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21 Ways to Quickly Short-Circuit a Funk

By Charlie Gilkey on April 21, 2008 18 Comments
Last updated on December 21, 2020

We all occasionally find ourselves in a funk. This post gives 21 ways to short-circuit that funk so you can get on with your day. //productiveflourishing.com/21-ways-to-quickly-short-circuit-a-funk/

The situation: you find yourself in a funk. I’m not talking about the Pepé Le Pew kind of funk – that just requires the generous application of soap and water. The kind of funk I’m talking about is where you’re almost inexplicably sad, slightly depressed, or down about something.

This happens to almost everyone every once in awhile. The goal here is not to figure out how to avoid getting in a funk, but rather to short-circuit the funk when it happens. This is why getting enough sleep is not on the list, because that’s not helpful when you’ve already deprived yourself of sleep.

Note also that I’m not talking about chronic depression. Though the suggestions below will help, coping with and recovering from chronic depression takes far more work and may require some radical changes to your lifestyle.

I have a checklist that I start going down when I recognize that I’m in a funk. It starts with the recognition that the easiest way to short-circuit a funk is to work on the physiological level first and then work on the emotional, social, and mental levels later – yes, this is the same Aristotelian schema that I discussed in the 3 Key Ideas from Aristotle That Will Help You Flourish. It takes its cues from cognitive therapy, which trains patients to become aware of negative thoughts and to immediately take action to subvert those thoughts.

The Physical Shorts

Oftentimes, funks come about simply because we haven’t been taking care of our bodies the way we should. This list focuses just on getting your body back in proper order. Remember: your body is more than a head transportation vehicle.

1. Drink Water

Proper hydration is key to proper human functioning, but for some reason, it’s so easy to forget to drink enough water. The first response when you’re in a state you don’t want to be in should be to drink water – 16–24 oz. immediately, and then at least 8 oz. every hour thereafter.

2. Eat a Balanced Meal

The lifestyle that many of us live is not very conducive to eating high-quality, balanced meals on a day-to-day basis. There seems to be a lot of feast and famine in this arena – days go by where we eat fast food and boxed meals until we have the time, energy, or money to have something better. In the meantime, our bodies are depleted of the nutrients we need, and the physical depletion affects all other functions.

Despite the fact that you may not want to, grab a well-balanced meal. Low blood sugar, protein depletion, vitamin deficiencies, and the whole other host of things that occur just from inadequate nutrition are very easy to correct, and all of those, in different degrees, affect the way we feel.

3. Do the Daily Business

Dehydration and poor nutrition lead to another bad thing: irregular excretion. Freud spent a lot of time talking about pooping, and though we may question some of his assumptions and implications, his insight that it makes us feel better is right on the money. I’ll not spend a long time talking about this and instead point you to May’s great post on pooping.

4. Get Some Sun

Sunlight has been found to have a strong effect on everything from mood to fertility. What we are concerned about here is sunlight’s effect on melatonin, the chemical that makes us sleepy, and serotonin, which strongly affects our moods. Sunlight has been shown to decrease melatonin and to increase serotonin – which has the collective effect of increasing our alertness and mood.

5. Exercise

Exercise has a whole list of benefits, but the one we’re most concerned about here is the fact that it has a very positive effect on our moods. Do this one after you’ve rehydrated and eaten, though.

6. Take a Bath Break

Okay, so I said this wasn’t about that kind of funk, but it turns out that a nice bath or shower makes a huge difference. While you’re at it, shave, scrub, clip, and do all the other things you feel you must do to present your best appearance. That “fresh new you” feeling may be just enough to subvert the funk you’re in.

7. Smile

As sappy as it sounds, scientific research supports the notion that we are happy because we smile… not that we smile because we are happy. Smiling causes biofeedback that affects emotions and behavior, and you might just be able to smile your way out of a funk.

The Emotional Shorts

The list below is about rebalancing your emotions and finding and reconnecting with yourself.

8. Listen to (or Play) Music

“Music soothes the savage beast,” but it also gives spirit to the melancholy one. Listening to Alice in Chain’s “Down in a Hole” while you’re down in a hole isn’t particularly helpful, as music has a very strong effect on mood. It’s hard to make blanket recommendations here, as musical tastes are so different, but look at the music you listen to and try to find something that either inspires you or has an upbeat mood. My go-to guy for this is Jack Johnson, as I can’t help but smile and enjoy life as I sing along with him.

