Languishing
How to Feel Alive Again in a World That Wears Us Down
-
-
5.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $19.99
Publisher Description
'With his pioneering research, Corey Keyes put languishing on the map. In this powerful book, he brings it to life. Rethink your understanding of mental health, update your views on happiness and come closer to realizing your potential.'
Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential
Do you feel demotivated and aimless?
Are you running on empty?
Is it hard to pinpoint what's wrong?
Millions of us are struggling with this emotional state of weariness, and until now, we've lacked the vocabulary to understand it. But Dr Corey Keyes has identified this feeling as languishing, and here he draws on the latest research and real-life case studies to trace its spread to a level of global epidemic, asking the fundamental question of how we find lasting wellbeing.
Breaking down the science of emotional exhaustion, Keyes shows that our very obsession with happiness complicates the process of finding it. Only by shifting our focus from feeling good to functioning well can we unlock the key to flourishing. He reveals the choices and mental habits that inadvertently worsen the problem, and shares simple but powerful steps anyone can take to restore meaning, joy, and calm to their lives.
Languishing is a must-read for anyone tempted to downplay the demotivation and emptiness they've been feeling, to help build a buffer against the pressures of modern life and find true flourishing.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sociologist Keyes (coeditor of Flourishing) sets out in this perceptive guide to lead those who feel "emotionally flattened" onto "a path toward flourishing." Defining languishing as an "absence of wellbeing... that millions of people were experiencing but found hard to put into words" during the Covid-19 pandemic, Keyes explains that the state of mind involves a lack of excitement, community disconnection, and "the constant feeling of unease that you're missing something that will make your life feel complete." It can also precipitate self-harming behaviors, suicidal thoughts, and "absenteeism" from work or school, among other ill effects. Antidotes include "follow your curiosity to learn something new," "build warm and trusting relationships," and "mov closer to the Sacred, the Divine, and the Infinite." Keyes explores these and other remedies in a wide-ranging and eclectic collage of insights, research, and anecdotes. In the section on forming relationships, for instance, he elucidates principles undergirding true friendships (equality, reciprocity, and the willingness to empathize and compromise) and discusses how gangs answer a core emotional need by providing their members with "psychological safety." Keyes carefully sketches the contours of a pervasive and sometimes-nebulous phenomenon, though his "action plans" can skew vague; such suggestions as "allow your curiosity to triumph over your disappointment" and "fix what can be fixed" may leave readers feeling as adrift as they did before picking up the book. Taken together, though, Keyes's eye-opening musings will be a balm to those in need of a fresh perspective.
