10 Ways to Get Out of a Funk

I don’t know if this happens to everybody, but I’m sure it happens to many of us. Without any clear reason, out of nowhere, you simply do not feel motivated to get stuff done. This actually happened to me during this past month. There were many things that I knew I wanted to work on to move my business forward, but I found myself putting them in the back burner, day after day. It’s true I had other things to take care of, but I was also aware that I was not *in the mood* to work *on* my business.

That sure was a very uncomfortable place to be! However, I knew I could handle the situation because that was certainly not the first time something like that had happened to me. There are many things you can do to get out of a funk. Here are the ten tips that I personally found helpful for myself.

1. Turn to a motivational expert: If you are like me, you probably have a collection of books and audios that have inspired you in the past. Revisit them. Or go to a library and pick up an inspirational book that you have been curious about. This is exactly what I did this time. The book was Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff, and it instantly lifted my spirits. Highly recommended.

2. Talk to other soloprenurs: It sometimes helps a lot to speak and open up with people who understand your business. I network with other solopreneurs and found that I could get motivated just by talking with them. Just yesterday, I had a chance to have a coffee with a friend who is also a solopreneur, and man, I was motivated after listening to his plan for 2010.

3. Change the posture to change the mood: More and more experts are now pointing out the strong connection between body and mind. If you spend most of the day in front of a computer feeling you are stuck in a funk, get up on your feet. Lie down in a couch to brainstorm instead. Or get out and take a walk. Instead of typing up a business plan, grab a pen and paper. Making physical changes could really help you unstuck. Just give it a try.

4. Get a good night sleep: Not so long time ago, while I was trying hard to be a good mom/wife as well as a successful solopreneur, I used to stay up until 2:00am on many nights. Sure, I was able to get a lot of stuff done, but after doing that for a while, I found myself tired and not very productive during the day. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that human beings are meant to have plenty of sleep! Lack of sleep is simply not healthy, physically and mentally.

5. Look at your eating habits: You hear many moms blaming sugar for their kids’ hyperactivity, but we rarely think about how foods could affect our mood (well, except for alcoholic drinks, I guess). Aren’t you taking too much sugar in your diet? Or, maybe too much caffeine just to get that perk, only to get exhausted afterward? Think about eating healthy alternatives that would give you some real energy.

6. Exercise: This is in line with “change the posture” above. Taking short breaks during the day to stretch yourself, or even better, taking a long break to get out and do some fun physical activities can really help you get out of the unmotivated state. You do not need to go to a gym. Just take a brisk walk or jog. Or even a Wii Fit (My favorite, LOL).

7. Meditate: I recently learned about the “happiest person in the world” Matthieu Ricard from one of my clients and have been fascinated about him. People have pointed out one of his big secrets to be calm, focused, and happy is his daily meditation. Your “funk” may be a sign that you should pay more attention to your mind, and meditation is a great way just to do that.

8. Watch a movie, read a book, sing a song… Entertain yourself: Have you watched a movie that made you smile for the rest of the day? Movies, books, and music all can have a great positive impact on our feelings. I’ve been reading Diary of a Whimply Kid with my boys every night, and boy, that book cracks us all up and helps us go to bed in a great mood. Just try it! (No, you don’t have to read the Diary, LOL. Choose whatever that would make you smile.)

9. Count your blessings: Acknowledging the things you are grateful for is a great way to empower yourself. Just this past November, I’ve participated in a fun project called “30 Days of Thanks” and blogged about what I was thankful for every day, which turned out to be a great experience for me. You do not need to blog, just keep a gratitude journal or put up a big sheet of paper on a wall somewhere and keep writing down what you are grateful for every day.

10. Surrender and go with the flow: I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. If none of your efforts to get out of the funk works, maybe you are meant to be in a funk for a few days or longer to grow bigger. It’s like that dreadful “Terrible Two’s” (that my youngest is going through right now, I might add) — It’s annoying, inconvenient, and frustrating to parents, but all kids eventually grow out of that stage, and when they do, they are more mature. And you know what they say… You often feel very uncomfortable when you are ready to go up to the next stage of life. Maybe it’s the same with business.