More than Meg

The Ultimate Guide to Get Out Of a Funk

Hello friend!

I am so glad you’re joining me today. Can we just break the ice right out of the gate? These days, things are WIERD. I’m not sure what day we are on of “social distancing” / “quarantine” / “self-isolation”… but what I do know is, nothing feels normal.

Most days I wake up and forget the reality of how this pandemic has disrupted our daily rhythms. Everything, from the most simple act of going to my favorite local coffee shop in the morning, to getting dinner with friends, and even going to church on Sunday morning… it’s all different.

Honestly, I forget what day of the week it is more times than I would like to admit, and more often than not I feel in some sort of a “funk” at least once a day. But you know what? I would bet money that I’m not the only one… especially if you’ve made it here with me today, and I don’t mean that in a bad way at all.

I find comfort in the fact that I am not alone, and you should too…but that isn’t enough for me right now. I truly believe that this is a time not only to care for one another from a distance, but be proactive in supporting each other. The best way I know to do that is by sharing practical tools you can add to your “tool belt” right away, to use as little or as much as necessary, no expiration date included.

Sound alright with you? Let’s jump in!

5 Immediate Mood Boosters

+ bonus challenge

  1. Re-read a message that made you smile. Or maybe it’s a voicemail you have saved on your phone. Either way, remind yourself that you can carry happiness with you even when it feels like nothing in your immediate reality seems like it.
  2. Do something for someone else. Kindness is not only contagious, it’s heart warming. Maybe you send your neighbor some cookies anonymously, or do something extra at work to make someone else’s day easier. Even the smallest acts can have the big impact.
  3. Set a timer for 10 minutes and do one small task on your to-do list. One small burst of productivity can change your mindset.
  4. Make a list of all the things you are responsible for…then applaud yourself for taking care of YOU. Treat this as a reminder for how valuable you are.
  5. Put on your favorite dress and lipstick, just because! Remember the days when you used to play dress up? That girl is still inside you! Adults can play too. Give yourself permission to have some fun and feel fabulous…. yes, I said fabulous.

Bonus Challenge: Get dressed every day. Yes, even when you won’t leave the house. Start with 7 days… then see how different you feel!

Why? I’m glad you asked! The simple act of getting dressed every day may result in the following symptoms including (but not limited to);

A change in mindset. There’s just something about changing from the clothes you slept in that wakes up your mind. You’re suddenly ready for whatever the day throws at you.

Feeling good. When you put on “real” clothes, even if it’s just leggings and a t-shirt, guaranteed you will feel more put together and just overall more positive all day long.

Improved self-care. The fact is, when you get dressed you’re taking care of yourself, and that’s important.

P.S. – If you want to treat yourself a little, here is something that will do just the trick: Ivy & Leo is offering you 15% off your entire order when you use the code “meg15“.

Re-Framing Self Talk

I’m going to throw this out there, a lot of us are either alone, or “in our heads” lately. With less distractions, there is more room for thoughts to enter our conscious mind. This can be helpful, but if you’re anything like me, I KNOW I can be my own worst enemy. Our brains mean well, we talk to ourselves in a way that protects us from getting hurt. Sometimes this comes in the form of guilt, obligations, justifications, “what-if” scenarios, the list goes on. It’s time to pay attention to the way you talk to yourself, take the control back, and re-frame self-deprecating thoughts into positive statements.

Instead of…

“I have to…” I CHOOSE to.

“I should go to the gym/ eat healthy/ stop being lazy…” I WANT to feel better.

“I can’t do this…” I’m going to take this one step at a time.

“I must get everything done to feel accomplished.” I have accomplished what I can today, it’s okay to leave a few things for tomorrow.

“People won’t like me if I...” I can’t control what other people think, and I choose not to spend my time and energy worrying about them.

“I’m going to mess up.” I won’t assume the worst before trying. Plus, what if I succeed?

“If I make a mistake I will no longer be worthy or valuable.” Making a mistake makes me human, my worth is not measured by my mistakes.

“People will criticize my opinion… so I just won’t say anything.” I am allowed to have my own opinions and I won’t jump to a conclusion.

Emotional Audit

+ extra credit exercise

Feelings are coming up left and right these days…just me? I bet I’m not the only one. Okay, so what are all these emotions really trying to tell you? Let’s take a brief overview…

Insecurity – I’m human.

Emptiness – I need to fill my tank with something that fuels me.

Stuck – I’m forcing clarity.

Confused – I’m scared to choose (or afraid of what I don’t know).

Lost – I’m on the verge of a breakthrough.

I know this is a short list, but I think it helps to put our emotions in a place we can see them. By doing this, we can learn to recognize what we are feeling as it comes, practice rooting down into what we know, and using it to process how we feel.

Extra Credit: Take an inventory of all the emotions you are feeling. Write them down. Then, pretend you are talking to someone you care about. With grace, respond to that emotion with an “I am” statement.

