How To Get Out Of A Funk

You never know when those a-holes are going to strike.

Oct 1, 2020

If video killed the radio star, quarantine killed the weekend.

Quarantine is killing everything, really. From our moods to our favorite small business that is a small business no more.

I hate to be all sad and dreary about this, but it’s the truth. And it’s contributing to a lot of people’s mental health struggles. Whether you are new to the anxiety or depression game (isn’t it glamorous?), or you are a mood swing veteran, these “Get out of Your Funk” tips are winners.

And the thing about funks? They are unpredictable. So even if you are high on life right now and everything is grooving along just swell, keep this in your back pocket for a rainy day. Because a rainy day will come. That’s a promise.

7 Ways To (Swiftly) Get Out Of A Funk

Here are the fool-proof methods I use when a funk is killing my vibe.

Take deep breaths

It is astonishing how closing your eyes, quieting your thoughts, and just breathing helps to relieve feelings of anxiety or low mood.

In through the nose and out through the mouth…

Take it to another level by lighting a candle and sitting on a pillow. If this feels weird, who cares! It works. All it takes is one minute out of your day to recenter yourself. It’s worth it.

Yell at my husband about everything that is pissing me off

Guys, this one honestly is key. You need to vent about whatever and whomever is bothering you. If you don’t, it’s going to show up in unpleasant ways like you waking up with a breakout or you lashing out at the cable guy.

State your feelings and explain why it’s upsetting. Sometimes we solve our own problems by just saying them out loud.

Also, I’m not so much yelling at him, as much as I am yelling near him.

Listen to good music

Like the deep breaths, listening to good music is so simple yet so effective in boosting our moods.

I will blare music in my house or car, sing at the top of my lungs to whatever I feel like (lately this has been the likes of Tones & I — check her out, you won’t regret it), and I will feel significantly better afterward.

Singing is my muse, so that works for me. Maybe for you, it’s crafting or online shopping or hiking or watching your favorite movie.

CLEAN

Danny Tanner was right. A clean house is a happy house.

There is such a dignifying sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with cleaning out your coat closet or organizing your kitchen drawers.

When your mind is too loud (or worse, too quiet), that is the perfect opportunity to finally turn your junk room into your office or your art studio.

If wiping the baseboards isn’t your cup of tea, hire a cleaning professional to do it for you. I have convinced Jake to let me do this once every two months, and I am CONFIDENT it is one of the contributing factors to our happy marriage.

Her name is Ruth, and I call her Ruth To The Rescue. Having your house cleaned is so worth it — any time — but particularly when you’re in a bad mental state.

Call my people

A silver lining from quarantine back in March (on Friday, March 13th, to be exact. I will never forget it), was reconnecting with my friends that I haven’t spoken with since college.

That, and getting to know my current friends even better over Zoom calls that we wouldn’t have otherwise made time for.

It was so fun having scheduled FaceTimes, and is a necessary break in your week. One of my girlfriends and I have continued our quarantine chats via bi-weekly calls, to which she treats them as legit work meetings to ensure we (mainly me) don’t bail.

Call your people.

Help someone

I don’t like admitting this, but I always forget this one. Taking the focus off of yourself and placing it onto someone else is the easiest, quickest, and smartest way to get out of your funk.

While talking about our feelings and explaining (justifying?) everything to death can make us feel better about our issues, it also puts us in a really unattractive beam of selfishness.

I know my sister and brother-in-law are going to laugh at the selfishness thing because they know all too well I’m not shy about my selfish tendencies. Progress, not perfection, guys. I’m trying here.

Help someone in need. Hint: We are all in need of something or someone, so this shouldn’t be hard to find.

Remind myself that my funk won’t last forever

Nothing lasts forever! We need to remember this. Joyful moments are fleeting, and tragic moments are fleeting.

Life keeps going no matter what — whether we want to move merrily along with it or stay stuck in our sorrow is our choice.

I’ll say this out loud, in front of the mirror if I have to: My funk will not last forever. This is temporary. I am fine.

Sort of a bonus tip, but not exactly

I don’t really like to promote drinking because it’s a trigger for a lot of people. Not to mention it is a bandaid approach (and a poor excuse) to solving our problems.

But sometimes, a glass of wine truly is what makes me stop being so uptight and serious about life. Plus, it’s usually when I get my best writing ideas, so really (most of the time), it ends up being productive.

If you can’t control your alcohol intake, or especially if drinking makes you feel worse, don’t adhere to this piece of advice.

Takeaway

Whatever get-out-of-your-funk tools work for you — no matter how extravagant or weird or whatever — do them.

Here is the roundup for (quickly!) getting out of a funk:

Take deep breaths
Yell at your husband
Listen to good music
Clean
Call your people
Help someone
Remind yourself that your funk won’t last forever (and that it doesn’t define you)

As always, thank you for reading! If you have questions or comments (or juicy article ideas), I’d love to hear from you. Cheers to getting (and staying!) out of these pesky coronavirus funks. May they one day be gone forever.

Enjoy your Thursdee.

Be you.

XOXO,

Ashley

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