I know you know what I mean when I say funky funks… those days when you can’t seem to do anything, feel fussy, think life is “meh” and just want to crawl back into bed or spend hours in front of the TV. These days aren’t filled with relaxing and rejuvenation, they’re filled with funky moods and bleh feelings.
Maybe for you it’s every evening that you come home from work, exhausted and frustrated. Traffic was a pain, your boss was being a jerk, and you lost a couple hours worth of work when you’re computer decided to reboot at a random time. Maybe it’s the weekends, after a busy week where all you did was run around, answer calls, take orders, push, move, do and think, think, think. Either way, you’re exhausted and feeling bleh.
The problem with getting stuck in the funky funks is that you lose precious time doing nothing and feeling like crap! @StephenieZ (Click to Tweet!)
And it’s not just any time you lose, it’s your time. The time when you don’t have to work, answer to others, or rush around like a maniac… you lose your free time. Then when the next day or week rolls around, you feel even worse because you didn’t take advantage of your time to enjoy hobbies or follow your dreams, and you probably didn’t even relax.
I’ve been there and I know exactly what it feels like. So today I’m helping you out with…
Four Steps to Blast Through the Funky Funks
1) Make Note of Your Common Funky Funk Times.
Whether it’s after work, the weekends or a more cyclical monthly funky funk, it’s important to make note of when it happens. Becoming aware of your patterns will help you create a plan of attack, or just allow you to avoid falling into the viscous cycle of wasting time and then feeling even worse after. Keep a little pocket calendar on hand and start making note of when you really feel the funk!
2) Make a Funk-Blaster List.
Make a list of all the things you love to do, things that relax you, people you enjoy spending time with and favorite hobbies. These should be things that make you feel excited, happy, energized and relaxed. Once you’ve made a list of everything, really go back through and highlight the ones that make you feel the best.
Not every friend you enjoy spending time with is someone you’d want to see while in a funk… pick the top people that make you laugh, listen to you vent or just make you feel at ease. Additionally, highlight the activities, hobbies and things that really make you feel great. Sure, watching TV can be relaxing, but it’s probably not something that makes you feel refreshed and energized. Be really honest as you work back through your list and only highlight the top people, items and activities.
3) Craft a Plan.
Now that you know when you’ll likely be in a funky funk AND what people and activities make you feel awesome, craft a plan! What can you do after work today that will make you feel amazing? Is it trying a new recipe, pouring a glass of wine and listening to some music while you dine by candlelight? Is it meeting up with your best friend and taking a walk around the local park while gabbing?
Same for the weekend… can you schedule a massage then plan to hit the beach or pool for the day with your favorite book? Maybe it’s a matter of picking a new knitting project to start while listening to a book on tape in your jammy pants with some delicious take out. Whatever it is, make a plan.
If you don’t like rigid plans for your free time, make a few loose plans. Think of a few different scenarios that would be awesome, then go with what feels right when it rolls around.
4) Gently “Push Through” the Funk.
Not creating a plan or following through on a loose one is not an option. Believe me, I know it can be really hard to stick to it when you’re feeling the funky funks, but I also know that when you do, they dissipate faster than you thought possible! Before you know it you’re feeling great, getting things done and your energy level heightens!
When you feel like saying, “meh, I’ll do it tomorrow,” gently push yourself through it. This is not about being cruel or forceful with yourself, it’s about taking a deep breath, shaking it off and going through the motions anyways. I promise that soon you’ll feel amazing and be glad you did. Plus, the more often you push through, the sooner you’ll make positive action a habit and experience less and less funky funks!
Take Action Now
Make your list! Get out some paper and a pen or pencil and get to work writing out everything that you love doing. Include the people you love doing them with! Then be sure to go back through and highlight the items that really make you feel great. Lastly, pick a day, this weekend or an upcoming evening, to do a trial run of your own plan.
Stephenie Zamora is the founder of www.stepheniezamora.com, a full-service life purpose development, design, and branding boutique. She merges the worlds of personal development and branding to help men and women build passion-based lives and businesses. Click here to access her free Foundations for Unshakable Joy™ video training series and learn the unexpected trick to transforming your life with one single question! Connect with Stephenie on Facebook and Twitter!
Photo Credit: Lotus Carroll via Compfight cc
