There’s a word for that “meh” feeling you’ve been experiencing lately
The last 18 months have seemed to move everyone that I talk to into a new type of mental health struggle. I know I’ve been experiencing it and last week I learned the exact word for what I’ve been feeling: Languishing.
Webster has a few definitions, but the one I associate most closely to (as do my patients and friends) is:
to lose vigor and vitality, melancholy.
We have all been handed a tough hand, no matter how amazing our lives are. We can’t (or are afraid to) hug our loved ones. If someone coughs in the same aisle at the store: duck and cover! There is division everywhere we look. I just hope we all make it out as better people when we reach the other side.
I think the biggest problem with languishing is that I know I’m still incredibly blessed! I have my health, my home, my family, my friends. Most of the people I know have not lost their income, their homes, their loved ones. Yet, I still feel “meh.”
So how do we fix it? Here are some places to start:
Do whatever you need to to take care of yourself. Get some acupuncture (or HypnoPuncture), see my friend Kellee Michele for some crystal healing (www.thehappyaura.com), paint at Hammer & Stain (www.hammerandstainsocal.com), do yoga (Mindful Space Yoga & Meditation), go for a hike, or a run, or a kitchen dance party. Be UNAPOLOGETIC about your self-care! Self-care isn’t all bubble baths and manicures. Self-care is loving yourself enough to eat the healthy foods, move your body daily, and think loving thoughts about yourself.
Take time to deep breathe EVERY DAY! Many of you know my favorite type of breathing exercise is the 4-7-8 breath developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. Click here to watch a 2-minute video on how to do this technique.
Think (or better yet: write) three things that you are grateful for each day. Even on those tough days, I can be grateful that I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a toothbrush. When you do your gratitude, really FEEL grateful for each thing you come up with.
Email me to let me know if you’ve been experiencing languishing feelings too. And I’d love to learn about the things that are helping you get through these feelings.
Be well,
Sharleen