Maybe it’s the change of season, but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how to get out of the funk, that in-between state where everything isn’t quite right, but everything seems slightly weird. I was more tired than usual, a little unfocused, and strangely unmotivated by the things I usually enjoy. It wasn’t dramatic enough to name, but I felt it in everything.
Sometimes it’s there as soon as you wake up, a heaviness you can’t really explain. Other times it builds up slowly, almost imperceptibly, until you realize you’ve been living your days at half capacity. Technically, you’re getting things done, but without your usual clarity or energy. And the more you try to overcome it, the more it seems to linger.
Featured image of our interview with Mary Ralph Bradley by Michelle Nash.
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My instinct is always to fix it. To reset, to optimize, to get back on track. But I’ve learned — through lots of trial and error — that getting out of a bad spot is about interrupting the pattern with something that shifts your energy just enough.
This is not a complete reset, but rather a pivot. Go out for a few minutes more than usual. Put on some music while you cook dinner. Let yourself move a little slower instead of trying to catch up. The kind of choice that doesn’t look like a solution, but still changes something.
When I feel this way, I don’t try to shake up my routine or suddenly become a different version of myself. I’m looking for a little opening, a moment where I can re-enter my day with a little more presence. And usually that’s enough to start changing the tone of everything that follows.
How to get out of the funk, Stat
When you’re in a funk, even deciding what to do can seem too difficult. There is a tendency to overthink it, to search for the perfect reset, the right routinethe thing that will take you out of it completely. But often the quickest way to feel better is simply to make a choice and follow where it leads.
Again, we are trying to create a small change, something that interrupts the loop you are in and brings you back into your body, your environment and your life as it really is. Even a slight change in energy can be enough to create momentum.
If you don’t know where to start, start here:
- Go outside for five minutes: no phone, just light and fresh air
- Drink a large glass of water and eat something with protein
- Text or call someone you trust, even just to say hello
- Take a short walk (around the block counts!)
- Place your phone in another room for 10 minutes and notice how you feel
The goal is not to fix everything. It’s to make you feel a little better than you did five minutes ago.
1. Do One Thing That Supports Your Body (Now)
When I’m angry, my first instinct is to understand why. I need a mental explanation of what is wrong, what needs to change, what I should do differently. But more often than not, the problem isn’t something I need to fix. to understand. This is something I have to support.
A gloomy mood can come from surprisingly simple places: not enough sleep, not enough water, low blood sugar, too much time spent indoors… And when your body feels exhausted, your mind follows. What looks like a lack of motivation or clarity is sometimes simply because your system is asking for something more basic.
I learned to start there. Not with a complete reset or a perfectly structured routine, but with a small act of immediate care. Something that doesn’t require too much thinking, just a way to tell my body that I’m paying attention.
Try this:
Before you reach for your phone or try to overcome this feeling, take a break and do one thing to support your body. (See the list above.) Start with what seems easiest to you and notice the changes.
2. Move your body (even a little)
There’s a version of this advice that seems easy to ignore: the one that suggests a full-body workout or some sort of structured routine when you’re already low on energy. That’s not what it’s about.
When I’m in a funk, the movement works because it moves something almost immediately. It changes my environment, my breathing, my rhythm. This interrupts the mental loop just enough to create a little space between me and whatever I’m feeling.
And it doesn’t have to be much. Really: the smaller it is, the more likely I am to do it. A short walk. A few minutes of stretching. Even just getting up and moving around instead of staying in the same place where the mood has set.
There’s something about the change in your physical state that reminds you that you’re not as stuck as you feel.
Try this:
Get out and walk for five minutes. Or put on a song and move your body for the duration of it. Keep it brief and let it change your condition rather than your schedule.
3. Get out of your head
One of the quickest ways to know I’m in a funk is to see how introspective everything becomes. My thoughts spiral, my perspective narrows, and I begin to overanalyze things that normally wouldn’t carry as much weight. Even if everything is technically fine, it can start to feel heavy simply from sitting for too long.
