I’d been struggling for awhile – could have been hormones, could have been circumstances, but whatever it was, it was putting me in a bad place. I felt like I need to take some kind of action in order to get past it. The hard part about being in a funk, though – is that when you’re struggling, it’s tough to muster enough energy to put forth effort in getting yourself there.
One piece of advice a member of our Facebook Group said really stuck out to me. They said that when they are feeling like they’re stuck in funk, they do something for someone else.
That very night, some friends of ours had posted that they were in desperate need of infant pain medicine. At that time, the local pharmacies had a shortage. This couple had had their first child just 2 short weeks before and he’d just been circumcised that day. We happen to have some of what they needed in our medicine cabinet. Without thinking, I hopped in my car for the 30 minute drive to meet them at their home. I’d also taken 6 different freezer meals that I’d prepped and brought them as well.
After spending about 30 minutes with the new parents and listening to the harrowing story of their son’s birth, I felt better. I felt good about going out of my way for them. I felt good leaving them with meals. Their story also reminded me of how incredibly bless I am to have three beautiful children. I was out of my funk.
I couldn’t believe how well it worked.
Then – I remembered a day when I received a mysterious knock at the door on cold December evening. It was my client from the year before, Marysa. She handed me a little gift basket with thoughtful, handwritten note. She told me that she’d been in a funk recently and decided to bring a gift to different people who’d made a difference in her life. Another example of doing something for someone else when you’re feeling “less-than”.
Like I said before – it really is difficult to bring yourself to do ANYTHING when you’re feeling sad, angry or depressed. But if you can take that one little step toward doing something for someone else, you may just find yourself beginning to emerge again.
