Funk, pronounced "fuhngk", is an emotional state of being where nothing is really wrong, but nothing is really right either. It comes as a series of "bad days" that have no event that makes them "bad". A Funk can be difficult to identify because its accompanying signs and symptoms can present themselves very differently. Common symptoms are a mild to moderate case of the blues, uncertainty of current and possibly future life paths, discontent, and general lack of excitement, interest, or motivation. The patient may also find him/herself asking, "What is the point? I seem to have forgotten why I'm living the way I do. I can't remember what goal I'm working towards." These symptoms can be difficult to pinpoint or explain, but are often accompanied by a nagging feeling that something is missing. Nothing is wrong, per se, but something isn't quite right.
Having a funk is like having a really nasty cold. After being sick for a week or two with no signs of real improvement I ask myself, "Do I go to a doctor or not? Would it really make a difference or do I just wait it out?" Those are the same questions asked during a mysterious case of the Funk. "Do I change something in my life or not? Would it really make a lasting difference or do I just wait it out?" For most cases of the Funk I prescribe keep going, get outside, and give it time. In other words, don't just eat toast, make some dinner. Take a walk, go for a bike ride, watch a sunrise, find some mountains to climb or watch the sun set behind. Truly difficult cases may require more aggressive treatment: tell someone about your Funk, read some fiction, and have a good cry. If you've diligently (and repeatedly) done all of the above and have found that Funk symptoms persist, the time has come to address that nagging feeling and truly, bravely ask yourself, "What is missing?"
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| Sunset walk last week |
9 comments:
Rach, you know I understand. I still find myself in "funks" sometimes despite the fact that I love my life. Yesterday, I was in a "funk" but I managed to lessen it by listing all the things I'm grateful for as I drove down the road. Nothing big, but at least something to help short term while you figure out the long term. Love ya!
You list some very good treatments for funk... thank you for sharing some valuable life experience. You know you always have a place to stay should you need a change for a while :)
Love this. :)
Excellent post! I hope you find your way out of the "funk" soon... My opinion? You're a wanderer... you need some exciting adventure or change. It's never good to stay in one place for too long. So - do something crazy or spontaneous, or our of the ordinary and I bet you'll be feeling better in no time... and, just remember, any funk in Yellowstone is 100 times better than a funk in an office the size of a sardine can on the 3rd floor of a building that's sure to be destroyed in a minor earthquake. and, it's better than a funk when you're taking a hard stats class for a semester and it never ends... It could just be that Fall is around the corner, and that's when you're used to changes happening... But - I'm confident you'll find your way out of it soon :)
You mean eating chocolate and toast and surfing the internet until late at night isn't the cure. Crap! No wonder that's never worked for me. :)
What is the magic about toast? That's a new one for me.
Jacque, toast is Eve's thing. I don't eat much toast (especially since I don't currently have a toaster). But it seemed appropriate. At least Eve knows that I know what her comfort foods are.
I feel that your funk description would be more beneficial if you posted it on wikipedia. Then the whole world could share in understanding the quandary that is funk.
Hmmm... So is funk an introspective thing where there is a void and little to fill it? Perhaps charity would help.
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