Get out of a funk

We all want to know the secret to getting out of a funk, aka a really bad mood that’s come out of nowhere.

But it’s no secret! It’s called taking firm, purposeful action against the funk.

Let me explain.

Today’s one of those days where a bad mood’s taken over everything. Y’know those days?

Where it seems a bit (or a lot) of a struggle?

But you plough on and hope for the best, knowing tomorrow’s a new day.

A fresh start.

The Three Questions

So rather than wallowing in my own self-made misery, I took a different approach.

A pep talk later, I took a few deep breath (one of the best ways to reset a bad day) and did some ‘self enquiry’ work.

I asked myself these 3 questions: An instant shake-up for my mental health!

What’s actually wrong?

Why am I feeling like this?

How do I want to feel instead?

Amazing what happens when you check in with yourself and catch yourself out.

The truth is, I found out through answering these questions that there’s nothing wrong with me today.

I’m just being a grump!

What more could I want? I want nothing more. Nada. Zip.

To answer the second and third questions – I’ve no idea why I’m feeling so down and grumpy, but I darn well know how I wanted to feel!

So, I got to work, forcing myself to feel better.

I make it sound easy I know but the truth is, nothing easy is ever worth it.

And here’s the first thing you need to know. I didn’t ‘spring back to normal’ straight away after answering these questions.

This is where most of us get it wrong. Expecting instant results.

In fact, it’s taken most of the day and a nice walk in the fields to burn off my bad mood!

So what am I getting at here?

Why Do I Feel Like This?

Our days turn into being sh*tty because of how we feel. Sometimes, there’s no explanation for how we feel on any given day.

And yet other times there’s valid reason for feeling sh*tty.

-We’ve had a hard time with someone

-We’ve not had a good night’s sleep

-We’re hungry

–Being pulled in all different directions

-Not feeling well and our immune system is taking a beating

But… and it’s a BIG BUT!

We don’t have to stay miserable.

It’s always our choice to stay in the funk or get out of it.

Regardless of whatever dark place we’re in, we always have a choice.

So what will we choose?

Will we stay as we are or do something about it?

The answer is yours.

Now, if you decide you want to do something about that funk, first ask yourself those 3 questions.

See how you get on and try out getting straight with yourself.

If those 3 questions don’t work, read on. I’ll offer my best advice to help further.

The important thing to always drill in is it’ll take a while to feel better and that’s normal, even if you’ve answered the 3 questions.

Stick with it.

You’re not a machine. You’re a human being.

The body always takes a while to catch up with the mind. Our minds can switch thoughts pretty sharpish when we force it to, by talking to ourselves in a certain way.

But what’s CRUCIAL here is the choice and making the choice.

Taking action against those negative feelings by “pulling yourself by the scruff of the neck” and getting straight back on the positive energy train.

Literally, you can snap outta that funk just by choosing to.

You won’t feel any different like I said, you need to wait for your feelings to catch up and they will!

By answering those 3 questions you’re getting intentional with how you want to feel and that puts you in the drivers seat for creating the feelings you actually want.

So give it a go.

It really is one of the best ways to get out of a funk – asking yourself and answering those 3 questions.

What have you got to lose? See how you get on.

Fresh Air

Another way to regulate your emotional state and get out of a funk is to get some fresh air.

This is the first thing I do to boost a low mood.

Sometimes there’s no need for the 3 questions if getting fresh air is available!

A brisk walk or a run, and some deep breaths are a great way to boost your serotonin levels and literally shift your brain into a more positive state.

Get your heart pumping by getting active outdoors, or if it’s raining, switch on an exercise video and do a workout in the living room.

Another perfect way to put you back in a good mood is to play your favourite song or have a dance party in the the kitchen.

Any form of moving your body a little bit to get blood flowing will make a huge difference to kicking that big funk in the ass.

You’ll quickly be saying hello to a good day!

Gratitude

A simple way to get out of a funk is to also write a gratitude list.

Gratitude is one of those life-giving things which brings us back to what we love most.

Write down your list of things which make you smile, or make you happy, or for which you’re thankful for no apparent reason other than they make you feel good.

Gratitude brings us closer to those meaningful connections, even if those things are the warm room we sleep in, the table we eat from, the clean are we breathe, the clothes we have on our body.

There is always something to be grateful for no matter what depressive symptoms we’re experiencing.

By spending 15 minutes writing down everything you’re grateful for, I guarantee you’ll get out of that funk and be ready to hit your day running.

Adding a gratitude practise to your daily routines will help minimise those low moods, and if you add the three questions and a form of exercise daily, you’ll be feeling so much brighter.

It’s a choice to stay in a funk or get out of it at the end of the day. So what are you gonna do?