Feeling listless
Feeling listless means having little energy and even less interest, so nothing seems worth starting and the hours drift by.
What does feeling listless feel like?
You lie on the sofa scrolling past things you’d normally enjoy. Friends suggest plans and none of them appeal, and even picking a film seems more effort than it’s worth. Many people feel listless on a heavy, humid afternoon, in the gray weeks of late winter, or when a long stretch of free time has no shape to it.
Is listless a feeling?
It’s more a state than a single feeling: low energy and low interest together. The word says as much. Listless dates from the 1400s and joins list, an old word for desire (not the list of items), with -less, so listless is, quite literally, without desire.
Listless or restless?
Both can come from the same empty afternoon, but they pull in opposite directions. Restless has energy with nowhere to go: you pace, fidget and start things. Listless has almost no energy and no wish for anything, so you stay where you are. Some people swing between the two in a single day.
In a sentence
- “The heat made everyone listless.”
- “He spent a listless Sunday on the sofa.”
- “She felt listless for a few days after the exams were over.”
Where it sits on the wheel
Listless is in the outer ring, under Tired › Bored.
A gentle prompt
What is the smallest thing that might feel nice right now? It can be very small.
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Something that might help right now
A small screen-free idea for when nothing is holding your interest.
Small things some people find helpful
- Have a glass of water and something to eat, if it’s been a while.
- Get a little daylight or fresh air, even at an open window.
- If rest is what you need, let it be rest. Rain & Quiet Sounds can keep you company.
- If you’ve felt this way for more than two weeks, it’s worth talking to a doctor. Source: NHS, Low mood, sadness and depression
Feelings near listless
Bored (one ring in)
Listless is boredom with low energy, and little interest in anything.
Restless (also under Bored)
Unmotivated (also under Bored)
Listless has little interest in anything; unmotivated is about particular tasks.
About the feelings wheel
Listless is one of the 104 words on the Slow Days feelings wheel, and the list of feelings has them all. The wheel isn’t a test or a diagnosis.