Being in a funk can negatively affect many areas of your life. I’m an optimistic person, although I periodically get in a funk. Awhile ago, I fell into a funk and it reminded me of how awful it feels. I’m sharing my story to help you find a way out of a funk, should you fall into one too.

My cat, Cosmo, was sick. After 3 trips to the vet and being faced with his second round of medication, I slipped into a funk. There was a Taoist Tai Chi retreat week offered during the last week of March, which I wanted to attend. I strategically planned my schedule to be able to go away for this week; retreats are a great way for me to reflect and get re-energized.

Another visit to the vet left me armed with another round of medication. This was soon followed with Cosmo’s loss of appetite, resulting in an ongoing struggle to force-feed him. I realized that going away for a week was out of the question. Besides caring for Cosmo, and my sense of responsibility for him, it wasn’t right to leave a cat-sitter with administering meds and force-feeding my sick kitty.

I have designed my life to have a lot of freedom. I value the ability to make choices, often at the last minute, of how to spend my time. Being a self-employed woman without any children, a work schedule free for a week, and a Tai Chi workshop retreat in the offing…can you imagine my frustration at being limited in my choices?!

Negativity breeds discontent. My frustration built, and I started to see problems in other areas of my life. I looked at where I am currently, in my life overall, at how I’m still re-building in many areas, and started sliding down the slippery slope.

“Awareness is the precursor to choice”. Becoming aware that I was in a funk, allowed me to see that I had choices. I could choose to see this situation as limiting, or, choose another perspective. Again I looked at my life, self-evaluated, and this time, I saw another picture. I looked at my values, and how they are so much more aligned with how I’m living, more than they have ever been. Focusing on the positive feels so much better! Tracking the gap between where I am and where I want to be is a different perspective than looking at how far I’ve come!

Being in a funk disengaged me from what’s really important. Re-engaging by reviving what’s really important in my life, and re-connecting with those values pulled me out of the funk. For me, it involved taking time out to connect with a good friend, re-engage in my purpose, discover and learn some new things, and contribute in a meaningful way.

The present is perfect.

I believe there is a way to change your perspective to view the good in any situation. Instead of bemoaning the fact that I wouldn’t enjoy a Tai Chi week, I created a March break week filled with fun activities, interspersed with caring for Cosmo. I shifted from being in a funk, back to being funky!

In summary, here are some ideas to consider to free yourself from being in a funk:

• Discover your values and connect with them in an active way, by choosing to do something that embodies one of your strongest values.

• Shift, even briefly, to an activity that you enjoy. Listen to a great piece of music! Call a friend. Dance like nobody is watching!
• Focus on what you want and what’s really important in your life.
• Change your perspective to see the good in the situation.
• Appreciate the abundance in your life right now.