We’ve all been there.
I don’t wanna get out of bed. I don’t wanna brush my hair. Sorry, I can’t come to lunch, I’m really busy.
And in reality, *this* is what you mean by “busy”.
This is what I like to call, a FUNK. If you feel like you’ve been in bit of a funk lately, this article is for you. I’ll be providing you with some juicy tips on how to make your funk feel a little less… Funky?
1: Reward yourself for doing things out of your comfort zone.
Sometimes it seems impossible to do the things that are a little out of your comfort zone, especially when you’re already feeling a little out of sorts. For example, going to a party or even just leaving the house. Sometimes, it can make it a little easier to have an incentive to look forward to. For example, if you’ve just gone to a social gathering that you weren’t too excited to go to, treat yourself but having your favourite food when you go home. Or maybe, taking the next night off to watch a movie by yourself? A clever idea is to have a jar, and put a certain amount of money in there for every time you do something out of your comfort zone, and once you have enough money in there, treat yourself to something special. This can help to relieve some anxiety, and subconsciously get you out of your funk.
2: Don’t hate me for saying it but… try a little bit of exercise?
I know, I’m sorry. I’ve had so many people tell me this and I’ve rolled my eyes, but it really does help to just go for a relaxed walk every now and then. It’ll help to clear your head from all the clutter that is most likely in there, and the exercise itself will actually help to make you feel a little better about yourself. You don’t need to become a power lifter or a CrossFit champion; just do whatever you are comfortable doing, and what you are likely to stick to. Exercise releases endorphins as well and will boost your mood.
3: Do things that you know you typically enjoy!
We all have things that we know we enjoy. For me, I know that laying in bed and watching a movie with my favourite foods makes me feel good. Taking time out of my busy schedule to do something simply for myself is really important in order to get myself out of a slump. It helps to stop me from feeling overwhelmed and reminds me that my own wellbeing should always come first. Whether it be bike riding, painting or researching astronomy, anything that makes you feel good is worth doing.
4: Surround yourself with positive people and delete the toxic people.
This is an important one. It is possible to get yourself out a slump without cutting out negative people, but it is a lot more difficult. It also is a lot easier to slip back into a funk when you’re surrounded by toxicity. This can be difficult if the toxicity relates to people from your workplace (aka, people that are hard to avoid), but if this negative energy is stemming from people in your friendship circle, you should take some time to reconsider that relationship. Your mental health will thank you for it. Life is too short to spend our time catering to people who make us feel terrible.
5: Take a technology hiatus to reset your mind.
Finally, this is one of my favourite tips. We are surrounded by technology and social media so incessantly that it can become easy to get swept up in the doom and gloom of things. Sometimes, taking a step back from Facebook or Instagram can be exactly what you need to get back to your old self. Now, I’m not saying that you need to delete your accounts permanently, but rather, not checking them as much or deleting the app off of your phone so you’re not tempted to scroll through your feed constantly. I think you’ll find that after a few days, you will feel lighter and a little more present.
Hopefully these tips will have you feeling less funky and more *fUnKy* in no time.
IMPORTANT:
If you do feel like you’ve been in a funk for an extended period of time, please seek help. You deserve to feel good, so take the first step and contact someone to help get you on the right track.
Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
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