Slumps, Ruts, and Funks

Have you ever gotten out of bed and just felt like you were in a funk? You have no energy, no drive, no ambition, no motivation. If I were a betting man, I’d say everyone has had an experience like this. You’re definitely not alone.

Sometimes you can (sort of) pinpoint the reason – you saw a movie a few days ago that reminded you of someone you cared about; you read an article that struck home in some form or fashion; you overheard a conversation somewhere that touched a nerve. There can be any number of subconscious triggers that live just on the edge of our minds to push us into a funk, a rut, or a slump.  

Sometimes, though, you can’t pinpoint a reason at all. There’s seemingly no rhyme or reason for being in a funk – you just…are. And it feels like you’re trapped, nothing you do matters, you just want to crawl back in bed and call it a day.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Be ok being in a rut: It’s normal. It happens. It’s part of life and part of being human. Don’t beat yourself up or punish yourself for “not feeling it” today. It may be your mind or your body telling you to take a day off, process, and recharge.

• Disconnect from the news (and social media echo chambers) – well, TV in general: Oof. Reading/viewing the news can be incredibly depressing and overwhelming. I completely understand how people can spiral out of control quickly overconsuming news and other different types of non-stop media. It’s just a constant barrage of…noise…turned up to 11.

• Go outside! When I lived in Austin, I would sit on our front porch from time-to-time (especially when I was in a rut). It was amazing! It became one of my favorite things to do (even when I wasn’t in a slump). Seeing the sky, watching the trees, listening to the birds, and waving at neighbors walking by just helped calm me and reconnect me to the world. It was very cleansing for my soul.

I’m sure there are many other approaches that people embrace to help them navigate a rut. It’s ok to ask someone else what they do when they are in a slump – you might be surprised at what you learn. Connection with another person is a powerful way to recharge our humanity.

The good news (at least from my experience and from what I’ve read) is that these types of sensations typically last only a couple of days. The funk or slump or rut moves on and we get back to our normal routine. And, of course, we wonder why we were in the rut in the first place.

I will say this, though. And please understand that I’m not a doctor by any stretch of the imagination (although I was once called Chief by a guy who wanted me to get off his lawn). If a rut, funk, or slump lasts a week, a month, a year, it might be time to seek help. And that’s ok. I’ve learned a couple of things about mental illness – and asking for help was the most monumental of all the choices I made.  

Until next week.

Cheers,

Andy

(All written content created the old-fashioned way.)