These are just a few of the things I am doing to get myself out of the “funk” I have been feeling lately. Which, trust me, is easier said than done. I know I’m not the first person to experience these feelings, and I am certainly not the last. However, I think one of the most important things to remember through all of life’s up’s and down’s is, YOU ARE HUMAN. All of us are bound to make mistakes, have bad days, and to need someone to lean on. I am going through this with you, WE are going through this together. Let’s look out for one another. Let’s equip each other with tools to live better. Most of all, let’s be gentle with ourselves and practice patience and giving ourselves grace.

Verse of the Day:

He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:9

5 Reminders For When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough

Let’s get this out of the way, the phrase “I’m not good enough” is a lie.

Let me tell you from the bottom of my heart if this is how you feel, my heart aches for you because I have been there… and sometimes I still feel that way. I understand how easy it is to subconsciously start to believe this lie and I understand how easy it is to accept as your truth. That doesn’t make it any less of a false statement.

Our motivations, achievements, insecurities, and fears often attach themselves to this notion of being ‘enough’. In a world where we are in need of constant approval to determine our self-worth, it’s almost a part of the normalized equation. We grasp on to external, socially defined goals (whatever that may be for you) and tell ourselves that when we reach “X”, “I’ll be enough”. We pursue a goal with no other reason but to achieve something. That’s the transaction we are taught to believe. But, as I think you know, that feeling of fulfillment (the enough-ness) never comes. The goal is set, you reach said goal, move on to the next one. The bar moves. Constantly.

Maybe you got the job you’ve always wanted, you passed the exam, you went on your dream vacation, you made it to the explore page on Instagram, you finally got that guy’s attention, you found stability in a great group of friends…but it’s still not enough. The fact is, you’ve worked hard to get where you are, everything is going right, you should feel like it’s enough. Yet, here we are telling ourselves, “The only reason why it doesn’t feel right is because I’m not enough. That has to be it, right?”

Feel familiar?

So, if we are all experiencing this, why is it a problem? Besides the obvious fact that it feels pretty terrible to believe this about ourselves, believing “I’m not enough” is a problem because we end up unconsciously operating from this place. The good news? There is a way out, and it starts with these simple reminders followed by small actions that eventually add up to improved self-worth and the awareness that, yes…YOU ARE ENOUGH.

Giving your all doesn’t mean you have to do it all.

You’re allowed to pace yourself. The guilt and stress you place on yourself are going to do more damage than saying “no” or “not right now” ever will. If you are constantly measuring yourself up to a standard you or someone else has set, you will constantly be chasing happiness without ever fully being satisfied.

Try setting reasonable boundaries for your work, social, or health related obligations and appreciate the things you have accomplished, however small they may be.

Every day may not be good but there is good in every day.

Even though your life is overwhelming right now, it is still just as beautiful and accomplished as your most perfect days. You don’t have to be “on” all the time. In fact, you shouldn’t be! Sometimes we need to experience the “lows” to appreciate the “highs”. Some of the best moments are made apparent to us when we experience painful or hard seasons.

Try writing down little moments you experience on a note in your phone or in the margins in your planner when they happen. Check in with it at the end of the day, or even the end of the week, and remind yourself that even on the most mundane or stressful days, there is still good.

Everyone won’t see the value in what you create, that doesn’t mean it’s not meaningful.

Your successes are yours to define. Not everyone is going to think the same way you do, it’s just a fact of life. You will find that some of the accomplishments you feel proud of don’t get the same reaction from others, and that can be a real downer (if you let it be). If you are proud of something you have done, created, thought, said, realized, whatever it is… BE PROUD. Shout it from the mountain tops! It’s not what others think that give those things meanings, you do.

Try to honor yourself by showing your boldness to others. Don’t ask for feedback, or even expect it, just put it out there. Whether it is something artistic, a thought, an idea, or new found talent, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and be proud of who you are and what you have done. Some people can get intimidated by the fearlessness and vulnerability of others, don’t let that stop you.

Your best is enough.

Your value is not attached to what you accomplish. You are doing the best you can with what you have been given and that is something to be extremely proud of. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, if today you have given your all and you’ve taken a step forward, that is enough. You are enough.

Try writing yourself a love letter. Yes, you read that right. List out the things you admire about who you are aside from any merit-based accolade you’ve been given. Need help? Ask a friend you can confide in, maybe you can both do this with each other and help someone else notice how much they truly are valued too.

You belong here just as much as anyone else.

Read that again.

…and again.

…okay just one more time.

Rinse and repeat.

If no one has told you recently, let me just chime in to your life for a second and truly tell you, you are so incredibly important. You belong in this world and you were created to do wonderful things that only you are capable of. Your place in this world is right where you are. Yeah, right there, where you are right this very second. There is a reason you are here. Even if you don’t see it right now, you’re still allowed to take up space

Try taking up space. Be unapologetically yourself. Clichés aside, if you ever feel like the people, environments, or objects around you are making you feel small or “less-than”, it’s time to cut that out of your life and move into a space where you can root down and grow. Think, hermit crabs…. yeah, I went there. As a hermit crab grows, it’s forced to find a new shell. During that transition the crab is particularly vulnerable, but it is necessary for it to continue on with life. We aren’t much different. As we grow, we are also forced to change. Each season of transition comes with its own challenges and might leave us feeling especially vulnerable (which is when we tend to sink into the background), but I challenge you to keep taking up space. YOU BELONG.