Languishing vs. Flourishing: How to Feel Alive Again with Corey Keyes
Feb 11, 2025
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Corey Keyes, a researcher known for coining the term "languishing," discusses the emotional gray zone between thriving and mental illness. He emphasizes the importance of mindset in moving towards a fulfilling life. Keyes explores strategies to cultivate purpose and connection, highlighting the distinction between languishing and depression. He critiques existing mental health support structures and suggests a need for community-based approaches. The conversation ultimately serves as a guide to help individuals reflect on their well-being and reclaim their vitality.
Understanding languishing as a state between mental illness and thriving helps recognize unfulfilled lives and promotes proactive mental health management.
Shifting our mindset towards tasks can transform obligations into fulfilling activities, significantly enhancing life satisfaction and personal growth.
Engaging in key activities like play, learning, and helping others consistently fosters flourishing and combats feelings of languishing and depression.
Deep dives
The Power of Mindsets
Research shows that the way we think about our responsibilities can significantly impact our lives. Shifting our mindset can transform obligatory tasks into fulfilling activities, enabling us to gain more from them. As great thinkers have highlighted, our thoughts play a crucial role in shaping our experiences; negative thinking can hinder personal growth, while positive outlooks empower us. By consciously reframing our perspectives, we open ourselves up to more meaningful engagement with life.
Understanding Languishing
Languishing is described as the state between mental illness and thriving, often characterized by feelings of stagnation that go unnoticed. This concept, introduced by researcher Corey Keyes, highlights how many individuals can experience a lack of fulfillment despite being free from debilitating mental health issues. Recognizing languishing allows individuals to address their mental health proactively, moving towards a state of flourishing where they can experience vitality and connection. It's crucial to acknowledge this state to encourage personal growth and well-being.
The Importance of Flourishing
Flourishing is the state where individuals find purpose, connection, and positive experiences in life. It is distinct from merely the absence of mental illness, as individuals can flourish even while managing mental health challenges. Research indicates that those who can identify and cultivate flourishing aspects in their lives tend to maintain better mental health outcomes and reduced instances of relapse. Focusing on flourishing provides an actionable pathway toward improving overall life satisfaction and well-being.
The Role of the 'Good' and 'Bad' Wolf
The metaphor of two wolves, one representing positive traits such as kindness and love, and the other representing negative traits like fear and greed, illustrates the internal struggle between constructive and destructive impulses. The key takeaway is that the wolf we choose to feed influences our mental states and overall happiness. By actively nourishing the 'good wolf' through intentional choices and actions, individuals can combat feelings of languishing and cultivate a more fulfilling life. Recognizing this choice empowers people to seek out beneficial behaviors and relationships.
The Five Vitamins for Well-Being
Research identifies five key activities that foster flourishing: play, learning, spiritual or religious engagement, helping others, and socializing. Engaging in any of these activities on a regular basis leads to increased well-being and serves as a remedy for both languishing and depression. It is essential to recognize that neglecting these activities can lead to a drift back into languishing, emphasizing the need for consistency in pursuing positive experiences. Integrating these vitamins into daily life can promote resilience and help individuals navigate challenges more effectively.
In this episode, Corey Keyes explores the concept of languishing vs. flourishing and how to feel alive again He delves into the often-overlooked emotional state that exists between mental illness and thriving and discusses how many of us can feel worn down by life and stuck in a gray zone of stagnation. Corey shares his insights on the importance of mindset and how changing the way we think about our daily tasks can lead us to a more fulfilling life. The discussion touches on the critical aspects of purpose, connection, and vitality, offering listeners strategies to move from languishing to flourishing.
Key Takeaways:
00:05:29 – The Role of Positive Psychology and Mental Health
00:06:46 – Corey’s Background and the Successful Aging Research Network
00:08:08 – The Purpose of Positive Psychology and Addressing Languishing
00:09:25 – Flourishing Despite Mental Health Conditions
00:10:08 – The Relationship Between Flourishing and Mental Illness
00:12:49 – The Challenge of Defining Recovery in Addiction and Mental Health
00:14:02 – The Lack of Peer Support Groups for Depression
00:15:05 – The Role of Experts in Mental Health
00:16:15 – The Difference Between Sharing with Experts and Peer Support
00:17:07 – The Importance of Having a Clear Program in Support Groups
00:18:04 – The Need for a New Approach to Mental Health Support Programs
00:19:01 – Defining Languishing and Its Distinction from Depression
00:20:36 – The Overlap Between Languishing and Depression
00:22:29 – The Impact of Languishing on Mental Health
00:23:39 – Personal Reflections on Eliminating Suffering and Seeking Joy
00:25:04 – The Challenge of Recalibrating After Addiction
00:25:58 – The Importance of Functioning Well
00:28:05 – The Nuances of Feeling Good vs. Functioning Well
00:30:09 – The Difference Between Satisfaction and Momentary Feelings
00:31:04 – The Role of Storytelling in Perceived Well-Being
00:32:49 – The Importance of Meaning and Values Over Mood
00:33:59 – Allowing Self-Assessment in Measuring Well-Being
00:35:53 – The Criteria for Flourishing and Languishing
00:37:08 – Encouraging Reflection and Integration for Listeners
00:38:18 – The Importance of Functioning Well in Achieving Flourishing
00:40:28 – The Difficulty of Achieving Social Well-Being
00:41:10 – The Five Vitamins of Flourishing
00:42:01 – Integrating Flourishing Activities into Daily Life
00:45:05 – The Importance of Mindset in Achieving Flourishing
00:47:09 – Research on Mindsets and Practical Applications