How To Get Yourself Out Of A Funk
Last week I found myself in a bit of a funk. In fact, that's a massive understatement - I found myself in the biggest funk I have been in for MONTHS. I don't really know what caused it - it might have been exhaustion, or boredom, or lack of inspiration (it was probably a combination of all 3). What I do know is that I hated it. Every time I sat down to write it felt like the words wouldn't come, and I couldn't really find the energy to do anything other than lay on the couch and watch Nashville. I didn't feel like me at all, and I didn't like it.
But I'm happy to share that I am feeling much better this week, and I really believe that that's because I did the things on this list, rather than trying to fight my way through the fug and keep plodding on. So I'd thought I'd share those little tips and tools I used to get myself feeling better again - I hope you find them useful...
1) Give yourself a break
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I'm a bit of a workaholic. It's not because I'm a martyr, it's just because I genuinely love both my day job and blogging, so I struggle to know when to switch off. That being said, we're all only human and we need a guilt-free break every now and then to enjoy the parts of life that aren't work related.
Last week I lifted the work pressure a little bit, and spent more time hanging out with my favourite people instead. It made all the difference to spend a bit more time in the real world, plus I've come back buzzing with plenty of new ideas - a reminder that taking a break is not only nice for the old work/life balance, but essential to keep the creativity flowing.
2) Reduce the screen time
You know how everyone has been downloading that Moment app recently and using it to see how long they spend on their phones? I refuse to download it because I'm too scared of the results. My phone houses everything I need to do my job and run a blog - from my Gmail account and work calendar, to Instagram and Twitter. It's also where I listen to podcasts, call my Mum and catch up with my friends, and so I spend A LOT of time looking at my screen, even before you add in my laptop!
However, whenever I'm starting to feel angsty and in a funk, I know that I need to cut down the screen time a little bit. I'm not gonna preach about going on a digital detox or anything like that, because that would make me a hypocrite, but small doses of being off your phone does help. I like to leave my phone in another room while I have a hot bath, or doing something with my hands (cross stitching, knitting, colouring in) while I watch the telly to stop me scrolling every two minutes.
3) Do some of your favourite things
Whenever I'm feeling low or uninspired, I think one of the best things you can do is go back to basics and fill your time with all of your favourite things. I'm not talking anything huge or extravagant, just the little stuff that lights your soul up a little bit. For me, it's buying some fresh flowers for my fireplace, getting out in the fresh air for a big long walk and curling up with a really good book.
It's also important to rest a lot - I'm talking guilt-free early nights and long lazy lie ins, both of which qualify as two of my favourite things! It really is amazing what some good quality sleep can do for your mental health and general attitude to life, and it's always one of my go to solutions whenever I feel crap.
4) Write it down
Last but by no means least - write it down. Whether that's privately for yourself, in a text or email to a friend, or even to share with a wider audience. I find that writing down how I feel not only helps me to process it, but it lets me take control over the situation rather than being at mercy to it.
If you do feel confident enough to share it with someone then I would very much recommend it. I wrote about feeling in a funk in one of my Instagram captions last week, and the influx of love and support and kind words made me feel much less alone and guilty about taking time off. I could have quite easily filled that caption space with something shallow and light, but being honest made me feel 100 times better.
What do you do to pull yourself out of a funk?