5 Ways to Get Out of a Funk

1. Don't.

You may not expect this advice from Life is Good, but hear us out. Sometimes, leaning into a funk is the very best medicine. We’re talking a day of TV on the couch, a long nap, a nourishing meal. Yes, takeout from your favorite restaurant counts as a nourishing meal. Sometimes a funk is a signal from your body that you need rest, comfort, or time to process difficult feelings.

2. Be a Body in Motion

Bodies in motion…tend to feel calm, happy, and grounded. If you’ve already gotten some rest or decided that you want to take action instead, something as simple as a walk outside or as intensive as a spin class can have real, physical effects on your body, propelling you out of a “meh” feeling and into a good one. A little movement and sunshine will get a nice cocktail of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine flowing through your veins, and chances are you’ll feel that funk start to fade.

3. Talk to a Trusted Friend and/ or Therapist

Life inside your head can be funky—sometimes it’s good to invite someone else in for a look around, such as a loved one or therapist. Once you start processing out loud, you might have an a-ha moment where you realize the origin of your funky feelings. Or, you might not. You might just need an empathetic listener to sit in your emotions with you.

4. Hang with Mother Nature

This advice is annoyingly simple, but it works—get outside. Find a bench, a big rock, or a soft patch of grass and just sit. Study a nearby flower or a cute little mushroom. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. Tune into the world around you—hear the birds chirping in the branches overhead, the sound of kids laughing in the distance, the burbling of a nearby fountain or stream. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. Sometimes, remembering the simple fact that there is a whole world waiting to be explored helps put things in my own life into perspective. Mother Nature won’t fix our problems for us, but she certainly can soothe our minds and nervous systems while we work it out for ourselves.

5. Take Notes For Next Time

Were you able to free yourself from your funk? If so, what worked? Jot down a few notes for the next time you’re feeling blah. When we’re in the thick of tough times, it can be hard to think clearly about what will make us feel better. Having a list to consult as soon as you start feeling a little quirky can help you avoid a funk altogether, or at least equip you with tools to manage it.

All of this being said, it’s important to highlight the difference between a funk and a mental health crisis like a depressive episode. If you are feeling sad, down, or hopeless for multiple days or weeks at a time, we encourage you to reach out to a professional for help. Certain things can’t be fixed with optimism alone, and that is 100% normal and okay.