5 Steps to Get Out of a Funk

We have all been there. You know, where things are going well and smooth, and then you notice either gradually over time or it suddenly hits you hard that you have been in a funk. You are not in your normal flow. You are not tending to your usual self-care things. You are not feeling like your best you.

I know this feeling all too well. I will have strides of productivity, strides of momentum with my health and fitness (drinking water like a champ, getting my morning workouts in), and an overall peace and positivity within. And then gradually, I will start to notice I skip one workout, then two. I procrastinate on important projects. I wake up feeling a fog hanging over me. 

These are cues that help alert me that I am in a funk, and it is time to make some shifts to help bring me back to feeling my best. The next time you find yourself in a similar place, I want to share with you my top 5 tips for getting back in alignment and out of a funk:

1. Make a Stop-Doing List. Think about how you are spending your time in your day. What specific tasks and activities are you doing that you think are contributing to how you feel? Are you spending too much mindless time on social media? Are you watching lots of TV and laying around on the couch? What are the things? Write them down if they aren't serving you and make a commitment to stop doing them now, or at least set some parameters around how much you are doing them. If you want some help with this, grab my FREE Daily Routine Workbook that is my go-to for helping you create your own peaceful daily rhythm. You can check it out here!

2. Create a Morning Routine. As human beings, we love and crave routine. Think of any baby, any young child, and you will see how deeply they thrive in environments that are highly predictable and regular. As adults, we need the same thing. It can be as simple as making your bed every morning, drinking a warm cup of coffee, reading scripture or your favorite self-help book, or taking a walk outside. Whatever your activity or set of activities are, it is critical that you do them, and you do them daily. (Curious why it matters? Check out this post!) I try to choose things that I can do wherever I am. When you are feeling off, or feeling in a funk, it is crucial to reflect on your mornings. How are you waking up? What actions start out your day? 

3. Check in with Yourself. Oftentimes, we go, go, go and get into these habits of not checking in with ourselves. We have to pause and ask what we are needing and how we are feeling. From journaling, to practicing mindfulness, to checking in with a coach, friend or therapist, there are a number of helpful resources and tools out there to help you create habits and awareness around noticing your feelings. 

4. Wake Up with a Positive Mindset. To really shift ourselves out of a funk, we need to be sure we are waking up feeling grounded and calm before we do anything in our day. It all starts with how we start! So why not start in a positive, loving place? I always love a feel-good mantra to wake up to, but to really take it a step further, I recommend printing and posting my Top 10 Morning Mindset Rituals Checklist to help get you in the right headspace first thing when you wake up. Get yours for FREE here!

5. Be Extra Kind to Yourself. When we are in a funk, oftentimes our most important things get pushed to the side. Be easy on yourself when you make the realization you have been feeling off. Just as it took some time to fall off track, it takes time to get back on. So be extra kind to yourself in your mind and with your self-talk when you are noticing you are not feeling your best. You will get there. Start slow with each one of these steps and you will be on your way love!

Your Social Media Self-Care Plan

It must be in the summer air...

Over the last few weeks, I have had several conversations with women, from close friends to clients, about taking a social media break. 

I would say almost every single one of these incredible, vibrant ladies, shared how they have in some way felt less than after scrolling through their Instagram or Facebook feeds. Can you relate? 

I love the idea of stepping away from the screen as part of tending to our self-care. The thing is, whether we step away for a few days or take an entire month off, at some point, when we decide to go back on, that feeling of being less than will likely creep back in at some point. Am I right??

So, what do we do?

We have to create a social media self-care plan for noticing the feelings as they arise, and then some action steps to follow to take care of ourselves in the moment. A few months back, I wrote a piece that was recently shared on Create & Cultivate that has my step-by-step flow for dealing with the comparison game. Check it out here, and bookmark it for the next time you find yourself feeling less than in any way. 

My 6 Favorite Self-Help Things

It's summer and that means it's time to get outside and lazy-around at the beach! (At least, one can hope, right!?) 

With more time to relax and chill, I thought I would share some of my all-time favorite self-help things. From books to TED Talks, here are my current go-to's (in no particular order) for when I want a pick-me-up and want to get inspired!

1. Women Food and God by Geneen Roth

This book literally changed my relationship with my body and mind forever. Genene talks about listening and trusting yourself, following your intuition, and dealing with heavy emotions. It is like the lady bible. I think every woman should read it. It is a blend of self-discovery, spirituality, and self- love. 

2. You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

I joke that this is the book I should have written. My friend recommended I give this a read last summer and it has since become one of my all-time favorites! If you are looking for some motivation to start doing the work you feel called to do, then read this! It is filled with nuggets of inspiration and love to help you push past fear. Yes, please!

3. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz

This book helped me reframe my thinking around time. If you find yourself thinking, "I never have time for me" then this is the book for you! The authors of this book use real-life case studies of people to demonstrate how even in the busiest of circumstances, you CAN reclaim your time. It all starts with managing your energy!

4. You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh

This book is short and sweet and is a nice introduction into mindfulness and meditation. There are some really great examples of what being in the present moment is really all about. For anyone wanting to create more self-awareness and learn skills for managing emotions, this is a really great read!

5. Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

There is something so beautiful about this book. I am not sure if it is because I imagine Tara's soothing voice reading it aloud, or it is just her empowering reminder of just how worthy we are. This is the book to read when you are going through a tough spot in life.

6. The Power of Vulnerability with Brené Brown.

This. TED. Talk. Really, I do not know where to begin because there is just so much goodness soaked up into these 20 minutes and 13 seconds. The moment you let your walls down and allow yourself to be your most authentic self, flaws and all, some serious healing happens. 

The #1 Phrase That Will Stop Your Meltdown

It's time for some real talk.

I had a meltdown the other day.

The grown up woman, fiery tantrum kind of meltdown.

It happened while I was getting ready to go out with my husband.

The thoughts went something like this:

I have nothing to wear.
I hate my clothes.
Shoot, these shorts don't fit. 

And they kept on coming…

It took me over 30 minutes to get ready because of the pity party I was having in my head.

Once I finally settled on something to wear, I realized how silly it was to be in my head like that, but it wasn't until the next day that it really hit me.

I was listening to a podcast with Marie Forleo, where she shared a beautiful quote by Neale Donald.

“Struggle ends when gratitude begins.”

I thought back to my meltdown with my clothes and suddenly thought back to the statements I had said in my mind while getting ready.

"I have no clothes." Oh yes, love, you have lots of clothes.
"I have nothing to wear." You have an entire closet filled with beautiful clothing.

I could keep going on and on. I thought about how fortunate I am to have so many things to choose from when I get ready.

The next day while getting ready, my entire energy had shifted as I thought about the quote. When I felt myself feel disappointed about the clothing options in my closet, I instead thought about how grateful I am to have a home with a closet that is filled with clothes that I have purchased with my hard-earned dollars. I thought about how grateful I am to have a healthy body to dress my clothes in. 

These words can be applied to more meaningful events than clothing. Moments when we are in suffering, hurting, or are in a state of sadness we can come back to what we feel grateful for. We can think about what we love in our current moment.

I now think of these words and try to apply them to other areas of my life where I feel a kind of struggle playing out. I gently remind myself what I am grateful for in those challenging moments. And friends, it is really making a difference in how I am feeling. I sure hope you'll do the same.

P.S. Want a cute print of this quote in your space as a reminder!? I made you a super quick downloadable. Click here to get your copy!

How to Implement Self-Care Now

When you think about your self-care, what immediately comes to mind?

Brushing your teeth?
Washing your face?
Doing your hair, makeup?

As adults we understand the importance of basic self-care. 

Going to the doctor regularly, showering, getting enough sleep-- we know how important these daily habits are to not only our health, but our well-being too.  

Self-care is of course these daily rituals and routines of good hygiene. But it is also much more than that.

It encompasses those little moments throughout the day when you take time out just for you. It's you creating intentional moments where you are honoring your worth and giving yourself profound care. It could be a hot shower in the morning and really noticing the warmth of the water as it hits your body. Maybe it’s a fun salsa class with a friend after a long day of work. It might be a hot cup of tea in the morning or reading your favorite book at night before bed. Maybe it's taking a stroll with your love and stopping to enjoy a cup of frozen-kefir (if you haven't tried it, do it! So good.) Self-care looks like any and all of these mini-moments of you loving on you. 

Think about all the times you’ve decided to skip your self-care. 

Maybe there just wasn’t enough time to squeeze that workout in or meditate for 5 minutes or take a full lunch break. What happens when there’s not enough time? You push through whatever commitments you have. You keep going and doing, going and doing. You create a habit and daily routine of NOT prioritizing you, NOT prioritizing your self-care. You start to feel drained, exhausted, and completely wiped. You become frustrated and feel sad too, that you are not living your life as you truly intend for yourself.

So what's a girl to do? 

1. Recognize how you are spending your time. What can you start saying NO to? This is a big one. Set up some personal boundaries to create space for your self-care. 

2. Start small, then gradually go big! What small step towards prioritizing your self-care can you immediately start doing? What is one thing you would like to do for yourself that doesn't require a lot of planning? 

3. Do it! Yes, love, do that one self-care thing. Today. Write it in your schedule. Do not let anything else get in the way. 

By creating daily rituals and routines around self-care, you are making a bold statement that it’s okay to take time out for you. Your modeling of this in your own life serves as a beautiful reminder to the people around you to do the same. 

What bold statement do you want your self-care to communicate?