10 tips to get out of a funk
Asha Edson
Youth Advisor
The world is throwing a lot at us right now. The weather is getting colder, days are getting shorter let’s be honest, 2020 has been a rough year. Even the happiest most positive people can find themselves in a bit of a funk every once in a while. Here is my top 10 list of things to do if you find yourself in one of these funks.
1. Get out of bed. Laying down may feel like all you want to do, but making yourself wake up and move around is the first step to pulling yourself out of a funk.
2. Put on something you feel good in. Similar to the last one, you might want to throw on sweatpants and a hoodie and call it a day. If there’s a shirt you feel confident in, earrings you just love, a makeup look you’ve been wanting to try, take the time to wear those things! Not only will you feel more productive and feel good about what you’re wearing, but it’s much harder to crawl back into bed in jeans.
3. Do one thing to make yourself feel clean. It can be hard to keep up hygiene when you’re down, and that’s okay! Something as small as brushing your hair or flossing is a step in taking care of yourself when a shower just feels like too much.
4. Experiment with music. Sometimes it might help to play a happy song; other times happy songs might make you sadder. Sometimes you need to put on your old emo playlist and yell your heart out to teen-angst-anthems. It’s hard to know which one will work for you at that moment, so don’t give up on finding the right track if the first one you put on doesn’t land!
5. Make yourself a comfort snack. Maybe it’s what you’d eat after school as a kid, maybe it’s your movie night snack. Whatever it is, take the time to make it. Once you have it, try to really savor it. What do you taste? What’s the texture like? If you plug your nose, does the flavor still come through? Take that familiar snack and get even more familiar with it. Not only does it get food in your belly, but it also gives you something to do.
6. Find a weird DIY on YouTube and try to follow along. You know those awful DIY videos that make you think “who would ever do this?” Well, the answer could be you! Find a video that has supplies you have and doesn’t use any dangerous tools like hot glue or craft knives, then DIY your heart out. There’s an odd satisfaction to finishing a project, even if it turns out to be a pile of random craft supplies secured together by glue.
7. If you have a pet, spend some time with it. Now this one relies on two things: 1) You have a pet, and 2) It isn’t a fish or an ant farm. Given those conditions, spending time with your pet is a lovely way to give and receive some love on a funky day. If you’re up for it, maybe go for a walk with them (note: don’t take your hamster for a walk).
8. If your funk gets funkier and you feel like you’re spiraling, test out your mammalian dive reflex. You don’t need a swimming pool, just a bowl of ice water big enough to fit your face. Take a big deep breath, close your eyes, and dunk your face into the water for 10 seconds. This activates your mammalian dive reflex and physically slows your heart down, which can relax you and ease you out of a spiral. It’s also a great way to wake yourself up. It’s sort of a force-reset for your body and brain.
9. Contact a friend. You don’t have to tell anyone anything you don’t want to, but even just sending a friend an iMessage game is a great way to get out of your head for a bit and reach out to someone. We’re social creatures and even when we want to isolate, playing a game or chatting with a friend can be a spot of sunshine on a gloomy day.
10. Do one thing that you love. It can feel like a lot of effort, and sometimes when you’re in a funk you don’t even know what you like to do. Think hard, and if you’re pulling up a blank on what you enjoy doing now, test out some hobbies from when you were younger. Play a game of Minecraft, make a collage, play trash can basketball—do anything that makes you feel like you.
Let us know if you try any of these or if you have any to add to the list. If your funk is lasting longer than you’d like it to, drop in for some additional support using the chatbot. We’re there from 9:00am – 8:00pm Monday – Thursday and 9:00am – 4:00pm on Friday.
