I’ve been in a teeny bit of a work funk recently. Working for yourself is amazing, but there are some definite drawbacks. (As there would be any job…) Every week is different, kind of like college or high school. Some weeks there are fewer assignments/due dates/exams, and then other weeks are killer with every midterm, all the essays, etc. Figuring out how to balance the working (literally) in my bedroom alone with the flux in stress has been challenging. I was doing pretty great in the first quarter and now I’m struggling a bit.
Or was.
Funks are weird because they tend to suck you in. To get out of a funk, you can’t be in a funky mood, which is next to impossible, right? Sheesh. When I’m not feeling it, my gut reaction is to crawl into bed and not move. Or talk to anyone. Or do anything. Hiding from the world sometimes feels like a grand idea. But it’s definitely the worst thing to do.
I find that the best (and perhaps the only) way to pull myself out of a funk is to get inspired by other people. Getting out of bed, even if I’m dragging my feet along the way, and getting out there to meet, chat, and share.
The key though is that it’s not about the number of people, but the quality of the individuals. Meeting tons of people would just be exhausting; meeting with the right person, however, is invigorating.
When I realized that I was kind of in that funk, I started reaching out to the people who have inspired me in the past. I thought back to coffee meetings that made me want to run all the way home with excitement or the brunches where the conversations really made me think differently or deeper.
Over the past few weeks, as I’ve sat down with these individuals, my spark has certainly been reignited. Last night in particular was an unexpected jolt of inspiration. Garrett and I drove out to Greenwich for an event Sail to Sable was hosting. I knew other brands would be there and it turned out to be the BEST way to spend a midweek night. G and I both talked to so many owners and partners of startups and small businesses. Talk about inspiring. Seeing (and hearing) people get excited about their own work is enough to kick start my own drive. The connections we made, some brand new and some new IRL and some reconnections, were incredibly genuine and encouraging! We were all sharing stories and advice and connections with each other.
Garrett and I got in the car to come back to the city ready to tackle the world.
For me it’s not even about going into a conversation with an agenda. Just talking to amazing people can lead to amazing conversations. No asks. No agendas. Just talking. The funny thing is that a lot of times the other person needs the same kind of motivation that you do! Win-win.
How do you get yourself out of funks? Who do you turn to for inspiration?
xoxo
Oddly enough this week has been a funk week for me. It's the second week of summer classes at UF, and this is the first summer of my undergrad career when I haven't been out of state with a paid internship (granted, it was by choice, but it helped catalyze the "funk"). That combined with the graduation season posts and a visit to a friend who is graduating from her undergrad just seemed to get me down in the dumps. Knowing that had I chosen just about any other major than Chemical Engineering that I would be graduating and going off into the world to do cool things rather than staying in Gainesville, FL over the summer and learning about how wastewater treatment facilities work (yes, it is just as glamorous as it sounds… which happens to be not at all…) was a great way to get me feeling down. So I did something like what you did. (1) I baked a bunch of chocolate chip cookies last night because I had been craving them hardcore since you posted your family recipe, which I used and they turned out great so thank you! and (2) I met with a friend this morning and vented… and yes, even cried, about how hard it is to do a 5 year undergrad program. It was by choice because I was trying to do literally everything possible during my undergrad career in terms of extracurricular involvement, but to make time for that it meant lighter course-loads and still a lot of work and not a lot of down time. And my friend talked me through it and helped me see the big picture long term goals. One extra year in college? No big deal. Plenty of people wish they had an extra year. Mentally taking a step back and a deep breath seems to do a world of good when I'm getting bogged down.
Thanks for the serendipitously timed post, Carly. You most certainly are not alone in the "funk," but I'm glad to hear you're out of it and back in the sunshine 🙂
I couldn't agree more. Whenever I feel like I'm in a funk, I do something outside my comfort zone and it always puts things in a different perspective and gets me inspired!
laurenroseprep.blogspot.com
Changing up the boring routine always helps my funk! Grabbing dinner with friends or calling my family helps put be in a good mood. For me it is usually about letting my mind do something different and forget about the current dilemmas or struggles that put me in the funk in the first place.
Annie
A College Confession
a change in the routine is always good to drag you out of a funk. A few days ago I was in a funk, I went for a long hike then met up with some friends for dinner and voila! ready to tackle life/work again 🙂
xo
The Fashionista Bubble
Last week I was in the biggest funk ever. Exactly what you wrote is how I've been feeling and how I deal. Thank you for sharing this! It helps to know you're not alone.
XO
So I was in a pretty deep funk last fall after my grandmother died – I was like not motivated to do ANYTHING, least of all run. I got out of it a few ways. I got a few books on running, read them, and also starting seeing a therapist. It made all the difference. Hope your funk clears!
Love the advice you give out on your blog! I feel like we relate in so many ways, and it's nice knowing that sometimes someone feels the same way as me.
Anyone interested in supporting a new blog, please check out mine! http://ellenborza.wix.com/pop-of-pink
From the point of view of working from home, I find a change of scenery to be incredibly helpful for getting out of a funk. I don't even necessarily mean a trip, but something as simple as doing work out of the library for a change, a new coffee shop, or a coworking space if it's available to you. Working or studying from home can be really tough, and so many people don't realize it!
Rachel
Quebec Style
Thanks for sharing. People tend to just blog about how great everything is. It is good to be positive but it is also good to know that other people can feel down too and that there are ways to help you feel better. I always find that talking about it with friends or my husband helps.
Whenever I'm in a funk, I reason with myself that it's just the introverted side of me taking over, and then I just stay home, lie in bed all day, and watch TV shows. Sooo yeah, definitely not the best thing to do 😛 Thanks for this piece of advice! I just finished my last IB final and graduation is in two weeks, so I'm going out and about and feeling really great right now! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's
Funks suck. I fall in to them all the time, I think because I'm a bit of a loner. I really have to force myself to leave my bedroom but once I do I have fun. I think that surrounding yourself with people who push you to explore your boundaries (to a healthy level) is a good way to get out of any funk. It's hard to do when you're alone.
Natalie
pugsandpink.weebly.com
Hi Carly, hi girls!
I had a major funk this week (you can read about it soon on my blog). The way I get out of funks is to shop until my feet ache. That's my way. Or watch a movie, read my favorite blogs (a.k.a you), go through twitter or stumbleupon. I distract myself until I feel like my mind has settled enough on the subject, and then I can address it properly. While in the situation, I only get worse by thinking about it. Cry it out if you need to, rest, get an ice cream and everything will be better!
xx
Andy from Savor each bite