Funks can be a freaking pain in the a-hole, especially when you know it’s for no good reason.
Which is exactly why I’m feeling so funky this week.
The truth is, I know I have SO much to be grateful for, and it really gets to me when I feel I’m not fully embracing and appreciating that.
And at the same time, I’ve lived in my mind long enough to know:
We can’t always control our feelings!
Sometimes, they just come, and they go.
And FUNKS?
Those can be an even funkier type of feel – creeping up on us like fungus and pervading our psyche for who knows how long..
Which means, if we really want our funk to get GONE – we’ve got to get proactive about it.
You know, get to the root of the funk, and eradicate it out in a healthy way!
TBH – I actually had something else prepared for you today, but decided, “EF it,” because I’m feeling funky, and I wouldn’t feel myself for sharing anything else.
SO – You ready to get this funk to eff off with me?
Here are five fast action steps to stop funk town from becoming a place of permanent residence:
1. SAY CHEESE
We’re gonna start real simple – with a SMILE.
SO many studies (some of which I cited below) have shown that smiling can supercharge a stimulation of excitement, energy and endorphins.
Ahhh – nothing like an old fashioned, naturally-occurring dopamine drip, am I right? 😉
The dopamine drip released from simply smiling includes serotonin, dopamine (duh), and a various assortment of other endorphins that lower anxiety and stress, all while increasing levels of happiness!
SCORE!
Want to know what’s even better?
The smile doesn’t even have to be REAL.
Of course, I know we’re both about authenticity and all BUT – when in a funk – I think one can also appreciate that (in this case) faking it really does help us MAKE it!
In other words, if a fake smile can help initiate us out of our funk – I say #worthit – one million percent!
2. EXPRESS YO’ (PERFECTLY IMPERFECT) SELF
This one is one of my favorites.
You ready for it?
Put on THAT song – the one that makes you feel like a badass b (or bro!) – and simply let GO.
I know you have one – everyone does!
And if you don’t, feel free to browse and borrow one of mine from my BB playlist on Spotify. 🙂
Now, when it comes to the notion of movement:
Remember, as they say at KINRGY, “It’s not about perfection, it’s about expression.”
AKA: Don’t worry about what you look like, just let. it. HAPPEN!
My fellow control freaks are cringing, I know.
But it’s kind of incredible when you try it!
Here’s how: (for us control freaks who need a tutorial 😉
- Allow your emotions to express through your body.
- Empower your emotions to move through you in whatever way they will to.
- Let go of any ideas surrounding what you “should” look like, and simply move your body in whatever way the sounds within the song inspire you to.
Whether for you that means shouting the lyrics to your song super loud or dipping into the choreography cache from your old Love2Dance classes (das me!), don’t judge yourself and just move like you DO, and express in the way your body wants to.
3. GET OUTSIDE
Get outside and allow your body to get kissed with my personal favorite form of vitamin..
Vitamin D!
Okay now I know I’m not Nicki, but just couldn’t pass up the opportunity!
(If you caught that lyrical reference to Nicki Minaj’s Feeling Myself (ft. Beyoncé) – you’re my person, by the way. 😉
ANYWAYS-
Did you know that just 5-15 minutes per day in the sun can assist in lowering blood pressure, losing weight, and even help ease you out of a depressive state? [1]
Can I get a HELL. YES. from my bronze babes?
(P.S. YES – the gift of Vitamin D does still call for sunscreen.)
4. GIVE IT UP TO GRATITUDE
GAWD gratitude is the best, isn’t it?
Like seriously – screw the little blue pill – gratitude is the stuff of the gods!
And (just like the little blue pill!) it works wonders on what we can achieve.
You see, giving it up to gratitude is easy!
All you have to do is take some time to think about a few things you appreciate about your life, your people, or our world in general.
I like to write a list so I can look back on it!
But whether you write a list or repeat it in your head, taking the time to practice gratitude can remind you of how much you really have to be grateful for.
For every thing you list, (no matter it’s size or significance!) you leave yourself a little reminder of the possibility of bliss.
5. FLIP OFF YOUR FUNK WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Following our funk often leads us into the isolation and disassociation that reinforces the feeling in the first place.
And if you’ve read this far, I know that following the funk is the very last thing you want to do.
So – my fifth form of treatment for fighting it?
Feel it out in the open.
Flip off the funk with a friend or a family mem – you may just find they have some advice to provide!
I’ve personally found that when I DO say my feelings out loud, it lightens the load on me ever so slightly, and the pain loses some of its power.
Honestly, I’m already feeling better admitting my funk to you!
(Even if it is in Blog form. 😉
Which leads me to the important reminder that I’m always here for you.
Especially when you’re feeling blue.
I want you to know you can share that with me too, just as I am incredibly lucky to get to do with you. <3
You can reach out to me directly on my Instagram, leave a comment below today’s post, or connect on my Contact page, but whatever you do, please know you DON’T have to fight the funk alone!
XO,
Kendra
P.S. Feeling like your funk is lingering a little longer than expected? Access a few free resources for dealing with depression, in my #DropTheStigma Blog right here.
Sources
https://aultman.org/blog/caring-for-you/world-smile-day-how-smiling-affects-your-brain/#/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/
[1]https://www.tricitymed.org/2018/08/5-ways-the-sun-impacts-your-mental-and-physical-health/
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