It’s even better if you can play a musical instrument, as that has the same effect on your moods while also getting your mind off the funk. The effect of music is even stronger when you’re playing music rather than just listening to it, so be very careful that what you’re playing isn’t funk-inducing on its own.

9. Write Down What’s on Your Mind

If you’re still in the funk by now, then it’s a good time to sit down and try to really figure out what’s bothering you. You know it’s not something merely physical – it’s something with your feelings or thoughts. Sit down and journal what’s on your mind. Listing may not work, so consider mindmapping your emotions, too.

It’s important that you express yourself in writing, as that gives you something to refer to after you…

10. Find a Sanctuary and Sit in It

We each have our own places to find solace. For some, it’s a chapel, church, synagogue, or other place of worship. For others, it’s a deep forest stream or a mountaintop. Find your sanctuary, sit in it, and think about the things on your list from above. These places are great places to…

11. Review Your Goals, and Dream

Sanctuaries are great places for comfort, but they also tend to give us perspective. While you’re there, review your goals and allow yourself to dream. It’s important to NOT review your tasks or To Do list, as the point is to reconnect with those things you really want to do and be, not with the long list of things it’ll take to get there.
PRODUCTIVE FLOURISHING

The Social Shorts

Still in a funk? Wow, it’s a powerful one. This (shorter) lists focuses on reconnecting with the social aspect of your being.

12. Go Where People Are Having Fun

Fun and happiness are infectious. Simply being around people who are enjoying themselves has a strong tendency to make us happier. You don’t even have to explicitly be there with anyone for the happiness of others to infect you.

13. Find a Way to Help Someone Else

Helping others generally makes us feel better about ourselves. Whether it’s due to egoism or true altruism, the effect is the same: we feel better. Helping others adds value to the world, so at the end of the day, funk or not, you’ve added more value to the world than you would have if you had just sat on the couch moping.

14. Talk to an Old Friend You’ve Lost Touch With

Friends help us flourish and old friends have a way of reminding us who we are and who we want to be. Additionally, old friends know how best to help us out of our funks even without our asking for help or saying we’re in a funk. Lastly, we tend to talk about the important things with old, out-of-touch friends, so this is a great way to think about (through talking about) the important stuff.

The Mental Shorts

Sometimes just having a nut to crack is what you need to derail the train o’ funk. This list focuses on things to wrap your mind around.

15. Solve a Puzzle

Riddles, puzzles, and mysteries are great at short-circuiting funks because they keep you occupied long enough that the funk subsides. Whether that puzzle is Sodoku, crossword puzzles, physical puzzles, planning your next novel or article, or composing your next song, the process of throwing your mind fully into a process helps immensely.

16. Plan Out Your Goals and Dreams

So, you have your list of goals and dreams from above – it’s now time to figure out how to make them real. How much time will it take? How much will it cost? What commitments will you have to take or let go of? Start from now and go forward, rather than worrying about what you have or haven’t done.

Synergy

The really powerful ways of getting out of funks combine a few of these suggestions. The combined effect far outweighs the sum of its parts.

17. Go for a Walk Through an Outdoor Refuge

Combines Exercise, Sunlight, and Sanctuary.

18. Play Music with Friends

Combines Music, Friendship, and Puzzles. Bonus points can be had if you play spiritual music, if you’re so inclined.

19. Garden

Combines Sunlight, Exercise, and Sanctuary. It’s also been shown that dirt exposure boosts happiness.

20. Plan With an Old Friend

Combines Friendship, Planning, and Things You Value. It helps to look forward to the future things that you want to do rather than focusing on your current state.

21. Spend Time With Children

Time spent with children has a great way of fighting funks, for children are the epitome of life, energy, and potentiality. Forget what you had planned today and spend some quality time with them.

No one wants to be or has time to be in a funk. Life is simply too short and we have way more important things to be doing and life to be living. Next time you’re aware that you are in a funk, start working down the list. Spending a couple of hours on personal, emotional, and social maintenance is far better than spending a day or afternoon moping on the couch.

