How to get out of a funk in 2021

Have you been feeling lost with your goals, dreams, and passions?
Have you been feeling like you don't even know what you want anymore?
Feeling trapped, dead inside, or just run-down?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

I think so many of us at some point in our lives (or many points) struggle with the BIG questions of life:

*Who am I?
*What do I actually want?
*What makes me happy?

However, recently, I have noticed so many more people struggling with these questions. 

I think the pandemic really forced a lot of us to slow down or even come to a standstill. And I think without the constant distraction of busy schedules, places to go, and events to soothe our inner turmoil, many of us realized we never really took the time to sort it all out. When we stripped down our lives to the bare basics, we realized we had been covering up our wounds with everything but the truth.

When we sat still for a moment and really listened to our core, we realized we no longer knew how to hear what it was saying.

So how do you fix it? How do you find your passion again, figure out what you want in life, and chase your dreams? I don't think there's any easy fix. But I do think there are some things we can do to help.

1. Look back to your younger days

What did you love doing as a child? What lit you up? Typically, if we look back to those early days when we weren't afraid of the world telling us "no," we can find true joy again. For me, I always loved writing. I filled so many journals with stories and poems. It was who I always was. 

Adult life is exhausting. We get worn out by bills, by tragedies, by responsibilities, and by realities slapping us in our face. Our passions and joy we lived out freely in our younger days fade. If we take some time to revisit who we are at our core, what made us truly happy before the world said no, sometimes we can find the answer we are seeking.

2. Explore

We pigeon-hole ourselves into an identity in our adult years because society tells us we have to sort it all out. Because of that, we lose our sense of wonder and adventure. We forget to try new things because we get so stuck in our routines. Sometimes, though, trying something you've never done before can help you find a spark, a new joy, a new sense of life. Even if that thing you try isn't going to be your next career or your calling, it can reawaken a passion for life in you that maybe you lost along the way.

3. Be still.

I think the best thing to come out of 2020 was that so many of us had to be still. And even though that uncovered some scary truths for some of us about our lives, it helped us realize all the noise, the hustle and bustle--it's covering up our true selves. We're losing something in all the chaos. 

Take some time to just be still with yourself and breathe. Give your brain room to think, and give your heart room to be creative. Even if it's a five minute walk around the block or a few minutes of sipping coffee out on your porch, take time to put the distractions away. Take time to stop listening to the world and start listening to yourself. 

If you've lost your way, know you are not alone. Many of us are floundering through life trying to figure out just what it is that will bring us meaning and fulfillment. I think that's part of the beauty and struggle of being human.

I guess in the end it is a gift we get the chance to walk this crazy journey called life, even if it is wonderfully, beautifully confusing and hard sometimes. 

Stay Safe and Be True,

L.A. Detwiler, Author