Get the Funk Out!

April showers brought more than May flowers in my world. With the increase in rainy, grey days, I found myself suffering from an acute case of the blues. Thanks to my yoga practice, I knew that my body and mind were out of synch. I could feel myself drifting into a physical and mental low. I wrote a quick note to the people who are closest to me to excuse my lack of communication and explain that I was officially in a funk. It was amazing how quick my support group near and far, came to the rescue with tidbits of advice, words of wisdom and recommendations to follow to get back to my spunky self. Since I received an abundance of excellent techniques to use to get the funk out, I decided to share the wealth with my readers. I am confident that with a little personal tweaking, there is something below that best suits you. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a prescription, something to put on your agenda or a cure all. I certainly don’t have a magic wand. It is necessary that instead of telling yourself “now I am going to relax” or "now I need to be calm", you need to LIVE IT. Your mood is internally generated and it is your mindfulness that helps you keep in balance. Use a Gratitude Journal/Chart This has been a topic of one of my blog entries in the past. You can never show too much appreciation for the things that make you feel fortunate. If you can focus on non-materialistic items (like great relationships or experiences), it becomes that much more powerful.

Take Pictures of items around you that make you smile. You can either post them on your facebook page for friends to "like" or if you feel energetic and have the time you can also make a collage from these feel good pictures. What a cool thing for your great grandchildren to find in the coming years.

Focus on accomplishments with fervour. Your personal success stories will give you an extra boost to get you motivated again. Don’t worry about it if nothing comes to mind. To quote former Prime Minster of Britain, Winston Churchill , “Success is stepping from one failure to another without losing your enthusiasm.”

Set attainable goals Be realistic and be kind to yourself. Remember the motto “baby steps.”

Exercise and Meditate When we exercise we increase serotonin which is our natural mood enhancer and when we release endorphins it works quickly to make you more joyful, not mention, it is much cheaper than drugs! Meditation will allow you to be mindful of all that is beautiful.

Do something for yourself There is something to be said for treating yourself to a delicious spa. Give yourself permission to chillax. Having a small retreat or getaway, even for a few hours, to allow yourself to just be with yourself, a change of scenery, and time to appreciate what you left behind, no agenda.

Surround yourself with positive energy People with negative energy will bring you down. Be very conscious about the people you surround yourself with. Luckily, this is IN YOUR CONTROL so when you feel someone near you is seeing the glass half full, remove yourself from their grey cloud. No Eeyore’s allowed in your world!

Pay it forward When you give generously you feel wonderful. Putting a smile on another person’s face will make you feel super. It does not need to be something materialistic, rather giving a smile, or offering a hand with the groceries, holding open the door or offering a friend some healthy baked items. Sunshine When the sun peeks out, take advantage of the benefits of being in the sun, but as always, in moderation. Do a few sun salutations in your back yard and I promise that it will provide an instant feeling of being connected to your mind and body.

Sleep with purpose. Top psychologists have uncovered something amazing: When you’re struggling with a life dilemma, one of the best tactics is to get some sleep. Your brain is actually wired to conjure up the smartest solution while you snooze. Scientists have found that the dreaming mind is able to go down creative paths more easily, which leads to better, more innovative resolutions (The Committee to Sleep, Dr. Deirdre Barrett, 2012). “When you sleep, the prefrontal cortex of the brain shuts down”, explains Dr. Barrett, “That’s the area that controls logic and takes into account social constraints.” Keep a pad of paper near your bedside table so that you can jot down specific key details: words you used, points you made, body language. Happy zzzz’s!

Fake it Studies have found that pretending to be in a better mood can actually put you in one. When you smile, even if it is not genuine, this sends happiness signals to your brain and makes you feel much better.

I can imagine that there are many more mood altering techniques, so if there is another method that you personally use to get the funk out feel free to leave me a comment. After all, knowledge is power. Speak kindly, Care deeply, Love generously In Fitness, Andie