Well my dears, you’ve made it through September. How are you? I hear from many of you that you feel like you’re in a funk and that’s a capital FUNK. Maybe you feel like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed three months ago. No matter. Funks happen! Here are my top 10 ways to get out of a funk, and aside from the first one, they’re in no particular order. Do what works. Just do something! You matter to me!

 

1. Be nice

Stop beating yourself up for being in a funk or telling yourself you shouldn’t be in a funk. Whether you’re a life coach and do this for a living or you’re new to this awareness stuff, funks happen. In fact, from the time I post this to the time you’re reading it, I’ve probably been in and out of a couple.be nice, get out of a funk

The key is to have your own back. Stop being mean to yourself for being in a funk. Stop telling yourself you should be doing something else or that you should be feeling something else. That’s not helping. Stick up for yourself to yourself. Say things like “I know you’re having a tough time now and I’m here to remind you that we’ll get through this.”

We are taught that we need to be mean to ourselves to change. Not accurate. When we make changes from the feeling states of guilt and shame we feel ick and our self confidence takes a hit. Why not try it differently this time. What do you have to lose? Need I remind you? You’re already in a funk.

 

 

2. Move

Move your body. Every day. I get so much push back on this. You guys send me articles and messages saying, so and so says 3 days a week is enough or exercising every other day is best or… huh, well, I respectfully disagree. I invite you to keep sending me articles or research though I ask that you send them to me while out on a walk instead of sitting stationary and finding excuses as to why you shouldn’t care for the amazing vessel you were given.

I am not telling you to do an intense 2-hour workout session every day but I am telling you to move your body in an intentional way each and every day that you are here on earth. Our bodies are meant to be moved so move them. 3 minutes counts. Moving every day protects you from funks. If you’re in a funk, changing your physical state changes your emotional state. Try it!

 

3. DIGITAL DIET

Limit your tech time. Usually, I abhor diets but in this case, I encourage you to put yourself on a digital diet. Our phones are weapons of mass distraction. Truly. Have you heard of the terms “browser blackout” or “app amnesia”? Both things can happen when we are using our phones in an unintentional way. When we spend our time on things that have little or nothing to do with our goals or values, we feel overwhelm and angst. That’s a great recipe for a funk. Choose when you’ll look at your phone or apps and why. Our phones are wired for our distraction and reaction. When on my phone or before going on my computer, I like to ask myself: What am I getting on for? For how long will I be on? And finally, if I’m feeling very aware, I’ll ask, is this worth my time and energy? Take back control.

 

4. Pay attention to who you interact with daily and weekly

If you’re constantly around those who complain or make excuses you will find yourself prone to more funks. What we look for, we will find. If we’re in a group that’s constantly complaining or making excuses, guess what? get out of a funk, brain foodWe will look for things to complain about and feel justified in making excuses. This is not a recipe for living a life you love. You are an adult. You do not have to spend time around people who bring you down. Yes, I said that. And yes, I stand by that. Message me. I am living this. I consciously and intentionally choose who influences me and who I interact with and you can too. If you’re looking for a place to start, clean up your Instagram and Facebook newsfeed. Unfollow people who complain, make excuses or have posts that say things like “this is the worst ever” or posts that incite fear. Social contagion is real.

 

5. LAUGH

I have a goal to belly laugh every day. It’s like a vitamin I take to keep the funk away. I follow several stand up comedians on Youtube that make me laugh or I have a son who, when asked, can get me chuckling. Find your source and use it. Laughing is a great funk buster!

 

6. Seek to be inspired

Actively join and seek out others who inspire, uplift and motivate. If you’re online, join groups like the Warrior Women Group on Facebook where the focus is on what’s going well, not what’s going wrong. Listen to inspiring podcasts and read books that inspire and motivate you. If you’re in person, leave conversations where people are whining and complaining. You can choose to walk away or say something simple like “I’m having a complaint free day/week/month”. The more time you spend around negativity, online or in person, the more negative you’ll feel. And vice versa.

 

7. Schedule breathing time

There are 1440 minutes in a day. Set aside one of those to intentionally breathe. I have many breathing exercises on my Youtube channel yet I’m going to speak of a practice I learned in a recent podcast episode on the show Mindfulness Mondays, that has “de funk” written all over it.

Try this for 10 breaths: say “I breathe in” as you breathe in and raise your shoulders to your ears, hold, and then say “I breathe out” as you drop your shoulders. I actually say “I breathe in one, I breathe out one” because that helps my active brain count the breaths and stay on track but do whatever works for you.

 

8. Hug something

I know it’s quarantine and all but physical touch is necessary for human survival. So hug something. A kid, a pet, your significant other, yourself! Laugh away but when I was in the middle of my divorce, one of the practices I began was to give myself a hug when I woke up and when I went to bed. I’d wrap my arms around myself and just hug. This is especially important if you feel lonely or are not particularly enjoying the people you’re around lately. Hug anything or anyone you can find.

 

9. Clean something

Throwing things out is a huge mood buster. A great place to start is with those hidden hazards: candles, Glade Plugins, Febreeze, etc. Sitting in a room with a glade plugin is akin to standing behind a truck’s muffler whose engine is running. All those scents from chemicals directly impact your mood and you’ll feel great getting rid of stuff. If you’re chemical free, set a timer for 5 minutes and throw out 10 things. Ahhhhh. You’re welcome.

 

10. Finally, I love easy things: SLEEP

You know those 1440 minutes we spoke of earlier? How about you plan on putting 10 more of those a day into sleep? And if you’re not getting a good night of sleep, I have sooo many tools that help with your sleep hygiene. Please reach out. Sleep is one of the wellness pillars and one of the easiest things we can do to lower stress, raise our metabolism, increase our focus, decrease our anxiety, raise our immunity, and strengthen our relationships. Plus, how good do you feel after a good night of sleep?

 

Let’s go warriors, funks are real. Bad moods happen.

I started with the most important one and it’s helpful to mention it again. Speak nicely to yourself when you’re in a bad mood. You matter to me whether you’re in a great, rosy mood or a crappy, dark mood.

Take care of yourself, dear ones.


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