#Languishing - The Pandemic’s Defining Emotion
The NYT Article That Named a Feeling
April 19, 2021: Organizational psychologist Adam Grant published “There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing” in The New York Times. The essay went viral (10+ million reads), giving millions a word for pandemic malaise.
What Is Languishing?
Clinical definition (Corey Keyes, 2002):
- Absence of well-being, but not mental illness
- The “neglected middle child” between depression and flourishing
- Characterized by:
- Joylessness (not sadness, just… meh)
- Aimlessness (going through motions)
- Muddled thinking (hard to focus)
- Stagnation (sense of emptiness, no progress)
Not depression: You’re functioning, working, surviving—but not thriving.
Why It Resonated in 2021
Pandemic timing: After a year of COVID-19 (April 2020-2021):
- Acute crisis fear faded (vaccines rolling out)
- But exhaustion, isolation, uncertainty remained
- People expected to feel relieved but instead felt… nothing
Collective experience: Finally, a word for:
- “I’m productive at work but feel empty”
- “I’m not depressed, but I’m not okay”
- “Every day feels like Blursday” (no distinction between days)
TikTok & Instagram Spread
Relatable content:
- Staring blankly at screens
- Completing tasks without satisfaction
- Forgetting what day it is
- “I’m fine” (but you’re languishing)
Validation: Comment sections flooded with “THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN FEELING.”
Languishing vs. Burnout
Overlaps:
- Exhaustion, cynicism, reduced efficacy (burnout)
- Joylessness, stagnation, aimlessness (languishing)
Differences:
- Burnout is work-related; languishing is existential
- Burnout needs rest; languishing needs meaning/engagement
Interventions & Coping
Adam Grant’s suggestions:
- Flow states - Deep focus on challenging tasks (no multitasking)
- Microbreaks - 5-minute moments of delight
- Mattering - Contributing to something beyond yourself
- Connection - Meaningful (not just surface-level) relationships
What people tried:
- Learning new skills (languages, instruments, crafts)
- Creating “time capsules” (structured days, routines)
- Limiting news/social media
- Therapy (even if “not depressed enough” for it previously)
Cultural Context
Languishing discourse emerged amid:
- “Zoom fatigue” - Constant video calls draining
- “Doomscrolling” - Compulsive news consumption
- Isolation fatigue - Missing pre-pandemic normalcy
- Ambiguous loss - Grieving life as it was
The Privilege Critique
Some noted languishing is a privilege:
- Frontline workers didn’t have time to languish (survival mode)
- People in poverty couldn’t afford to “not thrive”
- Marginalized communities facing violence/discrimination couldn’t focus on “blah” feelings
Counterpoint: Even privileged people deserve mental health support; languishing isn’t trivial.
Did It Help or Harm?
Helpful:
- Validating a widespread experience
- Normalizing mid-spectrum mental health struggles
- Encouraging proactive well-being (vs. waiting for crisis)
Potentially harmful:
- Pathologizing normal responses to abnormal circumstances
- Another label to obsess over (“Am I languishing? Flourishing? Depressed?”)
- Individualized solutions to systemic problems (pandemic response failures)
Post-Pandemic (2022-2023)
As COVID restrictions lifted:
- Some people “unlanguished” (re-engaged with life)
- Others stayed stuck (long COVID, grief, economic stress)
- Languishing became shorthand for prolonged malaise
Academic Impact
Corey Keyes (who defined languishing in 2002) saw renewed interest:
- Mental health continuum model (languishing ← → flourishing)
- Complete mental health = absence of illness + presence of well-being
- Languishing as risk factor for depression, anxiety (if untreated)
Intersections
#PandemicBrain - Cognitive fog from chronic stress.
#EmotionalExhaustion - Burnout’s emotional dimension.
#ExistentialCrisis - Questioning meaning/purpose.
#Anhedonia - Inability to feel pleasure (clinical depression symptom).
Legacy
Languishing discourse:
- Expanded mental health vocabulary beyond “depressed or fine”
- Highlighted importance of thriving, not just surviving
- Reflected collective trauma processing