How do you turn your day around and get yourself out of a funk!
Today was one of those days, we all have them. I had a hard time getting out of a funk and instead consistently was on my phone all day which felt like a complete waste of time. My first tip is to go to bed at a somewhat normal time. I would say no later than 1 in the morning if it is going to be a late night. I have found that when I go to bed at 2 am or later, no matter how much sleep I get, I still feel lazy and lethargic the next day. As a result of falling asleep on the couch downstairs, I didn’t get to bed until 3 in the morning. This led to me sleeping till noon which completely messed up my schedule from the very beginning.
My second tip is to exercise. Whatever you like to do for exercise, go do it. Make it a priority and do it in the beginning part of the day. Even if you don’t normally exercise, go out for a 30 min walk. Even walking for 30 minutes can completely change your affect, motivation, and overall feeling you have. The third tip is to listen to music that makes you happy. For me, music brings me so much joy that it always is an instant mood boost. I like to listen to music as I run which equates to a double boost in energy. Finally, eat food that makes you feel good and try to surround yourself with others. When you isolate yourself, it is so much easier to stay in a crappy mood. By forcing yourself to hang with other people, you end up forgetting about your funk and having a good time with friends.
Finally, another great tip is to replace expectation with gratitude. It is a fabulous quote and forcing yourself to reflect on all that you are grateful for in your current life puts things into perspective. I know for people who like to feel accomplished and productive each day (like myself), the days where you just waste time become so aggravating as you set out an agenda of what you wanted to get done and nothing or maybe only one thing was accomplished. Something that takes time but is essential to learn is the ability to love yourself and to not get aggravated at yourself. Trust that it was what your mind and body needed and look into the future about what you can accomplish tomorrow. Also, if only one thing that you had set out to do got done, relish in that one thing. It may feel small, yet it is one more thing off your to-do list. Replace that expectation with gratitude. My roommate and I have talked about this a couple times throughout the school year about this idea of being productive and kind to yourself. Getting down on yourself or having negative self-talk just makes the problem worse. Instead, accept that it happened and move on. A phrase I always use when I am feeling a lot of stress around schoolwork or just things on my to-do list is this: “It will all get done. No matter how long it takes, it will all get done. You can do this.” It is a great self-fulfilling prophecy and reassurance for my mind and body. Next time you feel way too stressed out, try this trick and see if it works for you!
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