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Well my dears, youβve made it through September. How are you? I hear from many of you that you feel like youβre in a funk and thatβs 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, theyβre 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 shouldnβt be in a funk. Whether youβre a life coach and do this for a living or youβre new to this awareness stuff, funks happen. In fact, from the time I post this to the time youβre reading it, Iβve 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. Thatβs not helping. Stick up for yourself to yourself. Say things like βI know youβre having a tough time now and Iβm here to remind you that weβll get through this.β
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? Youβre 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 orβ¦ 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 shouldnβt 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 youβre 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 βbrowser blackoutβ or βapp amnesiaβ? 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. Thatβs a great recipe for a funk. Choose when youβll 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 Iβm feeling very aware, Iβll ask, is this worth my time and energy? Take back control.
4. Pay attention to who you interact with daily and weekly
If youβre constantly around those who complain or make excuses you will find yourself prone to more funks. What we look for, we will find. If weβre in a group thatβs 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 youβre 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 βthis is the worst everβ or posts that incite fear. Social contagion is real.
5. LAUGH
I have a goal to belly laugh every day. Itβs 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 youβre online, join groups like the Warrior Women Group on Facebook where the focus is on whatβs going well, not whatβs going wrong. Listen to inspiring podcasts and read books that inspire and motivate you. If youβre in person, leave conversations where people are whining and complaining. You can choose to walk away or say something simple like βIβm having a complaint free day/week/monthβ. The more time you spend around negativity, online or in person, the more negative youβll 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 Iβm going to speak of a practice I learned in a recent podcast episode on the show Mindfulness Mondays, that has βde funkβ 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 itβs 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. Iβd wrap my arms around myself and just hug. This is especially important if you feel lonely or are not particularly enjoying the people youβre 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 truckβs muffler whose engine is running. All those scents from chemicals directly impact your mood and youβll feel great getting rid of stuff. If youβre chemical free, set a timer for 5 minutes and throw out 10 things. Ahhhhh. Youβre 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 youβre 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?
Letβs go warriors, funks are real. Bad moods happen.
I started with the most important one and itβs helpful to mention it again. Speak nicely to yourself when youβre in a bad mood. You matter to me whether youβre in a great, rosy mood or a crappy, dark mood.
Take care of yourself, dear ones.
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