Getting In and Out of a Funk

Lately, I have occasionally been getting into funks.  These funks vary from work related funks, funks in which I just can’t seem to stay in site, and other funks in which I seem to question myself.  Some funks you just got to let pass.  Sometimes, I have to just rely on keeping myself as busy as possible and often need to also rely on my coping mechanisms.

The work related funks often happen when I am feeling as if the work I am doing is not impactful (or successful) at all, if I am finding it difficult to find work, and/or struggle to find the motivation to work.  In regards to this, I have found that I need to remind myself that even the smallest amount of work is worth something.  Despite how challenging it can be to find work and to find people who are actually very willing to work with me that when I do find these things, it can be extremely rewarding.  I have realized that in order to avoid these types of funks or getting out of these types of funks heavily rely on me reminding myself that I am ultimately doing all that I can do with what I have available and that I should be happy with the work that I do.  Even the smallest amounts of work can be the most impactful and the longest lasting.

Funks in which I just can’t seem to stay in site… when I say this, it means that that are periods in which I constantly have different programs, trips, etc. that for some reason tend to fall into periods of time where there are quite a few scheduled close together.  Sometimes I will have programs such as camp, training, or some sort of meeting that will take up either a full week (for a program like camp) or a weekend.  Or there are times where I take some vacation time.  For example, my parents came to visit last January (2015) and they were here for three weeks.  Sometimes I travel to my hub town (Addis Ababa) or to another town to visit a friend for the weekend.  Sometimes these types of funks happen because I have a legit reason for coming and going from site constantly and sometimes it might just happen because I become so used to being out of site so often.  I hate to admit it, but sometimes these funks do affect the work related funks.  But I have learned that if I fall into one of these funks in which I am out of site a lot, I need to try to adjust projects if possible.  For example, for one of my programs in which I meet with youth on a bi-weekly basis, I will give them homework and other assignments to work on while I am gone.

Then there are those funks in which I question myself and who I am.  I think that I have changed so much throughout this experience as a Peace Corps volunteer that it is natural for me to reevaluate who I am.  It can be easy to doubt myself though when I begin to ask questions of myself.  Sometimes when I question who I am, it takes on a negative connotation.  I think that many volunteers have in some shape and form have faced this.  I think that it especially within a context like this one, it can be a good thing to reevaluate and question yourself.  I have found myself occasionally question myself in negative ways.  But when this happens, I really try to find all of the positives rather than the negatives. 

iI think that with all of these different types of funks, I find myself struggling at times.  I know that I have already put up a couple of posts addressing the struggles that I have dealt with since being here, so I won’t really go into them.  But something that I have found is necessary are my coping mechanisms.  As I have mentioned before in another post, some of my coping mechanisms include exercising, reading, listening to music, and journaling.   One thing that I have come to appreciate the most in this country, especially when it comes to the various funks and struggles I have dealt with are the friends that I have made here.  My closest friends that I have in this country have helped me the most when I am having a hard time.  Some of these people have helped when I have struggled the most.  And I am extremely grateful for that.  If not for them, I would not have grown in the ways that I have and wouldn’t be who I am today.

*Two recent coping mechanisms:

Found a pool!

Sometimes cuddling helps!