of my plans were thrown off course over the last twelve months that it’s hard to pick up where I left off.

I like Adam Grant, I enjoyed his book Give and Take. I heard him being interviewed and he’s a fascinating speaker. Interesting that he mentioned flow as an antidote to languishing. I’ve been meaning to read Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly for a long time. I see it recommended often and it’s a really appealing idea that we could move into a state of concentration and creativity.

RichardParker

ZuluAlpha we work for ourselves in our own business, which probably contributes to the problem for me. There’s no real break. We did go for a little caravan holiday over Easter which was lovely, but coming back to the grindstone is a bit challenging.

catbus

Wow, sounds exactly like me! And the ‘revenge bedtime procrastination’… that is definitely me! Drives me crazy, but I just can’t stop it.

ZuluAlpha

RichardParker We are both WFH which is tough too, as all I want to do somedays is run screaming from the house. School holidays are a different challenge as I dont want to be home with the kids, but they want to sloth about. Its a tricky new post-covid lockdown world

LadySybilVimes

I’m a revenge bedtime procrastinator as well. I’m trying really hard to break the cycle of staying up too late doing nothing, being tired the next day then staying up late again. The last few nights I’ve been going to bed early tor read a book. I’m finding it helps if I get up before the kids in the morning, it gives me an hour of quiet and I feel less harried.

RichardParker

Yeah but I never remember that in the morning- I always want to sleep in.

Gum-boots

Thanks for sharing . This is me. I’m not my best at work. I’m tired all the time. I’m pretty shit at home too.

CassandraNORI

Great article - my only issue with it is the word languishing which to me has only positive connotations of reclining outside on a chaise lounge on a warm summer afternoon with a fan and nothing else to do.

But otherwise a perfect description of me, my life and my mental state at the moment. I’m making concerted efforts to go to bed and read instead if mindlessly scrolling, and also to remember how much I like to get out of bed before everyone in order to get some peaceful me time.

CallMeAl

CassandraNORI my only issue with it is the word languishing which to me has only positive connotations of reclining outside on a chaise lounge on a warm summer afternoon with a fan and nothing else to do.

Languid! Interesting the slightly positive/negative vibes of similar words…

RichardParker

I thought languishing meant more like suffering- languishing in prison.

CassandraNORI

Yes it sounds right now when you say that @RichardParker but when I saw the word in the title that’s the image it conjured in my head.

I have a few words like this that I know the meaning but it doesn’t match what the word means in my head - eg: opaque - it makes me think of something translucent. Clearly the issue is with me 😂

ALittleBitter

CassandraNORI my brain does this with opaque too!

Heyho2

Finally read this article, thank you. Yeah, we’ve felt that here too.

M-M

Thank you for this link, I’ve shared it with a few work colleagues. It describes what a lot of us are feeling

RichardParker

There’s almost a full moon tonight, as well, so tonight I’m languishing with a side of lady-rage.

CassandraNORI

Ha. Is that right. I’ve been filled with lady rage for a couple of days now, but it’s not my PMS time, so now I can blame the moon.

Camokat

I’ve hit my NYT article limit so.couldnt read it directly, but found it on a nifty little site called archive.is. I thought I’d mention it here in case any of you hadn’t heard of it. It archives copies of paywalled articles so anyone can read them. It depends on people who have been able to access the full article pasting the link to archive.is, so it’s a total crapshoot whether the article you want to read will be on there, but I find about half the time what I’m looking for will be there. Here’s the link to the NYT article, for example:

https://archive.is/yvjz3