I’ve been in a funk for the past week or so. The need for a proper break, ADHD fatigue, the weather, and a general depression at the state of the world are all making me feel pretty “meh” about everything.
I used to beat myself up for feeling this way – sometimes, I still do.
But since starting my therapy journey last year, I have some practices that I have found work for me and help me feel like my myself again.
I journal
Journaling has been a gamechanger for me. Journaling in the morning helps me set a tone for what kind of day I want to have. Journaling at night helps me process things I did or felt during the day so I (hopefully) don’t lie awake overthinking everything that happened.
Plus, the act of writing and doing something tactile helps me connect better to the event or emotion I’m journaling about. That connection is really helpful when I’m in a funk and feeling disassociated and unmotivated.
I listen to meaningful music
In July 2019, my two best friends and I went on a road trip to Niagara Falls in Ontario. We packed a Spotify playlist with the most random mix of 80s rock, 90s hip-hop, showtunes, Disney songs and everything in between.
Whenever I feel myself spiraling, listening to our playlist reminds me of that really happy time. This then reminds my brain that it won’t always feel this way, which helps me feel more grounded.
I move
Fitness and movement have been critical to my recovery. They allow me to get out of my head and get back in touch with my body – something that can feel impossible on days when I struggle to recognize myself in a mirror due to dysmorphia.
Moving my body every day is a form of meditation for me. It helps me slow down and focus on reconnecting with myself and what I can do. And that helps me feel powerful, even when a funk is making me feel powerless.
(This video is an example of some movement I do that makes me feel pretty badass, especially when I’m spiraling. Video by Mona Bitar).
I feel it
It’s really hard for me to sit with discomfort, especially mental or emotional discomfort. I don’t like it. But through therapy, I’ve been learning that sometimes the ultimate act of self-compassion is giving yourself permission to just feel whatever you need to feel.
To not push through it. To not feel ok for a while.
It’s a fact of life that there are things like work, children, caregiving responsibilities, etc. that demand our time. So, allowing ourselves the space to not “just snap out of it” often seems impossible and selfish. But I am learning that if I don’t give myself that space occasionally, I won’t be able to show up for those things that demand my time in the ways that I want and need to.
Be kinder to yourself
Ultimately, whenever I feel anxious or down, I have to remind myself that getting out of my funk is not the end goal. It isn’t, “Ok, let’s do something to feel better and get this out of the way and then move on.”
The goal when I am feeling anxious or down is to be kind to myself. Then, through that process of practicing self-compassion, I will feel more like myself again.
Have you ever felt this way? How do you handle being in a funk? And what are some steps you’ve taken to be kinder to yourself when you’re not feeling ok?
