The Funk
“How are you?” everybody seems to ask.
You respond, “I’m okay, but I’ve just been so tired lately, I don’t know why…it’s so weird. It’s like I’m in a funk. Hopefully after I get through this week I can recover and it’ll be better next week.”
How many times have you felt this way? As if you’re in a funk and IF ONLY you were able to get through this week, or finish this project, or get through this obligation, or make it to the weekend…..you could recover. You’re in a funk. The dictionary defines a ‘funk’ as “a sad or worried state.” Who isn’t in a sad or worried state these days?
You are in a funk because we are into the third year of a global pandemic, as we work at our over-demanding jobs while gas is almost $6 and your grocery bills are soaring. You’re in a funk because everyone around you is incredibly traumatized and each social outing leaves you with a negative residue that colors your future interactions with your loved ones. You’re in a funk because the expectations have remained the same, but your anxiety is through the roof and you have less support and less familiar coping skills than ever before.
I know that this ‘funk’ isn’t truly who you are, but it is a normal reaction to a bewildering situation. We react to our environment. If a flower is failing to bloom you don’t blame the flower. You try to see if the soil is moist, or if it is getting enough sun. If your baby is behaving oddly, you check to see if they need food or if they are teething. If your dog is misbehaving, you try to see if he needs more mental stimulation or socialization. So why are we so quick to blame ourselves for our funk when we are living in a neo-feudalist, late-stage capitalist, technocratic hellscape? There’s a reason that the only time you feel a dopamine hit is when you buy something or eat something. Your brain is starved for new, exciting, and safe experiences! Practically the antithesis of the pandemic protocol.
Don’t just be kind to yourself…..cut yourself the slack you cut for others. How would you respond to a child? How would you respond to your beloved pet? Why do you neglect to do so for yourself? Aren’t you just as deserving? When did you become undeserving of your basic need for safety?
Take a deep breath. You’re not alone. Talk to a therapist.
You have all of my support and love xoxo
