Building Individual and Organizational Resilience: From Languishing to Flourishing

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Written By Nigel Taklalsingh

The Brief: Resilience is the capacity to adapt to challenges and setbacks, allowing individuals and organizations to thrive in the face of adversity. Drawing on the research of Dr. Corey Keyes on languishing and flourishing, this article explores how resilience connects with mental health and provides actionable strategies for individuals and organizations. By addressing languishing and promoting flourishing, organizations can empower their workforce to be resilient and adaptable in an ever-changing environment.

Understanding Resilience

Resilience, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioural flexibility.” While resilience is often associated with individuals, it equally applies to organizations, as both rely on adaptability, persistence, and flexibility to navigate challenges. The systems and processes within organizations, though distinct, are shaped by the decisions and behaviours of individuals.

  

Languishing vs. Flourishing

The concept of resilience connects closely with mental health, as highlighted in Corey Keyes’ interview in the Rotman Management magazine, Fall 2024 issue. Keyes describes languishing as a state of stagnation, emptiness, and lack of meaning—distinct from clinical depression but reflective of modern life’s pressures. Left unaddressed, languishing can deepen into more serious conditions such as anxiety or depression.

Keyes highlights that languishing often increases with age, particularly after 70 when feelings of loneliness become prominent. Data from Statistics Canada’s findings (2021-2024) suggest loneliness levels have remained relatively unchanged. However, reports such as Harvard’s Loneliness in America (2024) and the Loneliness in European Union study show that 21% of adults feel lonely, with young adults (30-44) particularly affected. Also, a February 2024 Research Paper published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, which looked at global trends in perceived loneliness among adolescents from 28 countries, presented similar findings. This raises questions: is loneliness now becoming an issue that needs to be addressed, and is languishing also now becoming an issue that we need to address?

 

Are You Languishing? 

To determine whether one might be languishing, Keyes suggests asking reflective questions, including:

  •  Does your job no longer give you a sense of meaning or accomplishment?

  • Is it difficult to feel excited about upcoming important events or celebrations?

  • Do small setbacks, once trivial, now feel overwhelming?

  • Is it challenging to find the motivation to maintain relationships with friends and family?

  • Are you procrastinating on tasks both at work and in your personal life? 

These questions may reflect a spectrum of languishing, rather than a binary state.  It may not be about whether you are languishing, but rather to what degree—whether you feel a 1 out of 5 or a 5 out of 5.

 

How to Achieve Flourishing

 Flourishing, in contrast, reflects mental health and resilience. It is marked by a sense of purpose, fulfillment, and the ability to rebound from adversity. According to Keyes, cultivating a flourishing state creates “strong and truly resilient human beings.”

Keyes offers five “vitamins” to counteract languishing and promote flourishing:

  1. Help Others: Contribute to the world in ways that leave it better than you found it.

  2. Learn Something New: Pursue learning for its own sake, not necessarily for career advancement.

  3. Engage Spiritually: Explore practices such as meditation, gratitude, or stoicism to transcend daily challenges.

  4. Build Relationships: Foster warm, trusting connections and rebuild community.

  5. Play Actively: Replace passive leisure with activities that require engagement and effort. 

 

The Organizational Perspective

 While resilience is often framed as an individual trait, its principles extend to organizations. After all, an organization’s resilience depends on the decisions, actions, and behaviours of its people. Applying Keyes’ vitamins to the workplace reveals actionable strategies to enhance employee resilience and well-being:

Key Takeaways

Resilience equips individuals and organizations to navigate continuous change, rebound from setbacks, and thrive.  Addressing languishing and fostering flourishing is not just about well-being; it’s a strategic imperative for sustaining performance and adaptability. 

Organizations should start by assessing their workforce for signs of languishing, fostering open conversations, and implementing strategies like those outlined here. The shift from stagnation to resilience begins with awareness and small, meaningful steps.

As Corey Keyes reminds us, “Languishing is a normal reaction to modern life, but sadness can become depression, and fear can become anxiety if it persists.” The challenge and opportunity lie in transforming stagnation into vitality—both for individuals and the organizations they enable. //

Nigel Taklalsingh
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Navigating Organizational Change: Balancing Stress and Building Resilience