PRODUCTIVE FLOURISHING

Read these 21tips on how to get out of a mental funk and maintain your creativity and productivity. Oftentimes, funks come about simply because we haven’t been taking care of our bodies the way we should. #productiveflourishing #bestself #productivity #selfcare #entrepreneur #mindset
21 Ways to Bounce Back When You're In a Funk. Have you ever felt you’re almost inexplicably sad, slightly depressed, or down about something? I have a checklist that I start going down when I recognize that I’m in a funk. Spending a couple of hours on personal, emotional, and social maintenance is far better for your business than spending a day or afternoon moping on the couch. #smallbusinessstruggles #entrepreneuremotions #productiveflourishing
21 Ways to Quickly Bounce Back From a Funk. Click here for a checklist that I start going down when I recognize that I’m in a funk. Have you ever felt you’re almost inexplicably sad, slightly depressed, or down about something? Spending a couple of hours on personal, emotional, and social maintenance is far better for your business than spending a day or afternoon moping on the couch. #emotionalstruggles #resilientlife #productiveflourishing
21 Ways to Quickly Short-Circuit a Funk. Learn how spending a couple of hours on personal, emotional, and social maintenance is far better for your business than spending a day or afternoon moping on the couch. Have you ever felt you’re almost inexplicably sad, slightly depressed, or down about something? Here is a checklist that I start going down when I recognize that I’m in a funk. #stayingproductive #emotionalresilience #productiveflourishing

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeff@MySuper-Charged Life says

    April 21, 2008 at 1:43 pm

    Charlie – Hey, I love this post! Nice job. I have definitely used a lot of these myself and I can testify that they work. Jack Johnson is awesome. I listen to his music all the time. He is one of my personal favorites.

    Thanks for the link love! I gave this a thumb on SU.

    Jeff@MySuper-Charged Life’s last blog post..Join The Revolution Against Mediocrity and Injustice

    Reply
  2. Isabel Joely Black says

    April 21, 2008 at 2:11 pm

    This is a really great post. One to go back to whenever I get the mean reds.

    Isabel Joely Black’s last blog post..Amnar Book 1 – 4785 – Episode 08

    Reply
  3. Jonathan Mead says

    April 21, 2008 at 3:21 pm

    I really enjoyed this post Charlie. These are all great tips for getting over a slump.

    Reply
  4. Evelyn Lim says

    April 21, 2008 at 8:35 pm

    Great tips here. Sometimes, for unexplained reasons, we can feel down. These tips should come in handy to help us get over these short spells.

    Thanks,
    Evelyn

    Evelyn Lim’s last blog post..Travelling Tips For A Happier Life Journey

    Reply
  5. Erek Ostrowski says

    April 22, 2008 at 4:28 pm

    I really like this post! There’s always a way out of an inexplicable funk. This list pretty much covers all the exits!

    Erek Ostrowski’s last blog post..Can Coaching Help My Small Business During a Recession?

    Reply
  6. John says

    April 22, 2008 at 8:52 pm

    Great post, and I’ll be sure to put some of this into practice. Perfect timing, too, because today especially I’ve felt myself lapsing into a funk, and maybe I can use some of these ideas to combat it.

    John’s last blog post..Bad Day

    Reply
  7. May says

    April 24, 2008 at 11:23 am

    Love this post! Such a good reminder that it’s easy to not let yourself stay down.

    Thanks for the link love, too 🙂

    May’s last blog post..Detox Your Life (How To)

    Reply
  8. Kelly@SHE-POWER says

    April 24, 2008 at 9:02 pm

    Charlie

    Brilliant piece! Unfortunately I have a monthly appointment with a hormonal funk that is a complete drag, but for obvious reasons is unavoidable.

    I so agree that the trick is to break its back as quickly as possible and find your equilibrium. We’re always going to have life get us down for one reason or another. Trying to AVOID it is only one part of the job. One of the most important lessons we can learn in life is how to care for ourselves and bring our body, mind and spirit back from the doldrums.

    Since my most common funk is hormone related I find accepting where I’m at and dumping my convoluted emotions and thoughts onto the page is a vital first step in pulling myself together. I also use exercise (the boxing bag gets a HUGE workout!) and and a balanced diet to ground myself and stop my blood sugar sending me crazy. And to lift the spirits there’s nothing better than the smell of my son’s hair and his soft skin against my cheek, and a bit of blue grass (Blind Melon’s NICO is a favorite) to float me far away from my troubles.

