Are You Languishing?
I usually greet each of the students as they log into our Zoom classes in the morning with the familiar greeting, "How are you?". What has been interesting over this past year, is that it seems we are becoming more honest or revealing with our answers to this common greeting. Most days, one of my students will reply "meh" to that question. Meaning, "I'm alright. I'm not great, but I am here, and for that I am fortunate."
Recently, I came across an interesting article in the NY Times and it has been circling on social media the past week.
"There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing."
I found the word languishing interesting.
"Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield. And it might be the dominant emotion of 2021."
Can you relate? I know that my creativity has been zapped. I find it difficult to get excited about an idea (probably because everything has been put on hold for so long)! Languishing may be an extreme of what I am feeling, but I do know that I need to work a little bit harder to stay above the pull of negativity or a sense of stagnation.
I have been turning toward my meditation practice to free up space in my mind. It seems to help. As the article mentions, one of the best strategies for managing emotions is to name them. Try that exercise as a meditation on its own. You may be in for an interesting ride!
ps...it's been one year since we launched the CSY On-Demand Membership! Thank you for being here! Take a peek at my first awkward video fresh into our first lockdown!!
