Therapists say People Are ‘Languishing’ As The World Emerges From COVID-19

(KNSI) – Over the last several months, mental health professionals have noticed a new state of mind, and it’s called Languishing.

Doctor Steven Loos is a Psychologist, and Director of Outpatient Mental Health Services at the Central Minnesota Mental Health Center in St. Cloud, says the term Languishing has a lot of momentum with the pandemic.

“The idea of Languishing is really about not having a zest for life anymore. You feel like you’re kind of drudging through day after day. There’s not much excitement going on, kind of hard to pull yourself out of bed and get your day started.”

Loos says you may also notice a loss of joy from doing day-to-day activities.

As of now, Languishing isn’t defined as a mental health disorder.

“It’s kind of this middle point between flourishing and the mental illness. And so, it creates this new category to normalize the experience many of us might be feeling in response to the pandemic. Still, it’s falling short of a diagnosable mental health condition.”

Loos says that even though Languishing isn’t a mental health condition, it has many similarities to depression and could be a sign of problems down the road.

“Research is still out on this. It’s relatively new, but it makes sense that this would be a warning sign and unchecked would increase the likelihood of actual diagnosable mental health condition.”

He says it’s crucial to be able to classify feelings.

“Labeling holds power to it. Once we name something and we start talking about it in the community, we can identify that; oh my gosh, that’s precisely what I’m feeling. And that can give us some hope that other people are going through too. And it paves the way for self-exploration and figuring out how what we need might need to do to get better.”

What can people do if they feel like they’re Languishing? How can they feel better?

“It goes back to filling your day with meaning. When there’s meaning in our life, we are more likely to experience happiness. And also, accomplishing things in your day-to-day life can lead to a boost in self-esteem.”

He says some people call it meaningful activity, and another term is value-based livings. It’s basically engaging in daily activities that mean something to you.

Loos says recognizing there’s a problem is the first step to getting better.

For more information on getting help with mental health issues, click here.

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