Languishing? Here’s How to Turn it Around

In the past couple of years, burnout has commanded a lot of our collective attention, because so many have suffered from its symptoms: overwhelm, exhaustion, cynicism, and a kind of helplessness.

 

Burnout is real. But it’s not universal. While many aren’t quite at the point of burnout, they’re clearly not thriving. They’re feeling more of a sense of “meh.” 

 

This gray, bland middle place that’s starting to feel familiar to many of us is what organizational psychologist Adam Grant calls “languishing.” It’s not depression or burnout, and it’s definitely not thriving or flourishing… it’s the place in between. This USA Today piece describes it as “feeling a lack of focus and a general purgatory between mental wellness and illness.” 

 

Does this sound familiar? If so, the good news is that Grant offers a clear and simple antidote to this feeling in a recent TED talk. So let’s break down his three-part framework and talk about how you might apply this at work to get a boost.

 

Overcoming languishing is about finding flow. And we do this by pulling three levers: mastery, mindfulness, and mattering. Let’s touch on each and consider what it might look like in practice.

Mastery

Mastery is the idea of achieving something that feels meaningful to you. It’s not crossing something off your to-do list or delivering something your boss or client needs. Those are important—but they’re not mastery.

 

Mastery leaves you feeling good at something; accomplished. Even if that thing you’ve mastered is tiny. 

 

A couple of things I’ve been striving to master in recent months include:

• Reading non-fiction that challenges me to explore new ideas about the workplace

• Doing outreach to people I haven’t met personally (yikes!)

• Experimenting with new ways to facilitate workshops and programs virtually 

 

These are all things I want to feel more skilled in doing, not because I should but because I’m hungry for the growth.

 

So, where’s your personal opportunity for mastery at work? 

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