Are You In A Funk?

It might be the time of year, or the stars might be out of alignment (need to check Astrology Zone), but over the past couple of weeks so many people I’ve spoken with say they’re in a funk.  They’re blue, feeling listless, burned out, and worst of all, hopeless.  They’re not feeling fulfilled, and they’re frustrated and scared that this is the best it will be for them. 

You can’t read your way out of a funk no matter what the magazine and self-help aisles at the bookstore promise.  You can’t daydream your way out, or complain your way out, or talk your way out, or shop your way out (tried it…).  The key to the exit door is labeled:  take action.  But what action, your whiney voice asks?  It doesn’t matter – just do something. If it feels right, do more. If it doesn’t help, do something else.

If you’re feeling burned out or in a funk, here are some ideas that might work or at least spark other ideas that will move you to action.

Set boundaries:  If you’re feeling burned out, you may need to put your foot down and set some boundaries so you can recharge your battery.  The boundary may need to be set with a family member, employer, staff, or friend, but it’s also likely that you are your own worst enemy.  Are you so important that you feel you have to work 12 to 14 hour days or the world will end?  Heads of state are the only ones entitled to this feeling.  There are selected times when this may be called for, like implementation weekend on a big project, but if it’s the rule rather than the exception, you have a boundary issue.  Few people are productive and discerning at the end of an 8 hour day.  Rearrange your calendar if you can to do the heavy lifting when you’re at your best.  For some people that’s early morning, for others it’s later in the day.  Also, take your weekends off and take your vacation days.  Oftentimes the biggest disappointment an ‘over-worker’ encounters when they get laid off is that the company continues on just fine without them.  If you’re the one who ends up carrying the heaviest load, take a look in the mirror and ask some hard questions about whether you’re being taken advantage of by your manager or your team.

Reconnect with your passion:  Do you have a passion?  I know you do, you may have just lost touch with it.  If you’re feeling disconnected, begin with take baby steps.  Make a list of 10 things that make you happy and 10 things that bring you pleasure.  Is there an issue that makes your blood boil or that you could talk about for hours?  Is there an activity you could do all day and have it feel like 5 minutes?  My friend Michele loves to draw floor and space plans.  She can do this for hours on end.  These are clues to a deeper connection.  Find those threads and follow them.

Dare to dream of the life you want:  Some people are afraid to dream.  They’re afraid to get a vivid image of their deepest desire because they’re afraid they’ll never have it and be doomed to a life of disappointment.  In my opinion, the surest way to not get the life of your dreams is to not have a dream.  So go ahead and let the genie out of the bottle.  You could start with making a dream board or write about your ideal day in your journal.  Then find little things you can do today to move in that direction.

Get a buddy:  This could be a coach or a personal trainer, or a friend.  I now have a walking buddy, Laura.  We walk 3.6 miles three days a week most weeks.  Believe me, I wouldn’t be getting out of bed at 6:30 in the morning in the freezing cold and pouring rain to go for a walk if I didn’t know that Laura would be standing at the top of my driveway waiting for me.  This is the primary advice in all health magazines, and being the independent “I can do it on my own” person, I poo-poo’d it for years. It works; try it.