“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.” — Tony Robbins.
I’ve been struggling with motivation lately. I have a great job working with intelligent people that pays me well. I also have a collection of hobbies and side hustles that really excite me. At least they used to. I just don’t have the same drive that I once did, and getting things done is so much harder than it should be. For months, I wondered if I was depressed, burnt out, or maybe was suffering from anxiety.
Languishing
As it turns out, I’m inflicted with the en vogue mental health term of 2021, Languishing. This term was appropriated to help describe a state of mental health that is a step or three above depression and has many of the same characteristics as burnout. You feel dull, have trouble focusing, and there’s a sense of stagnation and joylessness. And apparently, this is a common affliction for many people emerging from the pandemic lockdown.
According to New York Times writer Adam Grant:
Languishing is the neglected middle child of mental health. It’s the void between depression and flourishing — the absence of well-being. You don’t have symptoms of mental illness, but you’re not the picture of mental health either. You’re not functioning at full capacity. Languishing dulls your motivation, disrupts your ability to focus, and triples the odds that you’ll cut back on work. It appears to be more common than major depression — and in some ways, it may be a bigger risk factor for mental illness.
While a professional would undoubtedly be better equipped to diagnose what is ailing me, I decided to forgo that logical interaction and self-diagnose. So here I am, Languishing and wondering how to heal so I can regain a sense of purpose. It’s painful not having the same motivation and passion that you’re used to having. And the longer I feel this way, the more I wonder if it’s temporary or a never-ending downward spiral.
When I read this quote, I realized my Languishing might be something that I could end when I was ready.
Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.
Tony Robbins
Maybe my Languishing was something I could flip to a positive. Large-scale change has always been scary for me, but the pain that I’ve been feeling has reached a point where it’s made the idea of change less daunting. Change has become the lesser of two evils. So instead of retreating into my safe space of video games and binging YouTube, I’m going to take action and change.
Change
Writing on Medium is something I’ve always flirted with, wondering if I could create pieces that people would enjoy reading. Old Jason would just flirt, but new Jason is going to take Medium on a date. I’m going to share a powerful quote each day and unpack its meaning from my perspective. I’m going to write every day for a month and see how it makes me feel. I’ll also post a weekly update and share my progress with anyone curious about how it’s working for me.
On top of that, I’m going to focus on achieving a flow state when working on important tasks. A flow state is when you’re so engrossed in the task that you’re working on that time disappears, and you lose yourself in what you’re doing. To achieve flow, I’ve found that removing distractions and setting aside a solid block of time to focus on just one thing helps a lot. It also helps when you’re working on something that excites you, so don’t try to achieve flow on your T.P.S. reports.
That’s all the change I can commit to for today. Make sure to check out that NYT article if you want to learn more about Languishing. And check back with me here to see if my self-prescribed remedy to Languishing actually works.
I’ll see you tomorrow, and until then, I hope you have a wonderful day filled with things that bring you joy.
