The last 18 months have seemed to move everyone that I talk to into a new type of mental health struggle. I know I’ve been experiencing it and last week I learned the exact word for what I’ve been feeling: Languishing.

Webster has a few definitions, but the one I associate most closely to (as do my patients and friends) is:
to lose vigor and vitality, melancholy.

We have all been handed a tough hand, no matter how amazing our lives are. We can’t (or are afraid to) hug our loved ones. If someone coughs in the same aisle at the store: duck and cover! There is division everywhere we look. I just hope we all make it out as better people when we reach the other side.

I think the biggest problem with languishing is that I know I’m still incredibly blessed! I have my health, my home, my family, my friends. Most of the people I know have not lost their income, their homes, their loved ones. Yet, I still feel “meh.”

So how do we fix it? Here are some places to start:
1. Do whatever you need to to take care of yourself. Get some acupuncture (or HypnoPuncture), do some crystal healing, paint, do yoga, go for a hike, or a run, or a kitchen dance party. Be UNAPOLOGETIC about your self-care! Self-care isn’t all bubble baths and manicures. Self-care is loving yourself enough to eat the healthy foods, move your body daily, and think loving thoughts about yourself.
2. Take time to deep breathe EVERY DAY! One of my favorite types of deep breathing exercises is the 4-7-8 breath developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. Find him on YouTube to learn how to do this simple technique.
3. Think (or better yet: write) three things that you are grateful for each day. Even on those tough days, I can be grateful that I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a toothbrush. When you do your gratitude, really FEEL grateful for each thing you come up with.

Be well,
Sharleen

 


About Your Columnist

Sharleen Lawrence is a featured columnist for Women Lead, the official blog of Connected Women of Influence. She is the owner and Chief Executive HypnoPuncturist at Empire Wellness Center. Since 2015, Sharleen has been helping people improve their physical and mental health using cutting edge technology and ancient tools to balance their mind, body, and soul. She developed the HypnoPuncture Method by combining hypnosis with acupuncture and has helped transform the lives of hundreds of women by reprogramming their subconscious mind for healing and success.

 


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