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Well my dears, youโve made it through September. How are you? I hear from many of you that you feel like youโre in a funk and thatโs 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, theyโre 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 shouldnโt be in a funk. Whether youโre a life coach and do this for a living or youโre new to this awareness stuff, funks happen. In fact, from the time I post this to the time youโre reading it, Iโve probably been in and out of a couple.
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. Thatโs not helping. Stick up for yourself to yourself. Say things like โI know youโre having a tough time now and Iโm here to remind you that weโll get through this.โ
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? Youโre 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 orโฆ 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 shouldnโt 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 youโre 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 โbrowser blackoutโ or โapp amnesiaโ? 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. Thatโs a great recipe for a funk. Choose when youโll 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 Iโm feeling very aware, Iโll ask, is this worth my time and energy? Take back control.
4. Pay attention to who you interact with daily and weekly
If youโre constantly around those who complain or make excuses you will find yourself prone to more funks. What we look for, we will find. If weโre in a group thatโs constantly complaining or making excuses, guess what? We 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 youโre 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 โthis is the worst everโ or posts that incite fear. Social contagion is real.
5. LAUGH
I have a goal to belly laugh every day. Itโs 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 youโre online, join groups like the Warrior Women Group on Facebook where the focus is on whatโs going well, not whatโs going wrong. Listen to inspiring podcasts and read books that inspire and motivate you. If youโre in person, leave conversations where people are whining and complaining. You can choose to walk away or say something simple like โIโm having a complaint free day/week/monthโ. The more time you spend around negativity, online or in person, the more negative youโll 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 Iโm going to speak of a practice I learned in a recent podcast episode on the show Mindfulness Mondays, that has โde funkโ 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 itโs 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. Iโd wrap my arms around myself and just hug. This is especially important if you feel lonely or are not particularly enjoying the people youโre 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 truckโs muffler whose engine is running. All those scents from chemicals directly impact your mood and youโll feel great getting rid of stuff. If youโre chemical free, set a timer for 5 minutes and throw out 10 things. Ahhhhh. Youโre 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 youโre 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?
Letโs go warriors, funks are real. Bad moods happen.
I started with the most important one and itโs helpful to mention it again. Speak nicely to yourself when youโre in a bad mood. You matter to me whether youโre in a great, rosy mood or a crappy, dark mood.
Take care of yourself, dear ones.
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