4 ways to get yourself out of a funk
Last week I found myself in a bit of a funk. It wasn’t caused by anything specific, just a combination of hormones, terrible weather and leaning a bit too far to the work end of the old work-life balance. I felt tired, grumpy and consumed with negativity, which for someone who promotes joy and positivity for a living, wasn’t great.
I sometimes feel guilty about experiencing these funks - like the fact that I’m not super positive 100% of the time somehow makes me a fraud. But the truth is, it doesn’t matter how much you know about the power of positivity psychology - life can catch up with all of us sometimes, and it’s okay to admit to feeling less than great every now and then.
I’m glad to report that I’m now feeling back to my usual self, and so today, I thought I’d share the tips and tricks I always fall back on whenever I’m feeling a little blue. Hopefully they’ll be helpful for some of you guys too, and get you out of your funk asap…
1) Write a gratitude list
I feel like I’m starting to become a bit of a broken record where gratitude lists are concerned, but that’s because they work! When you’ve fallen into a habit of negativity it can be hard to break out of it, but sitting down and writing a list of everything you’re grateful for really helps you to remember all of the good in your life.
Get everything (big and small!) down on your list, and pin it up somewhere that you’ll see it regularly. Before you know it, you’ll be back to focusing on all of the joy and positivity in your life again.
2) Move your body
Another kinda cliche tip, but again one that works absolute wonders! When I’m in a funk I find that I spend way too long wrapped up in my own head, and doing some form of movement is a great way for me to break out of that and reconnect with my body again.
I’m not saying that you have to do anything that exerts too much energy (because the thought of that when you’re feeling a bit crap can be very overwhelming!), but stretch, get out for a walk or have a little dance party in your kitchen. Anything that gets your blood pumping and allows you to get out of your head for a couple of minutes will help to reset the balance in your brain.
3) Listen to yourself
Often, we can get ourselves into a funk when we aren’t listening to ourselves and what we need. Drowning out our intuition is easily done in our fast paced and noisy world, but it can also lead to burnout and misery, so if you’re not feeling 100%, spend some trying to reconnect with your inner monologue and figure out what your body and mind are trying to tell you.
I find that the easiest way to do this is with some journaling. Grab a notebook and a pen and practice some stream of consciousness writing - basically pouring your heart out onto the page. Try and commit to at least 3 or 4 pages of writing, and before you know it, you’ll be tapping into what’s going on for you underneath the surface.
4) Have some fun
Finally, whenever I’m feeling a bit under the weather, I like to make fun my number 1 priority. Life can feel very serious and overwhelming sometimes, and the best way to counteract that is by getting out and about and having a bloody good time.
Plan a spontaneous adventure, go out dancing with a friend, watch a funny movie - whatever you do, just commit to putting “have fun” at the top of your to do list until you start feeling more like your usual self.
What do you do to get yourself out of a funk?