What helps me, almost every time, is to shift my attention outward. There’s something fundamental about connecting with another person: entering into a conversation, even briefly, that isn’t focused on your own internal dialogue.
Try this:
Contact someone you trust: send a quick text, voice note, or short call. Ask them how they are or share something small from your day.
4. Name what is really happening
Sometimes what seems like a vague, overarching funk is actually something more specific that hasn’t yet been fully recognized. I’ve had days where I thought I was on the cusp, only to realize — once I slowed down enough to notice it — that I was anxious about something, avoiding a decision, or carrying around a thought I hadn’t fully processed.
Change happens when you put words to it. This doesn’t necessarily solve the problem, but it takes away some of the weight of ignorance.
Try this:
Take a few minutes to write down what comes to mind. No structure, no filtering: just get it out of your head and onto the page, and see what becomes clearer.
5. Change your environment (even slightly)
It’s easy to underestimate how much your environment influences your mood, especially when you’ve been sitting in the same place for hours. I notice it especially on days when everything starts to feel a little stagnant. But even a small environmental change can interrupt this feeling. A different room. A clear surface. Fresh air. We’re not aiming for anything dramatic. It just has to be enough to signal that something is moving again.
Try this:
Open a window, go outside, or move to a different space altogether. If you’re staying put, clear a small area (a desk, a nightstand, a corner) and notice how it changes the mood of the room.
6. Walk away from your phone
There’s a specific type of funk that sets in after too much time on your phone. Your energy wanes, your focus becomes scattered, and your mood begins to feel a little flatter than before.
It’s not just the time spent, it’s the constant contribution. You absorb more than you can process, often without realizing it. And when you’re already feeling bad, that extra noise doesn’t help: it’s just harder to hear yourself think.
Try this:
Put your phone in another room for 10 minutes. I’m talking completely out of range. Then do something simple and similar: make some tea, stretch, sit by a window. Pay attention to how changing your intake changes your energy.
7. Do something slightly different
A funk can sometimes come from sameness: the same routine, the same entrances, the same rhythm day after day. Even though everything works technically, there’s a point where it starts to feel a little flat. Instead, consider introducing something small and unfamiliar, just enough to break the pattern and bring back some curiosity.
Try this:
Side quests are trendy for a reason! Take a different route on your walk, listen to something you wouldn’t normally choose, or swap part of your routine for something new. Just a small change that reminds you that there are other ways to live your day.
8. Create a small anchor in your day
When everything seems a little scattered, it helps to have something stable to return to. I think of them as anchors: simple rituals that gently bring you back to yourself.
It’s less about what you do and more about giving your day a point of connection. Something that feels coherent, even if everything else doesn’t.
Try this:
Choose a small moment in your day to treat differently. Sit outside with your coffee. Walk away between tasks and take a few slow breaths. Let it be brief but intentional and notice how it changes the rhythm of your day.
9. Let yourself rest intentionally
Not all rest is the same. I’ve had many moments where I tried to relax by scrolling or default zoning, only to feel just as bad (if not worse) afterwards.
What really helps is a different kind of rest. The kind that feels chosen, not passive. Something that gives your mind a break without overstimulating it, where you don’t consume more, just giving yourself some space.
Try this:
Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes and step away from screens. Lie down, sit in a quiet place, or do something simple with your hands. Leave it intentionally unproductive and see how you feel on the other side.
10. Shift your focus forward
When I’m in a funk, it’s easy to get stuck in the immediacy of what I’m feeling. Everything is limited to the present moment, and it can start to feel like it will last longer than it actually does.
Don’t try to force optimism or develop a comprehensive plan. Explore creating a small sense of forward movement. Something that reminds me of that moment isn’t permanent, even if it is.
It can be as simple as thinking about what might make you feel good later today or later this week. Not in a way that adds pressure, but in a way that reintroduces some momentum.
Try this:
Write down one thing you’re looking forward to. Keep it simple and to the point, and make it something you can come back to when you need to remind yourself that this feeling isn’t the whole story.
This article was last updated on April 18, 2026 to include new information.
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