From Funk To Fun In Five Easy Steps

“Life is supposed to be fun!” declares Abraham Hicks in their short videos on YouTube. I heard them say this when I felt really good, and as I walked my dog, I smiled and nodded in agreement. Then there was a time when I was upset, agitated and when I heard that life is supposed to be fun, my mind went on strike: “how do they know” “well, it’s easy for Abraham to say when they are dead!”, and the more I started to argue with my mind as my partner, delivering me more sentences and reasons to argue, the worse and worse I felt.   

Like everyone else, I react, respond and behave based on my emotions. And when I let my feelings dictate my next step, when I argue in my mind and look for evidence of not having fun, I am paralyzed and helpless. My mood quickly changes to irritation, frustration, or anger, and the longer I linger there, the faster Funk comes in. So when I hear that “life is supposed to be fun”, I want to scream! And sometimes I do. My car is a witness. I’d rather yell alone in my car than lash out at those who are dear to my heart for no reason. Just because I’m in a FUNK doesn’t mean they cannot have FUN! However, when I’m in a funk, there is a shortage of understanding, let alone listening to someone wise. And fun is totally out of reach for me.  

Let’s visit this funk beast. Besides the classical definition of a music genre, Funk is used as a word that describes a lower, sometimes depressive mood. You know, like when you get up in the morning on the wrong foot, and then it snowballs to the point where everything else goes down the hill. From here, you might as well go back to bed. Well, that’s somewhat hard because it can be midafternoon, and you need to function for a few more hours. You have to do something about the Funk!  

Here are five ways to move toward fun and leave the “K” from Funk behind: 

1. Catch it early – as soon as you start to feel the first signs of irritation, frustration, or whatever that may be, simply notice it but try not to give it more attention (because it WILL get bigger if you do). If you have someone you admire, ask yourself – what would that person do or say? Or what would God/Spirit/Universe think or say? What would love do? If you take yourself out of the situation and don’t take anything personally, you’ll have an opportunity to stay detached. All of this can be done if you catch it early. 
2. Look for a distraction that will divert you from the topic that’s causing the Funk in the first place. Look around and give your eyes a moment to pause on some object. Spend some time on that object, be it a window, a chair, a computer, a pen, glasses, someone’s outfit, …. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, your eyes are open so give them something different to look at while being MINDFUL! And spend a little more time on the object. Be curious about where it came from, who made it, what’s it made of, etc. 
3. Oftentimes, when a problem presents itself, you may tend to dwell on it. Instead, play a positive “what if” game. So, you have an inner monologue that goes like this: “Okay, so my boss took me off of this important project and replaced me with my colleague who, by the way, I don’t like. But what if there is a reason that’s unknown to me? What if this is something that I’m not supposed to be working on? What if he’s doing me a favor for whatever reason? What if God/Source/Universe has a different plan for me? What if there is a better project for me? 
4. Pause and take five deep, deep breaths. Breathing (the deep kind) allows more air and, thus, oxygen to your body, which calms the nervous system and lessens stress and anxiety. Five deep, deep breaths will take you less than a minute, which can make a big difference when Funk is in the early stages. You can repeat this multiple times per day. Don’t just breathe. Breathe mindfully and deeply! 
5. Try my ABC game when you have invited and entertained Funk for a good portion of your day! You can literarily talk yourself out of Funk by using the alphabet. This fun game will force you to start looking at your issue from a different angle and thus help you to talk yourself out of Funk. So it looks something like this: 

 ”Alright, I’m feeling this crappy. 

But I could come up with something else to think about instead. 

Can I think of something that doesn’t upset me now? 

Do I have something to appreciate? 

Even if appreciating what I usually appreciate doesn’t do it for me now, what’s the most basic thing I take for granted? 

FUNK! I can appreciate the Funk because when I come out, it will feel so good! 

Good, I found something at last….” 

As you continue to talk yourself and your way little by little out of the FUN(k), by the time you get around the letter K, you WILL already start to feel differently! 

The best is to write this down on your laptop or by hand because it will force you to slow down, focus on something else (the alphabet) and get out of Funk into more fun! 

Life will continue to happen, and Funk will continue to knock on your door. It’s not funk itself, it’s what you do with it when it starts showing up at your doorstep. Will you let it in and entertain it? Or will you leave the door shut and call in more fun?