How to Get Out of a Funk: 25 Ways to Find Joy Today

Ordinary days drag us down and sometimes a bad day seems like the end of the world. So how do you get out of a funk? How do you increase your day to day JOY and ditch the bad mood that seems to plague you?The good news is you don’t have to linger in a funk forever–keep reading for 20 of the best ways to beat a bad mood.

Consider each of these ideas as a jumping off point. Don’t dive in and do them all at once, but maybe try one today and see if it helps. If it does, do it again tomorrow or revisit this list and try a different one. If what you tried to get out of your funk fell flat, then try a different one altogether tomorrow.

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Please note if you are experiencing a prolonged season of bad days/feeling sad or depressed/not feeling enthusiastic about the things that normally bring you joy or a lack of motivation it may be time to seek professional help. Clinical depression is serious and can greatly affect your physical health on many levels as well as your mental state. If it feels too hard to contact a healthcare provider or counselor on your own, reach out to a family member or close friend and ask them to support you while you call or attend appointments. 

If you are in need of immediate mental health assistance please call the National Hopeline Network: 1-800-442-4673.

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So how do you get out of a funk?

The first thing is finding small positive actions that create positive moods. Embracing joy in the little moments. Moving your body in healing and nourishing ways. Surrounding yourself with uplifting relationships. 

There can certainly be dark days in life, but here are some vibrant ideas to help you break free of your funky attitude and re-find your energy, joy and purpose!

25 Ways to Get Out of A Funk and Find Joy

1. Take a deep breath

Actually, take several deep breaths. If you can sit in a quiet area, take a deep inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and then blow out for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds again, before taking your next inhale. This is called Box Breathing and is a yoga technique employed by the Navy Seals to combat stress.  It is a little thing you can do anywhere at anytime when you feel the need to reset your negative emotions and reduce your stress. 

2. Make Your Bed

I am not by nature a bed-maker. But this small habit is often cited to increase productivity and feelings of happiness. This one positive action can move you in the right direction to other positive actions throughout your day. I definitely have found this to be true.

Just by making my bed my mood is more relaxed and energized at the same time. My attitude goes from “might crawl back into bed at any moment to what should I conquer next!”

3. Get dressed 

I am a stay at home/work at home mom, so I rarely NEED to get dressed and my outfits are often pretty simple, but having a daily routine where I change into actual clothes (not jammies or loungewear), shower, do my hair and makeup so I’m ready for my day helps so much with my mental state. 

4. Open your blinds

Light makes things better and always helps boost a low mood. After making my bed and getting dressed (your welcome neighborhood), I open up the blinds in my bedroom and living room and let a little light in! Even on gray days it’s normally brighter outside than inside and it helps in the dead of winter not to feel so trapped in your house. 

5. Seek God

The foundation of a life of joy is a life with Jesus! Along with tons of spiritual benefits my mood is always better when I start my day by spending time with God in prayer, reading the Bible, meditation and journaling.

RELATED: WHAT ARE DEVOTIONS? WITH 5 DEVOTIONAL EXAMPLES FOR YOU

6. Turn on some happy music

Next, turn on your favorite song or playlist full of uplifting, fun songs. I have a long list of playlists that make me just feel happy!

Listening to positive and uplifting music was found to raise the person’s mood of participants in this study. It’s science, ya’ll.

7. Listen to a motivational podcast

Sometimes I just need someone to amp me up and remind me that I can do it! I can be a good mom! I can achieve my goals! Here are some of my favorite motivational podcasts:

• It Starts With a Goal by Jon Acuff
• The Brendom Burchard Podcast
• The Purpose Show with Allie Cazazza
• That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs

8. Declutter or Clean

Create a clean space in your home by cleaning, decluttering or organizing. Clutter can especially wear down on your mental health. I spent some time this morning deep cleaning and organizing in our bathroom and passing by it now it gives me a little jolt of joy.

I have this spring cleaning checklist if you are a list person and want to use it to get yourself going and have fun checking things off!

9. Get outside in nature is huge for getting out of a funky mood

Perhaps my very favorite way to get out of my negative feelings is to spend some time outside in the fresh air. Whether that is taking a short walk in the woods or a walk around the neighborhood or digging in the dirt preparing the yard for spring, getting outside is a proven mood booster!

10. Exercise

To quote Elle Woods, “Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”

Physical activity is a great way to improve your mood. Walking and yoga are my two favorite exercises when I’m in a funk. And even when the weather isn’t great you can still get moving! See some of my favorite fitness resources here!

To help myself exercise when I don’t feel like it, I basically lie to myself and say we are only going to exercise for 10 minutes and then once I do 10 minutes I can stop. Normally, after I get my body moving I am enjoying myself and feeling accomplished and I keep going and do a full workout!

11. Get Enough Sleep

If you are sleep deprived it is incredibly difficult to not have low energy levels. Your body is designed for good sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night. If you have sleep problems, like falling asleep, staying asleep or insomnia

RELATED: 7 ZEN WAYS TO SLEEP BETTER

12. Make a gratitude list

Gratitude is a great tool to help retrain your brain patterns when you’re in a funk. By making lists of things your grateful for or writing out gratitude letters to important people in your life you can reduce symptoms of depression and become happier. Check out this article on The Power of Gratitude. 

