Just Feeling “Meh”?

Are you feeling burnt out yet still have the energy to push through?

Are you feeling down yet still have the drive to keep going?

Are you struggling to put words to what you’re really feeling?

Look no further. The word you are looking for is “languishing.” The term was coined by Corey Keyes. He defines languishing as a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield. 

Let us be clear here, the pandemic has made everyone’s everyday life extremely difficult. From being isolated and anxious to triggering our amygdala into high alert. Adam Grant states that languishing dulls your motivation, disrupts your ability to focus, and triples the odds that you’ll cut back on work. Languishing is actually more common than major depression.  

Trying to get yourself out of this place mentally can feel like your feet are stuck in the ground. During the pandemic, it has been hard for us to locate the motivation and energy we once had. Keyes suggests that a concept called “flow,” can do the trick. Flow is that elusive state of absorption in a meaningful challenge or a momentary bond, where your sense of time, place and self, melts away. 

Click on this article on Very Well Health to understand what you are experiencing and how to navigate the feeling of languishing.

For support and guidance throughout your college career as an LSU student-athlete, reach out to your resources. It’s often the hardest step, but the most rewarding.

Sport Performance & Counseling: GeauxBeWell@lsu.edu