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 the reason why you feel this way. Either way, if you try some of the seven ways to lift yourself up, 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, so 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, anxious without realizing what we do. And I know that… The purpose of life is to live, expand, not to shrink and die – internally at least.
I already had this list created when “somebody said something” and I spiraled down do apathy, depression, and victimhood. Stewing in that state I realized I have 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. Will it work for you?
If you are sad, unhappy it’s when you have the least amount of energy to do Anything. At the same time it’s only up to you to find one unit of energy and do Something. Often that unit of energy can be used to find just ONE thought that FEELS a little bit better. And that better feeling will give you another unit of ENERGY to do more.
7 ways to get out of a funk:
1) Spirituality
{You can but you definitely 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 your Soul, the Holy Spirit, or the Divine (according to your beliefs) You do not have to follow religion, in fact: make it very unique to you. It’s your personal connection to the Divine.
- Spirituality also means connecting to your purpose and meaning. While easier said than done, it is the spiritual methods that will help you do that. We have many purposes. Some of them can be fulfilled today, this moment, some across longer span of time. If I may offer: what if one of your purposes is to raise yourself above this situation? What if it is to deepen your faith (in your life, yourself, the Spirit) in this difficult moment?
- Start practicing prayers: tune in to 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.
- 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.
I’d not put grief in the category of depression, but even in grief it helps to have a spiritual perspective.
2) Expression of your personality and creativity
{sharing your philosophy, expression through your art, voice, dance, movement}
If you are a creative soul and you 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}
Year ago I heard an interview, on Cathy Heller’s podcast, 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 did it. Slowly the depression started lifting… she was telling the story 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 for something to shift 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, so it transforms us spiritually and physically. Some people with severe depression may not do well with meditation. It magnifies what’s in your mind… 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.
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 healthy brain, mind and emotional wellbeing. (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
{whether is just one person -or a pet- or a community, through sports or gatherings}
Just like negative relationships (and energy vampires) can drain and depress you, in the same way friendships, or loving relationship, 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)
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? If you have a pet do you pay attention and care of it the way it deserves?
Each of these paths will offer benefits to your body, mind, emotions and soul. Where will you start? If nothing resonated please keep going, please keep seeking help from different sources . You can find a way back to 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.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337/