Feeling Stuck? Here’s How I Break Out of a Funk Every Time

If you’re feeling stuck, low-energy, or just not like yourself, you’re not alone. The dreaded funk. It can be really easy to get trapped in this feeling, and even start to believe that things will never change. BUT the truth is we hold the power to change how we feel through taking simple action. In this post, I’m sharing the real-life steps I take when I need to break out of a funk — including practical, emotional, and faith-based tools that help me reset. Here are my top tips to break out of a funk:

I don’t know about you, but when I get in a funk all I want to do is rot in bed all day. And while I do think that there is a time to let yourself have a mini rot session, at some point you do just have to get up. I’m not saying you have to go from rotting in bed to running a marathon. Start small. Go from your bed to your couch, open some windows, and grab some water.

I know, I know this sounds dumb. But I know from personal experience it is really hard to feel good, clean, and clear mentally; when I don’t feel put together physically. So take a shower, brush your teeth, do your skincare, put clean clothes on, and maybe even put some makeup on.

For me this often means reading my bible and reflecting on the word. It could also be going to a church service in person or virtually, listening to a pre recorded sermon, listening to a podcast, or even just calling a prayer partner or church friend. For me this is one of the best ways to break out of the funk. It reminds me that no matter what I am going through God has a plan for me and it is going to work out exactly how it is meant to. 

Drink some water and eat a well balanced, colorful meal. This tool likely won’t give you as instant of a boost as some of the other things I am mentioning (unless you are like me and get giddy cooking colorful meals), but it is super important in the long run. We can’t expect our minds and bodies to operate their best if we aren’t giving ourselves good fuel.

While this isn’t always an option (I live in Minnesota, trust me I know), even if it is just for a couple of breaths, getting outside can make such a difference in how you feel. There are so many studies that show that fresh air alone has a major impact on how we feel. Beyond just stepping outside it can have an even bigger impact if you can surround yourself with nature. That could be a lake, garden, forest or whatever your favorite aspect of nature is. On top of the benefits of fresh air itself; getting surrounded by nature can help you slow down, regulate your nervous system, and is where I personally feel closest to God.

There are countless forms of movement that you could choose, so do whatever is your favorite. It is also super important with this movement to bring in mindfulness and stay aware. Without the mindfulness aspect to the movement it is really easy for this to become an avoidance tactic rather than a true coping skill to help you snap out of your funk. This could look like going for a walk without any other stimuli, yoga (at a studio, from a video, or following your intuition), strength training while connecting the movement to breath (inhale while muscles are contracting and exhaling when relaxing the muscles), or simply following whatever movement your spirit intuitively guides you through.

This can be so incredibly helpful. But I also think it is one of the hardest. My best tip for journaling is to simply use whatever method works for you. This could be stream of consciousness, bullet points, using a structured journaling practice you like, or finding some prompts online that you like. 

It is also incredibly important to know when to ask for help. The skills/tools that I have mentioned are extremely helpful, but sometimes they simply aren’t enough or there is a deeper underlying issue. It can be really scary to ask for help so start with someone you trust. Be vulnerable and honest about how you feel and what is going on. From there if you need or want additional support you can reach out to your primary care provider, find a therapist/counselor, or find support groups.

This post is in no way a comprehensive list of everything you can do to help yourself feel better, but I hope you find it a helpful starting point. If this post helped you, share it with someone else who might need a boost today.