Probably one the the most frustrating things to experience is feeling like you are in a “funk”. When you just feel “off” in just about every area of life and simply just not yourself. Maybe this comes when you thought things were moving in the right direction, but then you start feeling like you are just going through the motions just to get through each day.
One of the main symptoms of being in a funk is: lack of motivation. Not feeling like doing the things on your to-do list- let alone have the energy to! The lack of motivation can feel even more frustrating! You just want out of this funk but don’t know because you can’t get yourself to do ANYTHING.
Related: A step by step guide to getting your motivation back
This happens to everyone. It’s happened before and honestly, it will most likely happen again. As frustrating as it is, it’s a part of being human and we have to learn how to navigate these times. It important to understand yourself, what this “funk” means for you and figure out what to do next. As frustrating and discouraging as it is, this was brought into your life for a reason. You just need the tools and guidance to get you feeling good again.
Lucky for you, I’ve gone through being deeeeep in a funk mannnnny times (I’m actually writing this post after getting myself out of one!) & have figured out exactly what you need to understand why you are feeling the way you do and how to get yourself out of this dang funk and back to your life!
Sound good?! Let’s get into it!
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Why you are in a funk
First, let’s talk about WHY you might be in this funk in the first place. The first step in anything, is awareness. If you don’t understand WHY, it can be hard to figure out what to do next. Also, a lot of people start feeling better when they have a concrete reason for feeling the way they do.
Here are some reasons you are feeling in a funk:
- You are burnt out.
Burnout comes when you put self care on the backburner for too long and you’ve run your internal tank empty. Now, your mind & body are literally FORCING you to stop as you feel like no matter what you try to do, your mind and body just want you to take a freakin break from thinking about so many things. When you are burnt out, you can’t feel like the best version of yourself. Check out my post on Getting Over Extreme Burnout and Creating a Balanced Lifestyle.
- You aren’t in alignment with your life’s purpose.
You aren’t feeling like yourself because you aren’t fueling your passions. This might mean that you are needing a career change or to incorporate different things into your daily routine that light you up inside. When you aren’t in alignment with what truly makes you happy, you can’t expect to feel like yourself!
Related: Creating A Life You Love
- You are going through a growth period/desiring change.
As time goes on, we evolve. Your funk could mean that what is currently in your life is no longer serving it’s purpose and it’s time to move on to something else. What worked before isn’t working anymore and your brain is trying to tell you that it’s time to pivot. It doesn’t mean that you are moving “backwards” by any means. But you are ready for a change. You are longing for growth. For something different.
- It’s a sign that you are in the middle of a breakthrough.
Being in a funk can be hard to see as a breakthrough because of how uncomfortable you feel, but those are what I call, “growing pains”. Take this as the learning experience that it is and see what you are able to learn about yourself.
What to STOP doing
When we first feel that we are in a funk, we often try to scramble to figure out how to get out because the feeling is so UNCOMFORTABLE! However, our natural tendencies typically aren’t very effective, so it’s important to make sure you are doing what will actually be the most helpful for you.
Here are some things to make sure you aren’t doing:
- Beating yourself up.
I bet one of the first thoughts (if not the very first one!) that crosses your mind is, “why can’t I do this?!” or “what’s wrong with me?!”. It’s VERY important to understand that your thoughts carry energy. That kind of inner dialogue is only going to make you feel LESS motivated. So, rather than bullying yourself into action, you are just beating yourself further into the abyss of your funk.
- Looking for a “quick fix”.
Trust me, I know you want to get out of this ASAP. But, a “quick fix” is very short term and you will only be prolonging the process if you are only looking for that. Band Aid solutions only last for a moment, meaning you will find yourself back to feeling deep in your funk before you know it. If you truly want out of this funk, you have to be PATIENT with yourself.
- Avoiding confronting what is really going on.
Sometimes, we know deep down that there’s something else going on under the surface that we are avoiding. We avoid it because we know it’s going to be uncomfortable. Maybe you don’t know of anything going on, but you aren’t willing to find out. If that’s the case, the funk is going to remain a part of your life. Not working through something is going to make sure that it stays standing in the way.
