How To Get Out Of A Funk
Holly - You know those days when you get the mean reds?
Paul - The mean reds, you mean like the blues?
Holly - No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?
- Breakfast at Tiffany's
I've talked about my anxiety on here before, but today I wanted to talk about the spells where I get in a funk, or feel so overwhelmed by everything that I don't want to deal with anything, and the ways I try to get away from that feeling. Some of you know, but the last few months have been really stressful and hard sometimes, and I feel like I've grown a lot when it comes to dealing with the bad days, and I wanted to share a few of the things that work for me in hoping that they could be helpful to you!
1. Don't Isolate yourself!
When i'm feeling down or discouraged, I sometimes don't want to be around people, but thats usually the opposite of what I need to do. When you're sitting alone on your couch, or sitting alone in your bed, its easy to fall into the trap of letting your mind run wild. We all need people who will have our backs during challenging seasons of life, who accept us and want us to be happy, or who will help you come up with ridiculous stories to put everything into perspective. God doesn't want us to be lonely. Psalm 68.6 tells us "God sets the lonely in families," and that might mean your biological family, or your church family, but it could also mean the people that you've developed friendships with. Don't be afraid to reach out to your friends!! BE vulnerable. Being honest, having bad days, sharing what you're going through, and letting them know how they can help you or be praying for you are all essential to strengthening your friendships! From experience, I've learned that leaning on your friends when things get hard can make a world of difference when it comes to getting out of a funk, and if they're your friends, they're going to want to help you!
2. Do Something For Someone Else
Invest time in the people you love. Ask your friends how you can help them, ask them about their day, ask if there's anything you can pick up while you're making a grocery run. Sometimes switching my focus to how I can help other people helps me get out of my funk. My focus isn't on me and how i'm not happy with something, or how I feel like i'm not good enough at ____, or how everything around me is bad, but rather on little things that I can do to serve others.
3. Get "Grounded"
I was reading last week about grounding, and its physiological benefits, and it makes a lot of sense in my head! This week i've been making more of an effort to go outside, sans shoes, and walk around in the yard. It really is nice feeling the ground underneath my feet! It's oddly calming.
4. Make a Gratitude List
Lately when I start getting overwhelmed by how many things seem like they're going wrong, I've been trying to immediately fall back on gratitude and pick three things to feel grateful for. It's been really helpful to keep things in perspective, because sometimes the really small, awesome things can get lost in the shuffle, ya know?
5. Go for a Walk
I know, I know. if I'm in a "meh" mood, the last thing I want to do is go to the park and be around people. BUT, it is something that I'm trying to do more often, because Vitamin D, endorphins, and fresh air can work wonders on someone's psyche
6. Light a Candle & Take a Bath
Bonus points if its scented with sandalwood, lavendar, or bergamot, all of which are said to help ease anxiety!
7. Sit In the Sun
Even if walking barefoot outside (dirty!) or going for a walk aren't your thing, even sitting inside by a sunny window can be helpful! Today I set a ten minute timer, stepped away from my to-do list, and sat in the floor by my big dining room window with a cup of coffee and just enjoyed being in the light.
8. Dance It Out
This one is sometimes too much, even for me. Sometimes I dance for less than ten seconds. But, a lot of times, if I blast music and sing (badly) at the top of my lungs while I dance around the house helps me feel better! I guess it also would produce endorphins, and endorphins are s'posed to make us happy!
9. Remember that No one has their lives together yet!
I mean, some people might. But most people have their own crazies happening, even if its not something that they talk about, or if their social media presence doesn't show it!
10. Edit your resume!
This one seems kind of boring, I know. But sometimes when i'm in a funk it helps when i distract myself with something productive! Especially during this season of my life, editting my resume puts me that much closer to landing the incredible job i've been searching for! If you aren't looking for a job, or you already have one, finding something that helps you take a few steps to accomplishing a big goal on your to do list can be a great distraction from whatever is bringing you down! Last semester, I threw myself into getting __-amount of pages done on my thesis when i was feeling stressed.
What do you do when you're going through a funk? How do you get out of it?