Experts Say That Many of Us Are Experiencing Languishing — Here's How to Cope 16 Shares When The New York Times first published a piece on languishing — a term coined by sociologist and psychologist Corey Keyes, PhD, which has gained more significance amid the pandemic — it felt like a sigh of relief. Finally, there was a word to describe how we've all been feeling for the past year. Dubbed the "neglected middle child of mental health," languishing may be the label you've been trying to attach to the "sense of stagnation and emptiness" you've experienced as weeks of COVID-19 turned into months. The good news? There are steps you can take to feel better.