Related: 8 ways you are holding yourself back without even realizing it, 9 things to stop doing to live a happy, healthier, more fulfilled life
How to get out of your funk!
OK- now that we’ve talked about some reasons for your funk & things to stop doing, let’s get into my tips for you to start doing NOW! As I just mentioned – there are no “quick fixes”. Things aren’t going to magically fall into place overnight just because you started implementing some of these things. But, getting started can help you start feeling like you are moving in a more positive direction.
- Shift your inner dialogue and accept where you are now.
If you take anything from this post (& my message in general), it’s that your thoughts are energy and that energy manifests that reality. If all you are thinking about is how frustrated you are, what isn’t going well in your life, frantically trying to “get your life together”, that’s the energy you are going to experience. That frantic, lack mindset isn’t going to get you anywhere but where you currently are. If you want to experience something different, change your thoughts. Accept yourself for where you are now. Express gratitude for the lessons life has brought you & the abundance you are manifesting. It all starts here. Nothing else is going to work if you don’t change your thoughts and perception of where you are right now.
Related: How to improve your mindset, 5 Steps to Getting Back On Track & Shifting Your Mindset When Life Throws You Off
- Start journaling.
Getting started with journaling can be hard, especially if you’ve never tried it before or you haven’t had much success with it in the past. However, it’s really important that you get everything out of your head and onto paper. There’s probably so much going on in your mind right now and you need to GET IT OUT!! If you don’t know what to write about, start with this prompt, “what is frustrating me right now?” and go from there.
If you want any more prompts to try, make sure you get your hands on my FREE 50 Journal Prompt For Self Reflection and Self Discovery and read my post on How to start a journaling as a part of your self care routine.
- Talk to someone you trust.
As humans, we are social beings. Sometimes the best thing you need is to talk to someone and get everything off your chest. I love being this person for my 1:1 coaching clients because I have noticed that a lot of people don’t have someone they feel like they can reach out to whenever and talk about anything. If you do, make sure you lean on them during this time to help you make sense of what is going on. Please, please, PLEASE do not try to get through this all on your own! If you don’t have anyone that you feel like you can talk to, reach out to me- I would love to be that person for you and help you create a plan for getting yourself back to feeling like yourself again! Click here to learn more about my 1:1 coaching opportunities <3
Related: How to know if it’s time for you to hire a life coach
- Get out of the house.
Make sure you are getting out the house and not spending all of your time inside. Trust me, I know how hard it can be to “not feel like it” when you are in a funk. You just want to curl up in a ball and get lost binge-watching netflix. While those days are needed from time-to-time, it can feed into your funk. Our brains start getting used to the funk, making it harder and harder seeing an end in sight.
- Move your body.
You might feel low energy and unmotivated, but not moving your body even a little bit is only going to make you feel worse. Make it a priority to move your body a little bit each day. When you move your body, your releasing happy chemicals in your brain and clearing your head. Don’t let yourself stay on the couch when you are at home. I’m not saying you have to go to the gym for an intense workout, but a simple walk will suffice.
- Meditation/deep breaths.
Chances are, you are currently in fight or flight stress mode, frantically trying to figure out how to get out of this funk. When you are operating from a state of funk and “I have to figure this out ASAP”, you are only making sure you are keeping yourself exactly where you are. You can’t expect yourself to be able to come up with any solutions while you are operating from chaotic energy. Practice calming down your central nervous system with daily deep breathing and meditations. When you calm down your central nervous system, you are going to be more clear headed and better able to welcome solutions.
To help you feel more relaxed, try out magnesium- my favorite is Natural Vitality Magnesium Powder!
Related: How to handle stress & overwhelm
- Take a break from social media.
When you feel like you are stuck in a funk and not getting anywhere, it seems like all you see are people experiencing success and clarity online. You are more prone to comparison and feeling down about yourself. I always recommend taking a hiatus from social media during these times because the last thing you need is someone else influencing how you feel about yourself. At the end of the day, you need to understand that you aren’t in a rush and the comparison is just to make you feel like you are “failing: in some way. If you notice yourself getting jealous of others online or don’t feel happy seeing others happy online, it’s time to take a break. Take as long as you need. It’s going to feel so much better not having all the outside influence everyday!
