Fighting the Funk

I’ve been in a funk. And no, not a cool “funky town” funk, a miserable “what is life” funk. Whenever I feel stressed, I typically just cry it out in a matter of five minutes and POOF, it’s over. But this feeling is not just stress; This feeling is hardcore anxiety that lingers regardless of the smile on my face. I never get like this, or at least not when its sunny, I’m surrounded by my favorite people, and I have my whole life ahead of me.

Actually, I think that the latter statement might just be the problem. A new school year is swiftly approaching, only this time I will not be returning to the amicable halls of my two-hundred-something-students private school. No, I will find myself at a large university in a matter of weeks, with all new faces and places to get to know.

Some look at college as a fresh start. I, however, have finally found my friend group and my identity all within the span of my senior year. Needless to say, I’m not ready to leave. The people that I had once learned the alphabet with, were the same people that I had walked across the stage with back in May. These people are my family and they are all I have ever known; Although they bother the crap out of me, I can’t imagine how lost I’ll feel without such a familiar bunch. Hence, my funk!

Now I could keep outlining exactly what is giving me this mass of funky anxiety, because believe me, I’ve considered every possible detail about the upcoming school year that threatens me, but as my father would say, “The complaint department is closed!” Instead, I want to share a little positivity and encourage anyone with the same hesitancies that if I can do it, you can too!

I have my good and bad days just like anyone else. Yesterday I was feeling less funky and more fun! I spent the day browsing around boutiques downtown and sipping on coffee from my favorite cafe. Today, however, I did some shopping for my dorm and the funkiness followed soon after…Makes sense right? College = crappy day. However, I read somewhere that “It is not a bad life, only a bad day.” To each their own, but I took these few words to mean that everyday is a new opportunity to turn a cumbersome situation around. Today might be a bad day, but you are the only one who can make it a good day. To do this, one must know thyself. (Let me explain)

As odd as it sounds, I know how happy shopping all my by lonesome makes me feel, and I know that treating myself to an iced coffee really can change my day around. I also know that I am most productive when I put on a good outfit for the day, or have freshly shaved legs. So on days like today, where I’m feeling a bit off, I will go out of my way to shave my legs, take a trip to Starbucks, or even spend some time on a blog post.

Life is too short to have bad days everyday. Know what makes you happy and do more of that, even if it means something as little as an iced latte. You’re worth it. Today is worth it… In fact I might just make that my mantra for the next four years.

This, dear friends, is exactly how I will fight my way through the ever-approaching funk of another freshman year. The future is scary, and I can’t say that every freshman is as terrified as me because, well, no one seems to hyperventilate the way I do, but I know that I’m not in it alone, and that this future of ours only comes one day at a time. We can do this, as long as we prioritize making ourselves feel loved, wanted, and content, the semester of homework, new friends, more studying, and endless poverty to come, will certainly be a breeze.

With love, Ev.