Falling into a funk is something that inevitably happens to all of us, at minimum once a week. In my experience it happens more than once a week. There is no shame in falling into a low place but you can be at risk of remaining there for a prolonged period if you don’t have tools in place to pull yourself out of it.
You know the low place I am talking about right? It’s that place where your negative thoughts run so wild that it actually has a physical impact on you.
Thoughts like:
How come they didn’t invite me to the party?
I will never get promoted because I am not in the right circles.
I am not thin enough.
My family doesn’t care about me.
These thoughts are dangerous because if you hang out with them too long, you are at risk of believing them. Having one of these what I like to call ‘negative thinking sessions’ can bring you to such a low mood that it will cause your heart and body to physically ache.
To mitigate this, it’s best to have some tools in place that you can lean on to get you out of the funk. To help you build your tool box, I am sharing seven ways I bring instant joy to my life.
Change your environment
Sometimes your environment or the energy surrounding you puts you in a funk. The quickest way to be released from this funk is to change your environment. Something as easy as standing up and stretching or going to the restroom to splash cold water on your face can help change your environment. If the weather permits going for a walk around the block and observing life around you can work wonders for pulling you out of lowest of moods. You would be surprised by how such a minor change in your environment will interrupt thoughts of negativity. I recommend you NOT change your environment by using social media because you are at risk of seeing something in your feed that may make you feel worse.
Spend 5 minutes in gratitude
Spending time in gratitude instantly brings joy to your life because there is no way to have a positive and negative thought at the same time. The trick here is to have a continuing stream of positive thoughts. The next time you’re feeling down, think about everything and everyone you are grateful for. Dig deep to all of the positive experiences you’ve had, including friends, coworkers, your job, your children, and your home. When you do this, you shift your thinking from what you don’t have, to what you do have. Sitting in this thought pattern for a short while will help pull you out of your funk.
Help someone
One of the best ways to improve your mood, is to take your thoughts off of yourself. The best way to do this is to help someone in need. The great thing about this is there are countless people who need help. For example, you can help a friend, coworker, or a family member. Keep it simple and try not to overthink it. You could do something as simple as watching a friend’s children. Another example could be inviting a friend over to have for dinner who lives alone, so that she doesn’t have to eat alone that day. These gestures go a long way and seeing the person you help smile is destined to fill your heart with joy.
Do something nice for someone
Along the lines of helping someone, a byproduct of you making someone else feel good, is you will inevitably feel good. Something as simple as sending a loved one a text saying how much you appreciate them does wonders for you and them. Even when you are writing the text you will become instantly excited thinking about how much they mean to you. Showing kind gestures to the people in your life go a long way. For example, sending your coworker an edible arrangement for helping you out at the last minute, or treating your kids to ice cream just because. When you are in a funk this is the best time to do something nice for someone. Don’t wait until the traditional holidays to do it. Again, doing something for others will keep your thoughts off of you.
Listen to music
I read a quote somewhere that says “Music is what feelings sound like”. In my experience I have brought instant joy to my life through music. Music is another way to change your environment and interrupt your thoughts. You just have to make sure you don’t select music that matches your low mood. I love music and often use music to get me out of my funks. My go to playlist for getting me out of funks is a Lana Del Rey playlist on Spotify. Some of her music can be sad but most of it is bad ass and makes me feel like an unstoppable woman.
Worry less
One of the the main culprits of depleting your joy is incessant worry. The interesting thing about worrying is that once that initial doubt pops up, your mind will suddenly take you away into an endless stream of worrying. The next thing you know you have spent an entire day creating scenarios in your mind of every negative thing that might happen.
When you find yourself in these sessions, interrupt your worrying by asking yourself what is the worst that can happen. Also, if you are convinced your worries may materialize spend time planning for how you will respond should what you are worrying about actually happen. When you go through this exercise you find there really is no need to worry.
Hit the gym
Most people dread exercising because throughout the activity you are exerting energy, which is tiring. Although that’s true, when you are done exercising is when you feel the best. This is because endorphins released while exercising trigger positive feelings in the body. Also, when you exercise you have this feeling of pride for being productive with your time thus bringing feelings of overall joy. So the next time you don’t feel like exercising just remember it will be worth it once you’re done.
Falling into a funk and having a low mood is part of the human experience. The best way to be resilient during these times is to have tools in your toolkit to help bring joy into your life. I am sure if you use one of these tips I’ve shared you will see improvements in your life.
If you liked the tips I’ve shared please pay it forward by sharing with someone who may need this message.
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