    Thanks for the read.
    🙂 Kelly

    Kelly@SHE-POWER’s last blog post..Choose the Questions for Clay Collins, our first SHE-POWER Man

    Reply
  9. Charles Gilkey says

    April 25, 2008 at 5:32 am

    @ Jeff: Jack is awesome, I know! He comes on after about 0800, but before that it’s Coheed and Cambria to wake me up. Jack often makes me want to chill, which is not the right mood that early in the morning. Thanks for the stumble! Much appreciated.

    @ Joely: The mean reds, eh? There’s a good post topic right there for a female in the PD niche…I feel somewhat unqualified to write it. “How to Make it Through Red Week Without Abusing Yourself and Those You Love…”

    @ Jon: Thanks for the comment! Nice to see you here.

    @ Evelyn: Yeah, funks are a bit unexplainable at times. I hope this helps next time you’ve been a’ smitten. Thanks for the feedback.

    @ John: Sorry to hear about that and you not being able to go to Italy. That bites.

    @ Erik: I wish I could put a guarantee that this list will work at overcoming the funk or nothing else will. Unfortunately, human psychology’s not that easy. I wonder what other non-medicinal or chemical options are available?

    @ May: I read the post I linked to a filed it as something to remember to link to. It was about to get included in a link travelogue, but I’d rather wrap into a topical post. It, and you blog, contains useful information that deserved review. Keep it up, and thanks for the comment!

    @ Kelly: Shame on me…I didn’t know Blind Melon had Nico out. In the purchase queue, as they’re another standby for background music. The monthly hormonal funk has been mentioned twice…who’s going to jump on the post first? Maybe I’ll get my wife to write her first post on it. I could, but the inside out perspective is so much more believable than some dude theorizing about it.

    And what is it about the smell of children’s hair that is so soothing?

    Reply
  10. Kelly@SHE-POWER says

    April 25, 2008 at 8:48 am

    Children’s hair and skin smell amazing! Both are silky smooth and smell sweet and fresh all at the same time. Besides, everything about your own child taps into something primitive and biological within you. For me, being with my son is like slipping into a warm bath. Everything is okay and I am so relaxed I could almost drop off to sleep.

    You wait, if you ever have them, they’re amazing. More intoxicating than the best drug in the world!

    But a lot more work…

    🙂 Kelly

    Kelly@SHE-POWER’s last blog post..Choose the Questions for Clay Collins, our first SHE-POWER Man

    Reply
  11. Jennifer Hofmann says

    August 30, 2012 at 11:26 am

    I love this list!

    If I did at least one or two things from it — first thing each day, I might even *avoid* a funk in the first place.

    One awesome resource that combines all of these areas is SuperBetter.com. It’s a great tool to help avoid the funks and stay on track with physical, social, emotional and mental goals (plus it’s fun!).

    Thanks for a great post!

    Reply
  12. Angela Price says

    August 31, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Great ideas – I am printing this and putting it on my inspiration board. Thank you too for including gardening under synergy!

    Reply
  13. Frances-Agape says

    December 5, 2017 at 7:10 pm

    GREAT ideas !
    And thanks for tuning us in to Jack Jackson.

    Peace, Love, Blessings, Health and Happiness!

    Reply
  14. Alex says

    April 25, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    Sending you infinite gratitude, love and blessings. Reading these words made all the difference to me today. I found I’m already doing most of these things as I’m processing grief & loss of a loved one. Learned a couple new things to add to my day. Thx for being you & doing your thing.

    Reply
  15. Khayrie says

    March 14, 2019 at 8:19 am

    I really like this article! It’s true! I totally agree that funks comes because we are not taking good care of our bodies the way we should. I was so depressed, so lazy to get out of bed, feeling so useless and bored because I do the same routines everyday. Then, me and my husband started to go to the gym at least 5 times a week, we started to feel very positive. Although we are doing almost the same routine everyday, we are ok with it because we always look forward to the time we will go out to go to the gym. Having regular exercise and eating healthier foods really makes a big difference in our life. There are so many exercises we can do at home and an example of that is the balanced exercises.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Links for Super-Charged Living - April 26, 2008 | My Super-Charged Life says:
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