Sometimes, we all experience times in our lives where we simply aren’t motivated, just feel stuck or are discouraged with ourselves. AND THAT IS OKAY.

Yesterday I shared a photo on my Instagram story, where I simply said: “today sucked but it’s just a bad day, not a bad life.” The number of responses I got was astounding. So many of you shared how you were having a bad day too and something that simple was just the right reminder and encouragement they needed to keep going. WOW, talk about never being alone in your struggles. It reminded me that maybe more then just me needs some of these reminders:

We are all human.

We all have bad days.

AND THAT IS OKAY.

 

Now What?

Take it easy

It is okay to be in a funk. For me sometimes it will just last a day, maybe a week. But, recently I have been in a funk for over a month now, and I am just now beginning to feel motivated again. So, understand you are going through a different chapter in your life, recognize your funk and take it easy. Understand you are not alone and it is okay to give your body and your mind a break.

Often times when I find myself in a funk it is because of one of a few things: I have been working too hard and wearing myself thin for too long, I am out of my daily routine, or I am letting my self-care go by the wayside. Sound familiar? So…

Ask yourself: Why?

Once you have recognized something is off and you are slowly slipping into a mindset of self-doubt, discouragement, and depression. Ask yourself, “WHY?” What has changed recently? There are so many things that put us in a funk and it is different for all of us. Here are a few examples: diet change, lack of sleep, stress/overworked, new routine, traveling, a major life event like a new job, new home, a baby, or break-up. The list is endless to what could through you off.

Once you figure out why you are in your funk then you can better understand how to take care of yourself. Maybe the fix is as simple as getting more sleep or eating more veggies, or maybe it’s not. Maybe you need to take the time to eliminate stress from your life, take better care of yourself, or get rid of toxic people in your life.

PS – It is not so much as you getting yourself out of the funk, but being patient with yourself and caring for yourself while you’re going through it. And recognizing what you need to do to move forward.

Do what you need to do

More often than not we already know what we have to be doing to take care of ourselves. We just have to allow ourselves to do whats right for our mind and body.

This time around my funk started because I took three weeks off to travel, which I LOVED but, I was out of my routine and my diet was anything but healthy.

Now remember, you’re not going to fix yourself overnight. Being patient with yourself is key. For me, I needed to settle back down into my routine, which I knew no matter how hard I tried would still take a week or so. I also had to freshen up my diet and get some much-needed nutrients back in it, another thing that takes a while to kick in. Lastly, I needed to put down my phone, stop comparing myself to others, and journal.

We are all different, we all need different things. But, here are a few things that worked for me:

 

• Eating healthier (Reduce carbs, sugar, and alcohol – increase veggies, fiber, protein, and H20)
• Exercising (Even if it is just walking 20 minutes, get up and get some fresh air)
• Journaling (I am so reluctant to do this when I am in a funk, but every time I take a second to just write I remember why this works)
• Taking “me-time” (Ditch your friends, throw on a face mask, light up a candle and watch your favorite movies)
• Putting down the phone (Comparison is real when I am in a funk and it becomes a cycle of mental abuse I put myself through by constantly thinking I need to be doing better, so put down the phone and take time for your self)
• Letting people know where you’re at (You friends and family understand if you need to take some time to take care of yourself, let people know you’re taking it easy for a while)

 

I did not write this post to give you a step by step guide on how to get out of your funk. That is just unrealistic. I wrote this because I want to let you know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Take a deep breath. Reflect. And do some much-needed self-care.

PS – Stop telling yourself you need to “snap out of it,” this funk didn’t come out of nowhere and it’s not going to go away with a quick snap, and again THAT IS OKAY.