Woke up in a funk?
Here is the remedy.
This morning I woke up in a funk. Why? Because I had had a nightmare about crying at a petrol station in Bali.
Let me explain.
In that dream, I drove up to the person who fills up the tank of your scooter. It was an old man who seemed to have hearing problems.
I told him the exact price of how much petrol I wanted — as you do in Bali. Then I got carried away for a moment because I was talking to a friend close by.
When I turned around to pay, I realized that the old man had not heard my initial request and instead filled up the entire tank. He asked me to pay some ridiculous amount, like $5000.
Being the drama queen I am (sometimes), I collapsed right there beside the petrol pump in a heap of self-pity and desperation.
Then I woke up.
Feeling just shitty as the girl in the dream. Meh.
What to do now? I decided to drag myself out of bed and do something about it.
We all have the resources to make ourselves feel however we want. We just need to consciously tap into them.
So — if you ever find yourself waking up in a funk, do this:
1. Spend time in nature. Ground yourself. Do some gardening or take the dogs for a walk.
2. Take a moment to be still and just breathe and take in your surroundings, preferably on a patch of grass somewhere. Close your eyes and breathe in and out. Let yourself be consumed by the feeling of gratitude to simply be alive. Be grateful for the beings around you. After all, they are all an expression of love — just like you.
3. Increase your awareness. How do you feel right this second? Why? What can you do better?
4. Be gentle to yourself (and as an effect, to others). Pour some coffee and sit in the sun.
5. Give yourself some love. Clean yourself up, take a hot bath or put on a nice outfit. Clean your home. Make it cozy.
6. Get active, get out of your OWN HEAD. Fulfil your responsibilities. Do some weeding, feed the dogs or have a chat with an elderly person in the neighbourhood.
7. Make time for yourself. Stay away from the soul-crushing, bottomless pit that Social Media can be when you feel down. You should only allow it to work for you, never against you.
8. Play your favourite songs. Let the music soothe your soul. Sing your heart out and dance naked, if you feel like it.
9. Pamper your senses. Light some candles and an essential oil burner. Some incense sticks also work miracles.
10. Get creative. If you had a particularly emotional dream, too, let that spark of energy you’re your feeling guide your hand — no matter if it was a good or a bad dream. (In fact, negative energy can sometimes be a bigger creative catalyst than happy-smiley energy.) Our dreams are essentially just creative stories that our subconscious mind makes up. Pick up a paintbrush or pen and paper. Turn the “funk” into a manifestation of your depth and creativity.
11. Decorate and remodel your home. Pick yourself some pretty flowers outside or buy a sunflower to lighten up your space. This is to cultivate a living environment that perfectly supports you in meeting your individual needs. What is it you really need in order to feel like a whole person? Is it a garden to dig around in and plant some vegetables and flowers; an art studio; a place with lots of light, fresh air and plenty of space; what sort of colours; wooden furniture or maybe a massive, soft bed to sink into at night? You deserve a place that enables you to live up to your full potential. This doesn’t mean it has to cost a lot, not at all. It simply means that it needs to meet your very own needs and requirements for a welcoming home.
12. Get enough sleep. Sometimes we don’t realize how we wear ourselves out — even with unhealthy thoughts alone. Let your body get all the rest it needs. Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t set an alarm and end up sleeping until ten. You obviously needed it.
Lots of love, Inga. xxx
