Thread: We (don't) want the funk!

It can happen to anybody. A couple of years ago, I got a really awesome student teacher assigned. After a couple of weeks of increasing responsibility, she was doing great, a born teacher. I sat up in the teacher workroom for weeks feeling more and more useless (and more and more depressed as a result), while she taught "my" students (who quickly became "hers.") The only cure was when she graduated and I got my classroom back, with all the attendant stress and chaos. But it's my mission in life, literally what I live for. I think men especially have our self-esteem all tied up in our careers and work life.

I was just told the other day that I'm getting another student teacher in the spring. Sigh....

I get that way on a couple of occassions during the year. During the late Autumn and winter period, I found that the decreased daylight is the cause. During different periods of the year, the cause is doing the same things in life over and over again. So, I try to change things up in my life.

I do small changes, like taking a different way home to/from work, visiting places (e.g., stores, museums, etc.) that I often pass by but never bother to check out, reading a new book, playing a new video game, etc. It is all a change in scenery for me.

I also do bigger changes, like starting a new project, taking a minivacation locally, or revisiting something in the past that I forgot was around.

I like to keep busy, and keeping busy + coffee helps me get going.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Perhaps something is annoying you, something so routine you're not even thinking much about it?
Take a mental stroll through your week. Is there something that recurrs regularly and which you already dislike in advance? I agree you shouldn't wallow, but if something is draining away your energy, it's a good idea to deal with it instead of sucking it up and keep going.

I've definitely been doing this... When nothing else sticks out like a sore thumb, the only option left is to examine the subtle things you might not be noticing.

Sound advice, as always, Bruno!

Originally Posted by henryconchile

I get that way on a couple of occassions during the year. During the late Autumn and winter period, I found that the decreased daylight is the cause. During different periods of the year, the cause is doing the same things in life over and over again. So, I try to change things up in my life.

I do small changes, like taking a different way home to/from work, visiting places (e.g., stores, museums, etc.) that I often pass by but never bother to check out, reading a new book, playing a new video game, etc. It is all a change in scenery for me.

I also do bigger changes, like starting a new project, taking a minivacation locally, or revisiting something in the past that I forgot was around.

I like to keep busy, and keeping busy + coffee helps me get going.

+5,000 on the coffee!

I get the same feeling more times than I should. Like your life, I run the mental checklist of family & responsibilities, they are intact, but the feeling is still there. My thoughts are that , I get this way when my world begins to close in around me & I can't see over the fence in my yard, so to speak.

I break out of this condition usually with this method I developed. I have a section(part of my livingroom wall)
dedicated to young men & women cut down in the prime of their life. I glance at their faces & ask myself , "If they had a second chance to return, I bet they wouldn't waste it as I'm doing now." This puts things in perspective for me; I pick my sack up off the ground & make the most of my life.

or;

The flip side,,,,if the condition is getting stronger each time it occurs & the condition happens more often,,,then it may be something out of your control,,,a warning that something physical is present that needs looking into. Nothing wrong with listening to your body & getting a check up.

You're kind of young for this however often times when folks reach around 40 they reexamine their lives and where they are and where they would like to be and realize their life is half over and they are pretty much locked in to where they are at this point in their lives. This can cause folks to want to make drastic changes in a hurry be it a new place to live or divorce or new job maybe. Just about everyone experiences this. Some need to make big changes and some are satisfied with a new hobby or a fancy car. It's all tied to the "mid life crisis". I think if folks are happy and secure in their lives they weather it pretty good.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I get the same feeling more times than I should. Like your life, I run the mental checklist of family & responsibilities, they are intact, but the feeling is still there. My thoughts are that , I get this way when my world begins to close in around me & I can't see over the fence in my yard, so to speak.

I break out of this condition usually with this method I developed. I have a section(part of my livingroom wall)
dedicated to young men & women cut down in the prime of their life. I glance at their faces & ask myself , "If they had a second chance to return, I bet they wouldn't waste it as I'm doing now." This puts things in perspective for me; I pick my sack up off the ground & make the most of my life.

or;

The flip side,,,,if the condition is getting stronger each time it occurs & the condition happens more often,,,then it may be something out of your control,,,a warning that something physical is present that needs looking into. Nothing wrong with listening to your body & getting a check up.

I think that your first method, John, is pretty much how I get through this every time it hits... I have so much to be thankful for, and am in a MUCH better place in life than more people than I could ever count.

If I were depressed, that would be one thing... There would be a cause, mental or physical, that could be dealt with. The thing is, though, this isn't anywhere close to depression... It's just not that serious. It's like boredom meets frustration meets longing. Usually, it's over in a day or two and life continues happily on. It's just, for some reason, it's lasted about two weeks this time, though thankfully it's coming to an end now, and has been stronger than normal.

I promise I'm not losing it, everyone.

I was just curious how you guys deal with life when things get this way for you.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

You're kind of young for this however often times when folks reach around 40 they reexamine their lives and where they are and where they would like to be and realize their life is half over and they are pretty much locked in to where they are at this point in their lives. This can cause folks to want to make drastic changes in a hurry be it a new place to live or divorce or new job maybe. Just about everyone experiences this. Some need to make big changes and some are satisfied with a new hobby or a fancy car. It's all tied to the "mid life crisis". I think if folks are happy and secure in their lives they weather it pretty good.

You know, I did wonder if I was experiencing an early mid-life crisis. Given that my life is about 1/3 of the way done, it's one of the things I truly questioned. Wondering if having a 5 year old remind me every day that I'm not as young as I used to be and whatnot. But, the more I thought about it, I celebrate every day I have with him and if I were to die tomorrow, I got to experience the joys of fatherhood and he got to know that his daddy loved him. I can find peace in that.

That's not to say that I wouldn't want our time to last as long as possible, though.

Don't diagnos yourself,,,,there are people in this world that are better trained at it than you are,,,,I waited 25 years to get a check up, around age 46, I'm still paying the price for being tough & foolish.

A check up can't hurt.

We want you around next year,,,,

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Don't diagnos yourself,,,,there are people in this world that are better trained at it than you are,,,,I waited 25 years to get a check up, around age 46, I'm still paying the price for being tough & foolish.

A check up can't hurt.

We want you around next year,,,,

Awwww.... John, I didn't know you cared....

or, wait, maybe this is reverse psychology and you don't want me to get checked out so you can get my razors for a song...