These 8 techniques will help you figure out how to quickly get out of a funk so you can start feeling like yourself again!
Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. Some days you wake up and feel totally out of it. Other times you realize it’s been a couple of weeks or even months of feeling “off” and wonder how you got here. I want to share my favorite tips for getting out of a funk because if you haven’t noticed, I have been in a bit of a funk myself (sorry for the lack of blog posts in October)!
The most important thing to know is that it is OK to feel how you are feeling. Chances are, in this very moment, you aren’t the only one feeling like you’re in a bit of a funk. Know that you are not alone and you will bounce out of it! Part of you maintaining your healthy lifestyle is keeping a few ways in the back of your mind that will help you get out of a funk quickly and back to feeling like yourself again!
Keep reading for my best tips on how to get out of a funk quickly!
8 Techniques for How to Get Out of a Funk Quickly
1. Dance Party
I know I’ve probably already lost you with this heading HA, but trust me! Anytime the good music is flowing, you can’t help but dance or sing along. Music has the power to bring us back to a very specific point in time during our lives. It can help evoke great memories (maybe some sad ones too) and help improve our mood. My favorite pump-up song EVER is SHOUT by the Isely Brothers. Now, I know you are thinking “the wedding song”, and yes my friends, that is it! I love to throw it on in the morning as I am getting ready for work or if I find myself having a funky day. This song just energizes me and helps me take on the day or tackle whatever task feels so draining. You can borrow SHOUT or enjoy your own hype music. Whatever you chose, just make sure it lights you up!
2. Go for a Walk
If you’ve read any of my other articles at all, you know that I love a good walk! When I need to quiet the noise and just think about life, relationships, my career, or making a big decision, I go for a walk. I love to walk down to the pier and hang out there while I think. More recently, I’ve been addicted to just roaming, taking long walks while I talk inside my head either with myself or to tune in to the universe, for you, it might be listening to what God has to offer. I hope you also find that walking helps you tune in to what you really want while quieting the noise around you. If you don’t have time for a long walk, try taking a 15-minute walk around your neighborhood each morning. It’s a great way to start your day and can help you sort through anything that might be causing you to be in a funk. If you find that you are trying to get out of a funk at work, go for that quick walk! It helps you get some fresh air and step away from your environment to clear your mind!
3. Get Cleaning!
Now, I know cleaning is not everyone’s forte and that is OK. But hear me out! Cleaning through your stuff symbolizes making room for new growth to enter your life. Anytime I am coming off of a monumental period, I ALWAYS start clearing out my closet! Now, what do I mean by “monumental period”? This could be anything from celebrating a New Year or your birthday to ending a relationship, coming home from a conference that left you feeling high and ready to change, or even a death in the family. Cleaning marks the changing of a season in your life. By cleaning through your drawers cabinets, and bookshelves, you are disrupting your patterns and making space for new ideas, relationships, and opportunities to flow. I truly find this to be the quickest way to get out of a funk and get motivated!
4. Catch up with a Friend
You might be wondering how to get out of a funk depression when it feels like you’ve been feeling out of it for a while. Sometimes chatting on the phone with a friend or family member can do the trick! I find that catching up with a friend who fills your cup and leaves you feeling completely energized is usually exactly what I need! While having in-person human interaction with anyone might just help you turn your funk around, sometimes it really takes more than that. I actually met one of my favorite humans on Megabus a few years ago. We happened to be chatting while waiting in line for our bus to Boston and totally hit it off. When I think about all of my friends that I reach out to when I am struggling (I’m talking friends from middle school and college), it is ALWAYS my friend from Megabus that I want to see! We both just always leave our girl’s nights feeling not only better- but so energized and ready to take on the world!
5. Do something you LOVE
Doing something that you enjoy when you’re in a funky mood might seem like a no-brainer, but often we are in such a funk that it doesn’t even cross our minds! Maybe you love exercising or painting. You might enjoy cooking, hiking, shopping, exploring a new city, or crafting. Whatever hobby or activity you have that lights you up and helps you take your mind off of things is what you should be doing. Doing something that you actually enjoy will help break your funk while actually making you a happier person.
6. Learn Something New
Maybe you always wanted to learn how to play the keyboard or how to code? You can literally do anything you want! We are so lucky to have great resources like Youtube and Google to help us find step-by-step instructions on any topic you could possibly imagine. If you are feeling like you’ve hit a rut, go out there and learn something new! It can be totally unrelated to any projects you’ve been working on. The goal is just to get out there and stretch your brain. By learning something new, you are tapping into different parts of your brain. This will help you to break out of your funk by just getting your wheels turning again. Remember, an object in motion stays in motion. Once you get moving, you’ll be feeling more like yourself again and ready to tackle other projects!
7. Create a New Routine
Often our so-called “funk” happens when we feel stuck. Just like learning something new or cleaning out your home, creating a new routine helps break through those barriers of feeling stuck. Creating a new routine will help shift your energy and allow newness to flow into your life again. This new routine doesn’t have to be crazy. It can be as simple as updating your morning routine. For instance, instead of waking up, showering, and watching the morning news while eating breakfast, you could try waking up, going for a 15-minute walk, taking a shower, and reading while eating breakfast. These minuscule changes in your routine can help redefine your mood and attitude toward the day. Start small and see where you can start making small changes that truly can add up in a big way to help shift you out of your funk!
8. Acts of Kindness
Have you ever heard the saying that you can’t be upset when you’re grateful? Similar to changing your state with gratitude, you can do the same with kindness. It typically takes less than a minute of your day to be kind to someone else. You can compliment a stranger on the street or in the grocery store, hold the door for someone, or help a neighbor or co-worker with something that feels simple to you but challenging for them. Anything you can do to help others will ultimately help you to feel good and get out of your funk!
This post showed you 8 ways for how to get out of a funk when you might be feeling totally stuck.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, just know that it’s not forever. Those funky moods are going to come, they are a part of life. Just always know that you can and will get moving again. Hopefully, you’ll keep these 8 tips in your back pocket so you can turn around your funky mood quickly the next time you feel it coming on. As always, please share your favorite ways to turn your mood around and get out of a funk in the comments below!