Related: How unplugging can change your life
- Remind yourself of your passions.
When was the last time you really got lost in your passion? Do you even remember what your passions are? You have passions and YES- you do have time for them. By telling yourself otherwise is probably a part of the reason for why you are feeling in a funk to begin with! To get the energy and spark back, you have to start enjoying yourself. Take some time to think about what you love doing and commit to getting back into them. If you aren’t having fun, you are just going through the motions and not truly living.
- Brainstorm different things you can try.
Maybe you are in your funk because you are feeling bored. Your routines aren’t exciting you anymore and you need to spice things up a bit! Along with getting back into your passions, start thinking about different things you can do! This doesn’t mean anything too crazy or time consuming, but anything can make a huge different. Maybe you look up different things to cook for dinner or try different things after work (going on a bike ride, doing a puzzle, going to a park, going to an art class). Anything! Try out different things and see how it makes you feel. You might be surprised by what you discover!
- Come up with simple, action-based goals.
No matter what the reason is that you are feeling in a funk, it’s almost always a sign that it’s time to revisit your goals. If you aren’t feeling like you are where you want to be, where DO you want to be? Take those goals and break it down into action based goals that you can start working on TODAY. If you don’t know where it is that you want to be, that’s OK! Maybe it’s time to start thinking about it. I don’t mean figure out your life plan, but think about what it is that you REALLY want to do. If you can have it now, what does your ideal life look like? Once you get clarity on what it is that you want to do, start coming up with specific things you can start doing today. Even those “small” steps can help you feel like you are moving forward and not feel as engulfed in your “funk”.
Related: How to finally start achieving your goals
- Take it one day at a time.
I know I’ve mentioned this a million times at this point, but I understand the frantic energy you are feeling. I know that you just want this figured out ASAP. I’ve been there so many times it’s not even funny. To this day, I still have to continue giving myself this reminder. It’s a part of being human, especially in this day in time. However, it’s not getting you anywhere. It’s time to stop going through your day like the world is going to come to an end if you don’t figure it out AT THIS VERY MOMENT.
Related: How to feel in control of your life
You have to remind yourself that you are exactly where you need to be right now and it’s safe to let go. Start focusing on yourself. If you take it a day at a time, focusing on “small” and “simple” steps each day, those things are going to start adding up. You are going to start feeling like dots are getting connected. Trust me, you are going to get to your solution you want so badly so much faster than if you continue to try to force the solution out and beat yourself up for not being there yet.
- Daily reflections and celebrations.
The best thing you can do for yourself right now is to acknowledge everything you are doing and trying. I mean everyyythinggggg you are trying needs to be acknowledged. Even if you try something and it doesn’t work, understand and acknowledge that you had to go through the experience to get to that conclusion.
I always recommend doing night time reflections every night, where you write out (at least) 3-5 things that you are proud of yourself for that day. Write about what you learned, any epiphanies you had, anything that went well or didn’t work. When you take the time to acknowledge yourself, it’s amazing how much the energy can change.
As I mentioned in the first point, it all comes down to your mindset and the energy you put out in the world. What you are focusing on is what you are going to manifest into your reality. If you really want out of this funk, you have to change your perception around what it is you are going through right now.
Once you finally let yourself surrender completely to the process, you are going to be SHOCKED by how things are going to start falling into place for you.
A life changing experience is potentially on the way to you. You just have to open yourself up to receiving what would be for you.
If you are looking for someone to guide you through the process, I invite you to check out my Mindset & Confidence coaching opportunities. It can make the journey so much easier and more enjoyable having someone by your side, guiding you through the process. Even if you just want to get on a FREE discovery call with me to chat about it!
Also, make sure you check out my downloadable resources!
>> click here to download my Ultimate Goal Setting & Planning guide
>> click here to learn more about my secret life changing check in system
>> click here to download my Step-by-Step Guide to Handling Stress & Overwhelm
>> click here to download my Self Care Planning Worksheet
>> click here to download my 50 journal prompts for self reflection & self discovery
Xx,
Coach Jessie Shibko
