The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Fighting that "Meh" Feeling of Languishing

Feb 14, 2022

Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton and bestselling author, shares his journey through the 'meh' feelings of languishing. He describes how this emotional state crept in during the pandemic, affecting his productivity and motivation. Grant emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and addressing languishing for mental health. He reveals how rediscovering joy through playful activities like Mario Kart helped him overcome this stagnation. The conversation also highlights the need to foster connections and engage in fulfilling pursuits to combat feelings of emptiness.

41:54

Creator website

Episode guests

Adam Grant

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Understanding Burnout Through Emotional Exhaustion

01:06

Embrace Dormancy and Waiting for Spring

00:57

Value of Pushkin Plus Subscription

01:03

Mindful Time Management

01:02

Intro

3min

Understanding Languishing

9min

Understanding and Overcoming the Feeling of Languishing

4min

Understanding Languishing: Emotions and Responses

10min

Rediscovering Joy: Overcoming Languishing Through Play

5min

Harnessing the Power of Flow

9min

The Power of Mattering

4min

Overcoming Languishing and Addressing Burnout

5min

Psychologist and writer Adam Grant used every second of his day to the fullest... until he was struck by feelings of emptiness and stagnation. His sleep patterns changed, his productivity dipped, he found himself breaking his own rules by aimlessly watching Netflix. Adam decided this listless middle ground between depression and flourishing was "languishing" and he needed to escape it fast.

The author of the #1 NYT bestselling book Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know (www.adamgrant.net/thinkagain), and host of TED's Work Life podcast (https://tedtalks.social/WLAdam) says we ignore this "meh" feeling at our peril and explains how he fought back against languishing...with a game of Mario Kart.

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