Re-Energize Yourself
Summer usually brings a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm. However, there may be many people feeling quite the opposite right now. If you are feeling more of a “Blah” feeling, you are not alone. The past two years have been challenging with the constant uncertainty, adjustment, and on-going conflicts occurring in the world as we have progressed through the pandemic.
If you have been feeling this way, it may be helpful to know it has a name: languishing. Languishing was first coined by Corey Keyes in 2002 and is described as a series of emotions, including feelings of restlessness, uneasiness, and lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern. Keyes describes it as not depression or sadness, but “the absence of feeling good about your life.” It is a pervasive feeling of blah-ness that dulls your motivation. We often think about mental health in extremes of either you have a mental illness, such as depression, or you don’t and are okay. However, mental health is on a spectrum. Languishing presents itself in the middle of the mental health spectrum, where you feel neither good nor bad but really feel nothing and coast through life on autopilot.
The first step to overcoming languishing is to recognize that is how you have been feeling. Identify the feeling and ask yourself: Why have I been feeling this way? When was a time I didn’t feel this way? Why did it change? Once you have identified this, you can figure out what you need to add into your life to flourish and not feel so stagnant.
One thing you might want to try is doing the opposite of how you are feeling. Our actions are often consistent with how we feel. When you feel sad, you isolate, don’t want to go out, and will cancel plans to socialize. The problem with this is we end up in a vicious cycle of feeling sad, behaving in a way to perpetuate feeling sad, and as a result feel sadder. The next time you feel blah, force yourself into an activity to pull you out of that blah feeling.
Take a stroll in the park and get some fresh air daily. A sense of connection to the natural world is a great mood booster. There are extensive studies on the mental health benefits of immersing yourself in nature. Spending time outside can calm our busy brains, reduce stress, and remind us of the simple things but also the complexities. Nature’s ever-changing ways also offers a reminder that life won’t always be as it is now.
According to a New York Times article by Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, a few other tips to improve languishing are to find flow, give yourself uninterrupted time, and focus on a small goal.
Finding flow is really about being in the zone by completely immersing yourself in an activity. Flow provides enjoyment, a sense of accomplishment, and helps regulate our emotions. Some activities that might work for you could include, a wood-working project, painting rocks, working on a puzzle, playing sports, learning an instrument, gardening, or reading.
We live in a society with constant distractions, try setting aside some uninterrupted time. Turn your phone on silent, find a quiet place, and focus on one single task. This will give your brain a break from the chaos of the day and help centre your thoughts.
Lastly, when you are feeling blah, a great way to snap yourself out of it is to pick a small goal and work towards it. This will give you something to focus your energy on and the sense of accomplishment at the end of it will move you forward.
Don’t just keep going through the motions, hoping you are going to start feeling better soon. To improve your mental heath, you need to take an active role in improving it. Try a few of the suggestions above, search online for other options and find what works for you. You will not feel better overnight; it takes time, persistence and patience.
Erin Reeder is the Programs Manager at Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Southeast Region and can be reached at 403-504-1811. To find out more about CMHA programs and groups visit www.cmha-aser.ca. If you are in crisis, call the Distress Centre at (403) 1-800-784-2433.
