I get this question more often than you might expect:

My work isn’t awful… but it isn’t great either. I can’t tell if it’s bad enough to leave or good enough to stay.

Yes. I’ve seen this a lot.

There’s a particular kind of work experience that doesn’t shout, doesn’t sparkle, and doesn’t trigger a crisis — but quietly drains your energy over time. I call it languishing at work.

It sits between happy work and unhappy work.

It doesn’t ring alarm bells.

And that’s exactly why it’s so dangerous.

When you’re languishing, you still show up. You still do the work. You might even work hard. But inside, something has gone flat. You tell yourself you’re lucky. You tolerate it. You coast. Weeks turn into months. And slowly, almost invisibly, you lose your spark.

In this episode, I talk about:

1. The three “siblings” of work life satisfaction — and why the middle one gets ignored
2. How languishing feels different from burnout (and why that matters)
3. Why smart, capable mid-career professionals are especially good at tolerating work that no longer fits
4. The difference between a short-term dip and chronic work-life languishing
5. What actually helps — from tiny pattern-disrupting experiments to knowing when it’s time for a bigger rethink

If your work feels fine, okay, or just about tolerable — and has done for far too long — this is for you.

Because the middle child doesn’t stay quiet forever.

And designing work that feels energising again starts with noticing what’s really going on.

If this idea of languishing at work resonates, you don’t need a dramatic leap — but you do need a more intentional next step.

If you’re ready to think more deliberately about the next decade of your work life, you can explore my work redesign programmes here:

👉 https://www.midlifeunstuck.com/work-with-me

And if you’d rather start with something lighter, I’ve shared practical ways to experiment your way out of flatness here:

👉 https://www.midlifeunstuck.com/new-blog-1/2020/11/8/midlife-career-kiss-of-life