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Writer's pictureSusannah Pitman, DAc

Languishing and Flourishing


Earlier this year, The New York Times published an article by Adam Grant titled There's a Name for the Blah You're Feeling: It's Called Languishing. Many who I shared the article with expressed to me that they could relate to that feeling. It's not really depression, but it's not really feeling a zest for life either.


A month after that article was published, The New York Times published an article by Dani Blum titled The Other Side of Languishing Is Flourishing. Here’s How to Get There. That article offered various tips such as celebrating small things and doing five good deeds per day, all of which are valid tools for lifting energy up.


This pandemic has been long and while many have found ways to adapt to what seems like ever-changing situations, many have mentioned to me that they're tired of the roller coaster and want to get back to a consistent way of life. Oscillating between languishing and flourishing is exhausting.


So where is the balance? In a world where the rules of what we can do and where we can safely go continue to change, there are things we can do to build our energy back up.


1. Routines. The body likes consistency, especially when it comes to when we go to sleep, when we wake up and how much water we're drinking. That being said, during these darker winter months the body tends to like a little more sleep than in the summer. Feel free to add in an extra 30-45 minutes of sleep until spring.


2. Movement. Exercising regularly can bolster the body's metabolism and keep our energy consistent. I especially like yoga (see my new class below!), strength training (Eric Moss is the best personal trainer for strength training!) and running (ok....I tolerate running, but I like how I feel afterwards). Do what you like and commit to exercising by scheduling it.


3. Acupuncture. I've joked that The New Yorker ought to have a cartoon of someone screaming "I'm sick of all of this self care!" while sitting on a yoga mat surrounded by healthy foods, supplements, exercise equipment, salt lamps, plants, teas, weighted blankets, crystals, sun lamps, essential oils and everything else we have available for self care. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of all of these things, but sometimes we need to put the care for ourselves in someone else's hands. That's where acupuncture can help (and for that matter, chiropractic, massage therapy, reiki and other bodywork as well). A treatment can be a great reset so that it's easier for you to follow your self care routines.

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