Feeling Kind of Funky?

Do you ever feel like life just isn’t going your way? Do you feel like sometimes the whole world is just out to get you? Well, there are some things that I’ve learned in my life that have helped me to stay out of Funkville and have kept my attitude in check and me feeling cheery!

1. Start your day with a nice warm bath (or a shower if you prefer)
My daughter is constantly famous for telling me in the morning (especially on the weekends), “I don’t feel good!” or “I have a headache!” Now mind you, she does live with a shunt, because she does have hydrocephalus, and it does cause her to have headaches, but all I need to say is, “Go get in the shower and you’ll feel better.” She does and you know what? She always feels better! I know for myself, as soon as I have had my bath and have cleaned myself up for the day, I have a whole new outlook on the world and life! Watch out baby, here I come!

2, Dress to impress

Make sure you are doing this because you care what you think about yourself, not because you care what others are thinking about you. . I know that when I’ve done my makeup and hair and put on a slammin’ outfit, I feel really good about myself. If I don’t do that, and just put on some sweats, I feel frumpy and my self-esteem isn’t what it should be. So care enough about yourself to look GREAT!

3, Be around people you LOVE!

It’s hard to have a negative attitude around people you love! I love to be with my family and friends – especially my grandkids! They bring so much joy to my life! LOVE is a great emotion that brings about positive feelings in your heart, mind and soul. This will only help you to have a great attitude.

4, Laugh!

I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll mention it again, “Laughter is the best medicine”. Be around people that make you laugh. Find a Laughter Yoga group to be a part of. Find comedy movies to watch – old Laurel and Hardy movies – they’re GREAT! Just find something to make you laugh!

5,  Write

Writing is another one that I have mentioned before. I write in a journal every day. Sometimes there are days when I feel like something is wrong but I can’t put my finger on what it is that is wrong and I start writing and before I finish I have figured it out. Writing is like a problem solver for me. This is a great way to change a bad mood into a good mood quickly just using a pen and paper. It’s important to note that you really should use paper and pen/pencil instead of a computer, because there is something that happens in the creative/right sides of our brains (where problem solving occurs) when we use those writing instruments vs. computers that helps us solve our problems. Make this a habit and it will become a best friend to you.

6, Early to bed, early to rise

Part of this used to be hard for me because I used to love to stay up and play on the computer or watch some of the late shows, but now I force myself to go to bed by 10:00 pm. Because I’m bi-polar, getting 6 ½ to 7 hours of sleep is BIG for me so I’m usually up by 4:30 or 5:00. I LOVE that time early in the morning before anyone is up when I can meditate on the day I have before me and take in the stillness and calm of the morning. It just sets such a great tone for the day. Getting enough sleep every night gives your brain enough time to rejuvenate for another day of GREATness! So get plenty of sleep!

7, Be Grateful

Make it a habit every day to write in a gratitude journal. When I write in my journal I leave one page at the end where I write all the things that I’m grateful for. Some days the things are similar to previous days, other days they are completely different. If a whole page is something that you don’t want to tackle in the beginning, make a list of 5 things. Then that list will begin to grow. Just start somewhere.

8,  Listen to Happy Music

When you listen to uplifting and happy music you can’t help but feel happy and joyful. Along with that comes a great attitude and sense of peace and contentment. Sometimes I listen to calming music, and that can be good – but if you’re in a funk, most often you’re going to need to listen to upbeat, happy music to get you out of the funk! Dance to the music and get your endorphins going!

9, Take Some Time to Tidy Up

Sometimes all you need is to take some time to pick up things around your living/work space. When our living/work spaces are cluttered and messy our brains become cluttered and messy and this leads to depressive thinking and can put us in a FUNK. So take 15 minutes and cleanup. You’ll be glad you did!

I hope these 9 tips (there I go again with that favorite number of mine) have been helpful and that they help you when you’re feeling right down funkitated.

Here’s to a JOYfilled, happy attitude life!

Hugs,

Cathleen