Languishing, in a psychology context, describes a lack of mental health.
Psychologist Corey Keyes first introduced the concept of languishing in 2002. In an effort to create a more nuanced understanding of mental health besides “good” or “bad,” he divided mental health into four levels:
- flourishing, or good mental health
- moderate mental health
- languishing, or poor mental health
- depression
Languishing typically marks a decline in your mental health, though you can still function in your day-to-day life. Maybe you’re not going through a major mental health crisis or experiencing overwhelming distress, but your life may not involve much happiness or fulfillment either.
