We have all been there. You know, where things are going well and smooth, and then you notice either gradually over time or it suddenly hits you hard that you have been in a funk. You are not in your normal flow. You are not tending to your usual self-care things. You are not feeling like your best you.
I know this feeling all too well. I will have strides of productivity, strides of momentum with my health and fitness (drinking water like a champ, getting my morning workouts in), and an overall peace and positivity within. And then gradually, I will start to notice I skip one workout, then two. I procrastinate on important projects. I wake up feeling a fog hanging over me.
These are cues that help alert me that I am in a funk, and it is time to make some shifts to help bring me back to feeling my best. The next time you find yourself in a similar place, I want to share with you my top 5 tips for getting back in alignment and out of a funk:
1. Make a Stop-Doing List. Think about how you are spending your time in your day. What specific tasks and activities are you doing that you think are contributing to how you feel? Are you spending too much mindless time on social media? Are you watching lots of TV and laying around on the couch? What are the things? Write them down if they aren't serving you and make a commitment to stop doing them now, or at least set some parameters around how much you are doing them. If you want some help with this, grab my FREE Daily Routine Workbook that is my go-to for helping you create your own peaceful daily rhythm. You can check it out here!
2. Create a Morning Routine. As human beings, we love and crave routine. Think of any baby, any young child, and you will see how deeply they thrive in environments that are highly predictable and regular. As adults, we need the same thing. It can be as simple as making your bed every morning, drinking a warm cup of coffee, reading scripture or your favorite self-help book, or taking a walk outside. Whatever your activity or set of activities are, it is critical that you do them, and you do them daily. (Curious why it matters? Check out this post!) I try to choose things that I can do wherever I am. When you are feeling off, or feeling in a funk, it is crucial to reflect on your mornings. How are you waking up? What actions start out your day?
3. Check in with Yourself. Oftentimes, we go, go, go and get into these habits of not checking in with ourselves. We have to pause and ask what we are needing and how we are feeling. From journaling, to practicing mindfulness, to checking in with a coach, friend or therapist, there are a number of helpful resources and tools out there to help you create habits and awareness around noticing your feelings.
4. Wake Up with a Positive Mindset. To really shift ourselves out of a funk, we need to be sure we are waking up feeling grounded and calm before we do anything in our day. It all starts with how we start! So why not start in a positive, loving place? I always love a feel-good mantra to wake up to, but to really take it a step further, I recommend printing and posting my Top 10 Morning Mindset Rituals Checklist to help get you in the right headspace first thing when you wake up. Get yours for FREE here!
5. Be Extra Kind to Yourself. When we are in a funk, oftentimes our most important things get pushed to the side. Be easy on yourself when you make the realization you have been feeling off. Just as it took some time to fall off track, it takes time to get back on. So be extra kind to yourself in your mind and with your self-talk when you are noticing you are not feeling your best. You will get there. Start slow with each one of these steps and you will be on your way love!