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<\/a><\/p>\nA new national survey from mental wellbeing<\/a> experts Be Well Co has cast a spotlight on what might be one of the biggest hidden threats to productivity.<\/p>\n Not sick days, but \u201cpresenteeism\u201d: employees physically present but emotionally checked out. Running on autopilot.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not about people not coming to work; it\u2019s about them being mentally absent,\u201d said Dr Matthew Iasiello, Be Well Co<\/a> mental health researcher and co-author of the study that canvassed hundreds of working Australians.<\/p>\n A crisis in plain sight<\/p>\n Many employees aren\u2019t calling in sick, they\u2019re just quietly disengaging.<\/p>\n That disengagement is driving a $7 billion annual loss to the economy, according to The Productivity Commission<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr Joep van Agteren, chief executive of Be Well Co, said the numbers only tell half the story.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people languish at work they can feel stuck, directionless and demotivated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cTracking languishing can help us quantify and humanise the hurt that goes alongside the costs, showing us that presenteeism is damaging in the long run for the vitality of organisations and the people that work for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Put simply, employees aren\u2019t just less productive.<\/p>\n They\u2019re less innovative, more withdrawn, and more disconnected from their jobs, teams, and even themselves.<\/p>\n Present but not thriving<\/p>\n The research reveals over three-quarters of languishing employees felt unsupported by their peers, managers, or organisations.<\/p>\n Dr Maike Neuhaus, founder of The Flourishing Doc<\/a> and psychologist in Brisbane<\/a>, Queensland<\/a>, calls this a dangerous blind spot.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not the loud crisis that gets attention, but rather the quiet disconnection, disengagement, and loss of meaning that fly under the radar,\u201d she said 7news.com.au.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that 76 per cent of participants felt unsupported shows just how invisible this state can be.\u201d<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just the workplace that suffers.<\/p>\n A staggering 91 per cent of those who reported languishing at work also reported languishing at home \u2014 proving the malaise doesn\u2019t stop at the office door.<\/p>\n \u201cWellbeing is never neatly compartmentalised,\u201d Neuhaus added<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unlike burnout, which often comes with high stress and exhaustion, languishing can feel like \u201cblah\u201d.<\/p>\n That\u2019s how some survey participants described it \u2014 not distressed, but not thriving.<\/p>\n Emotionally flat, unmotivated, just there.<\/p>\n Many employees described themselves as \u201cgoing through the motions\u201d or \u201cexisting, not living\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019s this subtlety that makes languishing so dangerous and so easy to ignore.<\/p>\n What can be done?<\/p>\n While leaders often focus on absenteeism or obvious drops in performance, experts say they need to start paying attention to the quiet signs of disengagement.<\/p>\n Addressing this isn\u2019t just about fixing what\u2019s broken, Neuhaus said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about shifting the focus towards what thriving truly looks like in the workplace.<\/p>\n That opposite state is known as flourishing, where energy, purpose and connection return.<\/p>\n According to Neuhaus, it has little to do with surface-level perks.<\/p>\n \u201cFlourishing isn\u2019t about perks or resilience posters,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about job design, autonomy, mastery, purpose, and belonging.<\/p>\n \u201cOrganisations must upskill leaders to recognise early signs of disengagement and act systemically.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not an individual deficit issue; it\u2019s often a cultural and structural one.<\/p>\n Be Well Co is also urging employers to rethink how they measure well-being and performance.<\/a><\/p>\n Instead of relying solely on productivity spreadsheets, they encourage employers to listen to their employees and redesign workplaces.<\/p>\n While workplaces are responsible for building better environments, there are also things everyone can do.<\/p>\n \u201cLanguishing often begins with a loss of agency,\u201d Neuhaus explains.<\/p>\n \u201cOne powerful first step is to reconnect with small, meaningful actions \u2014 something we call micro-moments of flourishing<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis might include setting an intention for the day, actively engaging with a colleague, or seeking novelty and progress in even minor ways.\u201d<\/p>\n Research shows these small efforts can reignite motivation, rebuild connection, and help shift from languishing to flourishing.<\/p>\n Because at the end of the day, thriving at work isn\u2019t about powering through, it\u2019s about finding meaning in the everyday.<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit Beyond Blue<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Brisbane one of the hardest places to find a bulk billing doctor<\/p>\n 1 min read<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/b7116f0b99f14730322849a440f2728f9b3f893d-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg\")
The Flourishing Doc founder Maike Neuhaus calls languishing a dangerous blind spot leaving employees feeling unsupported. Credit: Maike NeuhausMore than just a mood<\/p>\n![\"Languishing](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/6a0d8fa352511330be378d66b9f472ab008d03c7-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg\")
Languishing at work, where presence masks a deeper sense of unfulfilment and lack of purpose Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n