How to get out of a funk

You know how sometimes you just get into a funk?

Maybe nothing specific is wrong, but you just feel off.

Stuck.

Meh.

The last few days I’ve felt in a funk.

And it came out of nowhere, really. Which is what makes it even more frustrating.

I mean, yes, part of it is the weather in Boston changing: Today is gray and chilly and there is a spitting horizontal rain and I am checking flights to Florida.

(I hate the winter and I start to feel anticipatory fear right about this time. Yes, I admit it. It’s not productive, but that’s the truth.)

But weather alone isn’t enough to put me in a funk.

I think we all just get into this stuck-meh-funk feeling from time to time.

It’s part of being human. (So point #1: Don’t beat yourself up if you feel this way!)

But I don’t like feeling like this.

So I’ve started to do things that help me get out and I want to share them with you.

In case you’re in a funk or feeling stuck or just want to shift your energy into a higher gear.

Here are my 5 things:

Thing 1: Wear something that makes you feel really great.

I put on this bright yellow fuzzy top this morning and immediately felt uplifted.

Yellow always makes me feel better — it’s one of the reasons I only wear yellow on stage when I speak (yes, I have an entire closet of yellow outfits for stage.)

What we wear impacts how we feel.

So what’s something fun you can put on that always makes you feel great?

Thing 2: Change your physical space.

Our brains are very susceptible to our surroundings.

If you want to feel differently, change your surroundings.

Go to a new coffee shop (or your favorite).

Shift furniture around in your home.

Take a different route home from work.

Get a small new object for your space — a book, candle, vase — that makes your insides smile.

Yesterday, I got these 2 vases at the furniture store that’s near our apartment and we put them on our bedroom dresser. I got up this morning and literally smiled when I saw them.

What’s one way you can change your surroundings?

Thing 3: Work out. Or, rather “Get some endorphins going, baby!”

I did not want to go lift this morning.

Like, a hard no.

And no wonder: when you’re in a funk, you usually feel low energy.

But I lift on Wednesdays so I went anyway.

I told myself I would just have a short, bad lift. (I love this strategy, by the way: Tell yourself you’ll do the thing you don’t want to do for a short time and poorly. It makes it an easier on-ramp for your brain.)

You know what? I felt SO much better. Stronger. Energized.

Endorphins flowing.

And proud of myself for sticking with my commitment.

How can you get some endorphins going by moving your body?

Thing 4: Do something creative.

It feels so good to disconnect from your thoughts and do something with your hands.

There’s tons of science, actually, that shows doing something creative increases happiness and well-being. (Also, some studies have shown that creativity reduces symptoms of depression.)

One reason creativity is so powerful is that it helps us to process our emotions without having to put them into words.

Another reason has to do with using our hands: When we do, our brain feels that we have agency and are in control of our lives. This helps the brain to feel safe, and when we feel safe, we feel better.

I took a few hours yesterday to work on a new sculptural painting in my studio.

I felt like a different person when I was doing it — no funk, just flow. (Even though I messed up and had to do something over twice. Creativity is not about perfection.)

What’s something creative you could do today?

Thing 5: Do something kind for someone else.

100000% of the time when I feel in a funk, I feel a bajillion times better when I do something nice for another person.

It literally never fails.

Our brains are built for kindness: We release oxytocin when we do something kind, which makes us feel really good. It’s known as the chemical of human connection.

The simplest act of kindness feels amazing — to you and the recipient!

One thing I like to do is go and leave heartfelt, enthusiastic comments on people’s posts in my social feed. Social media can feel so lonely and weird. So I go in with the intention to leave something in a comment that will feel supportive — and real.

This makes me feel so much better (and research shows that when we actively engage on social media it can improve our mood!) But I also always get notes back, telling me how meaningful my comment was.

Tiny kind things → huge impact.

What act of kindness could you do today?

There they are: the 5 things I’m doing to get out of a funk.

They are kind of like my anti-funk prescription. They always work… as long as I actually go and do them.

Funny how thinking about them doesn’t magically make me feel better.

I hope you go and do at least one of them. Or more.

Because while being in a funk from time to time is fine, it’s not a place you want to stay in for too long.

You’re here to feel good.

And these small things can help you do it.