Happy Monday from Tennessee! J and I spent the weekend with two of our dearest friends on the planet (Christina + her hubby, Pai), and we’ve got one more packed day before heading back up north. We’ve done all sortsa cute local things here in Johnson City, and then yesterday we headed to Asheville, North Carolina to explore a bit (if you’re around, go to Vortex Doughnuts – they’re oh so so so good!).
So. Funks. Let’s talk about ’em.
I found myself in a serious funk last week, and it was driving. me. nuts. I reaaaaaaally dislike being in funks or feeling “off” at all, especially if/when I can’t pinpoint exactly what the heck it’s stemming from. Did something happen? Am I just overwhelmed? Is it hormones? Who the heck knows. Either way, it’s a pain in the butt, ’cause it can really throw off your groove and make you question, like, everything until the fog passes. And then, it becomes a matter of how to get inspired again ASAP to get OUT of the fog and back to brighter skies + a clearer mind. Sometimes that rush in + of itself is stressful – knowing that you’re feelin’ funky, knowing that you want to STOP feelin’ funky STAT, and not necessarily knowing how the heck to stop feelin’ funky. SO. Here are 7 easy ways to figure out how to get inspired again when you’ve been in a funk or other sorta creative rut. Because #BeenThereDoneThat – let’s begin:
{PIN THIS FOR LATER}:
7 WAYS TO GET INSPIRED AGAIN WHEN YOU’RE IN A FUNK
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Figure out WHY you’re in a funk
Easier said than done sometimes amiright? But really, Key Numero Uno is being able to identify what’s holding you back or down that’s got you feeling some sorta not-so-good way. Most often for me personally, I think it stems from either a.) overstimulation, or b.) understimulation. Meaning, I’ve got waaaaaaay too much goin’ on that my mind just swims and I’m lost at sea, or I’m stuck in a routine that has become monotonous feeling in that moment. Sometimes, it’s a weird combo of the two – having so much happening, but then also feeling stuck in the same ol’ same ol’ and not knowing exactly what or how to do the next steps necessary to move from point A to B.
But if/when I find myself in a funk and am not completely sure why, I’ll typically start this process by doing a…
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Brain dump
Heeeeeeeyo, this sounds familiar! 😉 Because IT WORKS, YO. Sometimes I find I feel totally funked out and/or completely uninspired because I’ve just got waaaaay too many wires crossing at any given moment. And I often don’t even REALIZE that I’m so bogged down *until* I brain dump. A solid brain dump will – without fail – make me feel lighter, less stressed, and less funky.
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Give yourself grace
Everybody has those days. (Everybody makes mistakes // Everybody knows what, what’ I’m talkin’ ’bout // Everybody gets that way – C’MON, YOU KNOW IT 😉 ). At the end of the day, one of the biggest comforts (I think) is knowing that you’re never alone. Never ever. No matter what you’re going through, SOMEONE somewhere has gone through the same thing (or something alarmingly similar). We all go through funky times! It’s not something to get down on yourself for – it’s just a natural cycle, and there ARE steps to work through ’em with grace (like this list 😉 ).
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Give yourself space
Specifically, space away from technology, and away from anything that won’t lift you back up in this moment. The key: Know Thyself. If you’re more extroverted and think a solid girls night will get ya back to feeling better, call up the girlfriends. But if you’re an introvert and reaaaaaaally just need some alone time with a good book to refresh, do that. The other key: Give yourself the space you need given your personality type, but also given whatever is bogging you down right now. Given my job, technology or social media (or both) typically plays a role in the state of my headspace – it tends to breed funk. Ha! So for me, as much time as possible with my phone in another room, or just not checking it for a hot sec, really does help alleviate some of that stress. It’s space away from the regular routine to refresh with something new. Which brings us to…
(a FABULOUS closet staple for any working chica, or just for a slightly dressier casual look!) // (One of my fave pairs – they’re under $50 AND BOGO 50% off – #bless, Runs TTS!) // (Some of the comfiest shoes for spring – they were so popular last season they came BACK for this one!)
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Switch up your routine
How to get inspired 101 should just start with this point, really. I swear sometimes it’s just monotony that drives us nutso! And while routines can be slash are good many times for many reasons, they can contribute to our feelings of staleness. So switch things up, baby! Give yourself a day of DIFFERENT. While I sometimes end up funked out because of too many things happening at once, I *also* feel meh after too many days of doing the same damn thing.
This really just requires intentionality! Of course, sometimes we just can’t change up our routine too much, because other people are involved and that’s just #life at the moment. IE., being a parent, or being a college kid in school with classes, or going to your 9-to-5. But see where you might be able to switch things up a bit within that. Sometimes the little things are the big things! In college, try mixing up where you grab lunch before your Tuesday noon seminar, or where you go out with your girlfriends on Friday night. In your 9-to-5, while you might have a handful of tasks assigned to you that aren’t necessarily changeable, see if you can get out of the office for a coffee run, or if you can bring your laptop to a different room for the day. Little shifts of space can work wonders on our moods, just since we’ve got newness around us!
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Breathe fresh air
It fixes just about every funk. Unless I’m careful, I could be cooped inside for 72 straight hours without even leaving my house. The not-so-glam side of working from home. 😉 No bueno. Whenever possible, head out to get some fresh air, be that through a jog or bikeride, a walk around the block – heck, step outside to just take a deep inhale before getting back to your inbox!
I distinctly remember the feeling of unparalled freshness + openness that I felt in the Redwood Forest in California when I went in college. It was unreal. You just wanted to BREATHE a lot since it was so unlike city air! We forget how powerful the literal environment around us can be, sometimes, until we’re placed in a new one. When our surroundings get to feeling stuffy, inserting literal freshness from le Great Outdoors can work wonders.
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Have a “me” night justbecause
We’re so good about planning time with our S.O. or our girlfriends, especially when we know they need us…so why the heck aren’t we good about scheduling in time with ourselves, too? I’m just about THE WORST at this (maybe it’s just me? Ha!), but unless it’s on my physical calendar of my husband forces me to (ha), it just won’t happen. This can help shakes things up in the best way possible while allowing you to focus on YOU, which might inadvertently help whatever was pressing on your mind in your brain dump.
J has already taken my phone from me and made me just sit my behind on the couch for an hour with a book just for funsies. He’d literally set a timer because he’s the best and I’m the worst and I’m apparently 12. BUT IT WORKS. When we’re not thinking about it, we tend to slip into comfortability – our regular routines. Forcing ourselves to embrace solid time for me lets us either a.) figure out exactly what we need and actively work on it accordingly, b.) not think about anything serious, thereby giving us exactly what we didn’t know we needed, and/or c.) all of the above.
Did this help you figure out how to get inspired again + out of a funk ASAP?
If you’ve been feelin’ funkier lately and not quite sure why and/or how to fix it, I hope this proves to be a helpful lil’ resource to start tackling those feelings STAT!
Thanks for reading, happy Monday, and all that jazz…go make it happen this week, girlfriend!
