From Languishing to Flourishing

A few weeks ago, the New York Times published an article about the feeling of “blah” people are experiencing during the pandemic, which they attributed to languishing. A few days later, a sister article discussed moving from languishing to flourishing and offered coping skills.

While many things can contribute to a feeling of languishing (some of them are systemic and not a matter of individual responsibility to overcome) the article proposed some nice ideas to help improve one’s mood. One was a daily 5 minute favor.

Giving of yourself in service of others can give you a boost, but when we feel like we don’t have much to give it’s hard to contemplate. Here are a few small, low lift suggestions that can improve your mood, and the mood of someone you care about.