I don’t really feel motivated.
I don’t really feel happy when I do my favourite activity.
I don’t really want to go to that work function.
I don’t really want to catch up with friends.
I don’t really want to work from home.
I don’t really want to work from work.
I can't really focus.
Ever felt like this?
I purposely stated that I ‘really’ don’t want to go or do things, I do, but I don’t REALLY want to.
At a recent SME Collective (www.sme-collective.com) monthly catch up, we were chatting about how the city centre was still so quiet, almost eerily so.
The venue where we were was pretty much empty, we were the only ones having lunch at 12:30pm, the number of employees, whilst friendly enough, was limited, and the general feeling of the place was somewhat somber.
The discussion continued down the path of why a lot of people in our collective circles seemed so – and we could not come to the right words at the time – lethargic, unwilling, grumpy, unfocused, reluctant, hesitant…. just overall a bit Blah!
There is a space in between Depression and Flourishing, called ‘Languishing’ and it is on the increase across the globe. Languishing has been described as feeling stuck, empty, unsure, tired unsettled, disinterested, joyless, amongst some of the terms used.
I was made aware of this term by one of our members and once he explained what he meant, things started to make more sense to us.
There is a reluctance now for people to come back to the office, businesses are offering incentives, making greater allowances, and in general are trying to do whatever they can to get people back into the same space.
Whilst we now have an opportunity to work differently, I can’t but help think of the many small businesses that rely on you getting back into the office, the dry cleaner, the coffee shop, the deli, the restaurant, the pub, the petrol station, the person that cleans your office, the window washer….and the list goes on.
I understand that we need to find a balance, but when I hear that some people are working remotely 80% of the time, I feel that this will not bode well both mentally, and economically, for any of us.
The longer we remain disconnected face to face, the harder it will become to reconnect. It will be like that first date all over again; nervous, sweaty palms, weak knees, not sure how to open the conversation, you get the idea.
In my immediate circle of professionals, we have made some decisions to make a change.
· We are going to catch up in person more often.
· We are going to call instead of email / text each other more, and we will check in with one another regularly. I can speak from experience that at times, when we say we are okay, we are not, and that one phone call can make a difference.
· We are going to continue our monthly SME Collective catch ups at small venues that desperately need 20 of us spending money on lunch and perhaps a couple of frothies.
· We are going to be honest with one another when we do feel a bit Blah.
So, I encourage you to put one step forward, as awkward, and fearful as that may feel right now, move out of your comfort zone, get outside, and reconnect with someone, in person – you might just make their day!