Seven Ways to get out of a Funk
If you landed on this page and you have severe depression, please know: This article is not here to replace medical advice or treatment. The author writes based on her own experience and is not a medical professional. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the suicide prevention line. US number: 9-8-8 https://988lifeline.org/
*”Depression is both biological and psychological in nature and is the number one cause of suicidal behavior. It is highly treatable. Wishing to be dead is a frequent symptom of untreated depression. The bad news is that depression is common; the good news is that it responds well to intervention and treatment.” From https://www.qprinstitute.com/*
You may have a reason to be incredibly sad, melancholic, or mildly depressed. Or you may not be aware of why you feel this way. Either way, if you try some of the seven ways to lift yourself, there is a good chance that you will
a. feel better in the moment, feel better today;
b. you will feel more hopeful about your life.
I have put together this list for myself at the end of 2017. That year I went twice through grief, deep sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety. Earlier, I experienced terrifying emotional flatlining. I also experienced renewed hope, and my days were eventually filled with purpose, meaning, and deep appreciation for life. If it’s all there for me, it’s all there for you.
On one hand I have no business talking about depression.
On the other hand, I can and I should talk about the possibility of changing our emotional states, that is my work. I also know that often, we make ourselves depressed, angry, and anxious without realizing what we are doing. And I know that… The purpose of life is to live and expand, not to shrink and die – internally, at least.
I already had this list created when something happened, and I spiraled down to apathy, depression, and victimhood. Stewing in that state, I realized I had this list… and it was up to me to use it as my own medicine. So I tested these methods. It worked after trying just 3 or 4.
When we are depressed, we have no energy for anything. At the same time, it’s only up to us to find just one unit of energy and do something, anything. That unit of energy can be used to find just one thought that FEELS a little bit better. When you feel a bit better, you will have more energy to do one more thing in a positive direction.
Seven ways to get out of a funk:
1) Spirituality
{You can, but you don’t have to be religious. We are talking no dogma spirituality / your own path to the Source, to the Divine / life in agreement with your purpose and core values}
Opening up to spirituality means to acknowledge:
you are more than your physical body, a part of you is timeless, greater than this body, this identity, and this life.
At any point, you can decide to reconnect with the Source (Universe, Holy Spirit, God):
- Start practicing prayers: tune into yourself, ask, and listen. Close your eyes and let your personal prayers flow, ask, and listen.
- Read a spiritual book that revives your hope and faith.
- Go within: our subconscious is connected to the collective, universal subconscious. This can open you up to greater awareness. I’d use hypnotherapy for this, like past life regression, life between lives, and similar.
- Plant medicine with a trusted guide.
- When you spend time in silence, open up to the positive energy of the Light, the presence of the Divine.
- Ask and make space for what you are asking for.
- Reviving our Spirituality also could mean reconnecting to our purpose and meaning. While easier said than done, it is the spiritual methods that will help us do that. We have many purposes. Some of them can be fulfilled today, at this moment, and some across a longer period. What if one of our purposes is to raise ourselves above this situation? What if it is happening to deepen our faith?
I’d not put grief in the category of depression, but it helps to have a spiritual perspective especially when we are grieving. Grief has many faces and I’d recommend to read The wild edge of sorrow
2) Expression of your personality and creativity
{sharing your perspective, expression through your art, voice, dance, and movement}
If you are a creative soul and stopped creating – this part of you is dying of boredom and lack of purpose.
Expression is a remedy to depression – Clarissa Pinkola Estes
We often make it difficult for ourselves to create: but sometimes it can take a moment to dance, to make a drawing, or journal. It may take few minutes, not days and not hours, and those few minutes will start fueling your confidence, energy bank and your will to live.
