Dragging your feet at work or even just throughout the day? Feeling “blah” but still getting the major things checked off your to-do list? Turns out, there’s a word for that according to a recent New York Times article, and that word is “languishing.”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “ to languish” as “to become dispirited” and “to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality.”
In the article, reporter Adam Grant likens languishing to being in a state of existence that feels like a sort of mental gray area.
“It wasn’t burnout — we still had energy. It wasn’t depression — we didn’t feel hopeless. We just felt somewhat joyless and aimless.”
After over a year of adjusting to life in a pandemic, (working from home, maybe while simultaneously trying to deal with kids’ schedules, keeping your household afloat while continuing to excel in all areas of life without breaks), it’s no wonder that you might feel like you’re languishing a bit.
So, what types of things can we do to alleviate this major “blah” feeling?
As Grant said in his article, one of the best things you can do is try and get into a flow-like state, which requires setting boundaries and blocking off time so that you’re not constantly being interrupted by other people, social media, or any other type of unwanted distraction.
Rather than go after large, lofty goals during a time like this, Grant suggests setting small, attainable goals that you can chip away at each day.
“To transcend languishing, try starting with small wins, like the tiny triumph of figuring out a whodunit or the rush of playing a seven-letter word. One of the clearest paths to flow is a just-manageable difficulty: a challenge that stretches your skills and heightens your resolve.”
Not only does playing a game with an attainable end-goal help resolve that languishing feeling, but it’s actually scientifically proven that experiencing an “aha!” moment boosts your system with an extra rush of dopamine.
We’ve heard feedback from so many of our Members throughout the past year that our Hunt A Killer mysteries have provided them with an outlet, an escape, and a challenge that allowed them to get “in the zone” for a few hours.
If you’re looking for the perfect mystery to provide you (and/or your friends and family!) with the perfect challenge to shake up your daily doldrums routine, this fun murder mystery map can help you decide!
Click the links below to check out the mystery experiences featured on the above graphic (plus Death at the Dive Bar which is an amazing escape!) and just say “no!” to languishing!
Baker’s Dozen Premium Experience