Languishing

“With his pioneering research, Corey Keyes put languishing on the map. In this powerful book, he brings it to life. Get ready to rethink your understanding of mental health, update your views on happiness, and come closer to realizing your potential.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential

If you’re muddling through the day in a fog, often forgetting why you walked into a room . . . 
If you feel emotionally flattened, lacking the energy to socialize or feel joy in the small things . . . 
If you feel an inner void—like something is missing, but you aren’t sure what . . . 

Then this book is for you.

Languishing—the state of mental weariness that erodes our self-esteem, motivation, and sense of meaning—can be easy to brush off as the new normal, especially since indifference is one of its symptoms. It is not a synonym for depression and its attendant state of prolonged sadness. Languishers are more likely to feel out of control of their lives, uncertain about what they want from the future, and paralyzed when faced with decisions. Left unchecked, languishing not only impedes our daily functioning but is a gateway to serious mental illness and early mortality.

Emory University sociologist Corey Keyes has spent his career studying the causes and costs of languishing—the neglected middle child of mental health. Now Keyes has written the first definitive book on the subject, examining the ripple effect of languishing on our lives before deftly diagnosing the larger forces behind its rise: the false promises of the self-help industrial complex, a global moment of intense fear and loss, and a failing healthcare system focused on treating rather than preventing illness.

Ultimately, Keyes presents a counterintuitive approach to breaking the cycles keeping us stuck and finding a path to true flourishing. Unlike self-improvement systems offering quick-fix mood boosts, his framework focuses on functioning well: taking simple but powerful steps to hold our emotions loosely, becoming more accepting of ourselves and others, and carving out daily moments for the activities that create cycles of meaning, connection, and personal growth.

Languishing is a must-read for anyone tempted to downplay feelings of demotivation and emptiness as they struggle to haul themselves through the day, and for those eager to build a higher tolerance for adversity and the pressures of modern life. We can expand our vocabulary for describing our inner experiences and deepest needs—and, with it, our potential to flourish.

“With his pioneering research, Corey Keyes put languishing on the map. In this powerful book, he brings it to life. Get ready to rethink your understanding of mental health, update your views on happiness, and come closer to realizing your potential.”—Adam Grant, author of Hidden Potential

“With compassion, clarity, and raw honesty, Keyes explains the languishing-to-flourishing continuum, and how to break out of the ruts that keep us demoralized and worn down, improve our daily functioning, and find a deeply rooted sense of well-being. If you feel like you’re running on empty, this book is for you.”—Angela Duckworth, author of Grit

“Languishing combines decades of Keyes’s own scientific research with powerful personal stories to offer an antidote to the feelings of emptiness and nihilism that plague modern humans. Love. Learn. Work. Pray. Play. Five ingredients that have the potential to transform a life. This book will change the way you think about pain and pleasure, our innate psychological needs and the behaviors that throw us off balance, and the path to holistic well-being in an overstimulating, overwhelming world.”—Anna Lembke, MD, author of Dopamine Nation

“In this timely book, Corey Keyes equips us with the tools needed to reignite our passion for life, work, and relationships in a world that often leaves us feeling adrift. Embrace this book’s wisdom and let it be the catalyst for your transformation toward a life well lived.”—Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global

“Corey Keyes is the leading researcher studying flourishing and languishing. In this conceptually rich and deeply personal book, Keyes helps us to see that most people are languishing to some degree because we live in a society almost perfectly designed to interfere with some of our deepest needs. His sociological insights are profound. His recommendations will help individuals and societies to flourish.”—Jonathan Haidt, professor at NYU Stern School of Business, author of The Righteous Mind, and co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind

“[Keyes] sets out in this perceptive guide to lead those who feel ‘emotionally flattened’ onto ‘a path toward flourishing’ . . . [and] carefully sketches the contours of a pervasive and sometimes-nebulous phenomenon. . . . Keyes’s eye-opening musings will be a balm to those in need of a fresh perspective.”—Publishers Weekly

Corey Keyes is a sociologist and professor emeritus at Emory University whose research on mental health—including his pioneering work on the science of human flourishing—has had wide-reaching policy implications. Over the course of his career, he’s advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Happiness Forum, as well as governmental agencies in Canada, Northern Ireland, and Australia.

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