RELATED: 20 POWERFUL THANKFUL TUESDAY PRAYERS

13. Choose a Healthy Diet

It’s easy to reach for junk food when you feel down. That hit of feel-good endorphins from a brownie or bag of cheetos can make less nutritious foods FEEL like a good decision when you’re in a funk. But, choosing to fuel your body with whole foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and protein is good for your body and brain on many levels. 

14. Go on a date with your spouse or significant other or out with friends

Social interactions are so important. If you can’t go out on a literal date, get takeout and have an at home date night. Play board games or video games, talk, watch a movie together, anything you enjoy with your spouse or significant other. 

You can do coffee dates with a good friend, go to an after-work happy hour, or visit a farmer’s market with friends. Positive and intentional time with people you care about and who care about you is a beautiful form of self care!

15. Journal your feelings

Reflect on why you are feeling in a funk. Acknowledge and writing out your feelings is huge. I share more about my process for journaling stress and anxiety here. It’s OKAY to feel what you are feeling.

As you journal you may write out your own solutions or be surprised by what you find.

16.Try Vitamin D supplementation

Especially if you live in a climate with long, cold dark winters you may want to try taking a Vitamin D supplement to see if it helps your mood. Although studies show mixed results on the effect of Vitamin D on mood, according to the Mayo clinic Vitamin D is “anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties support immune health, muscle function and brain cell activity.” All of these are great reasons to take it that may indeed contribute to your overall feeling of well-being. 

17. Essential oils

Certain smells can affect our mood. I love to use essential oils in a diffuser to help boost my mood or if you’re not an essential oil person lighting a candle provides that aromatherapy along with a comforting glow.

18. Adopt a positive affirmation

“The mind that is set on the flesh is death, but the mind that is set on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

This verse was especially close to me this winter when I would start to spiral my thinking downward. I would use my positive affirmation to reorient my negative thoughts to the present moment and not go spiraling into worst case scenarios. 

Your positive affirmation could simply be “I choose joy today” or “I am thankful today” or “Things will get better.”  Affirmations that are aligned with your beliefs and the kind of person you want to be in the future can be very powerful.

RELATED: 40 Biblical Affirmations for Women

19. Do something productive

Doing anything that makes you feel productive and like an A+ person no matter how big or small helps me bust out of a funk. Intentionally set goals you can easily meet to help build a snowball of productive actions in your life. I choose to put my to-do list on a post it note, so I know I’m getting done the most important things and so I can’t overload my list with too many things and get overwhelmed. 

20. Do something creative

If you are struggling to feel productive how about doing something creative like painting or coloring or creating music? Can you learn to cross stitch? Bake a loaf of sourdough bread? Move furniture around or decorate a small space?

Get your creative juices flowing or just doing ANYTHING you’re good at whether that’s creative or not can make you feel better.

RELATED: HOW TO BE CREATIVE AGAIN WHEN YOU’RE LACKING CREATIVITY

21. Eat some chocolate

Chocolate has been proven to raise dopamine and serotonin making you feel happier. It’s science and we can’t fight it.

I love this classic dark chocolate the most! But these little candies are a true delight as well. Did I mention it’s science so we have to?

22. Take a relaxing bath or shower

I love to add some scented epsom salts to my bath or use a bath bomb or shower bomb to help set a really relaxing and rejuvenating mood. Calm music can also help set a spa-like tone, even if you’re just in your bathroom at home. 

23. Be wise about time on social media.

Staring into someone else’s highlight reel can be a real hindrance to our own joy.

Sometimes it can spread positivity and happiness (hello memes!) and encouragement, but only you can know how much is too much or if it’s negatively or positively impacting your life.

SO. If you are starting to feel down because you’re not on a Hawaiian vacation like so and so or losing lots of time scrolling mindlessly, limit your time on social media.

Maybe you decide to only check in once or twice a day. Maybe you delete the apps from your phone so you aren’t tempted to pop on more often than you should. I definitely think social media can boost your mood, but in the right doses and with the right people and accounts.

24. Read a good book

Getting lost in a good book is one of my favorite ways to break out of my run and feel better. When I’m feeling down I like to read cheesy feel-good romance books and cozy mysteries. 

SEE MY RECENT READS HERE!

25. Be honest about your feelings with someone else.

Confide in a friend, counselor or other trusted person about how you are feeling and your need for emotional support. A good cry with a friend is healing medicine.

Don’t be afraid to seek professional therapy via traditional or telemedicine. We live in a world of amazing resources and thankfully mental health is de-stigmatizing more and more everyday.

As we reach the end of our exploration on how to overcome a funk and embrace a life of joy, may these 25 practical ways serve as beacons of hope, guiding you towards the abundant joy that awaits. Remember, dear friend, that joy is not an elusive treasure reserved for a select few, but a gift freely given by our loving Heavenly Father. 

RELATED: 40 ENCOURAGING BIBLE VERSES ABOUT JOY + HAPPINESS

It starts with taking care of ourselves—honoring our bodies, minds, and spirits through restful sleep, cultivating meaningful connections with friends, and immersing ourselves in the beauty of nature. Always remember the power of self-care too–because when we prioritize our own well-being, we are better equipped to pour into the lives of others. 

May you boldly step into a life of joy, armed with these practical tools and fueled by the unshakable faith that in Christ, our joy is made complete. 

What is ONE WAY you get out of a funk and start to feel happier?