Where Did All the Meaning Go (Empty) Limited Edition Giclee Print

About This Piece

I recently read an article in the New York Times by Adam Grant that explored an emotion that many have felt during the pandemic: languishing. 

Languishing shows up as a feeling of stagnation and emptiness. As if you’re muddling through your days, joyless and aimless, struggling to find meaning and motivation. Grant describes it as the void between depression and thriving; the absence of well-being.

The danger of languishing is that you might not even notice it. You might miss the “dulling of your delight or the dwindling of your drive.” You “slip slowly into solitude, indifferent to your own indifference.” Grant reminds us that “when you can’t see your own suffering, you don’t seek help or do much to help yourself.”

To combat the feeling of languishing, he recommends several strategies: creating pockets of uninterrupted time (to promote a sense of progress and build momentum and motivation) and focusing on and celebrating small wins (tiny triumphs help counteract the big losses we’ve experienced).

A follow-up article about flourishing adds these tips: taking time to savor, practicing gratitude, being of service to others, prioritizing high quality connection, and trying new things.

Are you languishing? What are some small ways you’d like to inject more meaning back into your life?