3) Exercise
{physical movement impacts the mind, body and brain chemistry, emotions – since emotions are chemicals running through our body}
Years ago, I heard an interview on Cathy Heller’s podcast that I will never forget. A woman was talking about her severe depression when she was 18-20 years old. It was so severe that her hospital let her go, because even electric shocks didn’t help. Her father put conditions on living with him: she started going to a gym, she got a dog, and started walking the dog (exercise + being in nature + emotional connection to the dog.) That was it. Slowly, the depression started lifting… she was telling the story a few years later as a happy, vibrant person.
4) Nature
{spending time in nature in a mindful way / return to the present moment} When you walk or sit in nature, in silence, preferably alone, and connect to the present moment… when you truly witness what’s around you… It’s only a matter of time before something shifts within you.
Nature heals in many ways.
Let the rocks absorb your painful feelings. Let the streams and waterfalls soften your heart. Let the blue vastness of the sky reflect to you your heart’s capacity to feel joy.
5) Meditation
{alternatively a practice of contemplation, stillness, silence} This is a part of a spiritual practice but meditation creates actual changes in the brain, transforming us spiritually and physically. Some people with severe depression may not do well with meditation. It magnifies what’s in your mind, but it also helps us connect with our authentic selves, so know when you are ready.
Candace Pert, PhD, an icon in the neuropeptide studies, recommended her depressed patients first to meditate and exercise for a month. If it didn’t help then she would prescribe antidepressants.
6) Nutrition
{paying attention to the energy of food, purity and nutrient density, herbal remedies}
Food affects our bodies and minds, our mental health. Yet, many people throw garbage into their bodies, and don’t make the connection to their mental and physical health.
A healthy brain needs healthy fat and very, very limited sugar. If you eat a lot of processed packaged food or fast food you can be sure you consume unhealthy fats. This can affect your emotions, inflammation, focus, mood, even create self-critical thoughts!
Sugar is a neurotoxin. It wreaks havoc on the nervous system.
“Sugar in all forms except honey affects the levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) a hormone that triggers the growth of new neurons and stem cells in the brain, repairing crucial brain structures. Inadequate BDNF production is also associated with depression.” – National Institute of Health. gov
Learn what diet supports a healthy brain, mind, and emotional well-being. (google and check various sources) If you were to buy just one book I’d recommend Deep Nutrition because it talks about every system in the body.
At a minimum: if you eat fast food, stop it asap, start eating fresh food made at home from scratch. It’s easier than you think and can be super affordable, and can be done in 5-15 minutes. Most importantly, it will mean you eat nutrient-dense foods. If you are depressed of course you have no energy for it. Yes, it is easier to order. But there is no way around it. Do you need ideas? Just ask.
7) Creating Connections. A Sense of Belonging
Just like negative relationships (and energy vampires) can drain and depress you, in the same way, friendships, or loving relationships can give you a reason to live. That includes animals (they can be our antidepressants – while we also have a duty to take care of them: take care of your pet or you will have more reasons to be depressed)
Who do you know you may need to take a break from? Who do you know you would love to reconnect with? Is there anyone around your intuition guides you to? Often we do not want to become a burden on others, yet humans have an innate need to help. We are walking each other Home. There must be someone in your circle who would love to help, let yourself be guided to that person. And don’t forget about all the Soul’s Doctors. It’s their purpose to help you: therapists, people on the help lines, psychiatrists, and counselors.
However, a friend who knows how to listen can save your life.
Each of these paths will offer benefits to your body, mind, emotions and soul. Where will you start? If nothing resonated in this article, keep going, keep searching for help from different sources. You can, and you will find a way back to the fullness of life.
Originally I thought of these as 7 cures to get out of funk. Then I noticed: when you climb out of depression to the surface of life, you can use them again to create more energy, passion, and zest for life: you can use them to create fulfillment.
In medical hypnotherapy, there is a 12-week protocol to treat depression. If you try this option, don’t forget about all the other methods mentioned above. Usually it’s a combination of different approaches that helps.
An article on Understanding nutrition, depression, and mental illnesses:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337/