Breaking Free from the Funk
Why You’re Stuck & How to Move Forward (Without Blowing Everything Up)
We’ve likely all felt it. Stuck in a fog of low energy, lack of motivation, and a general sense that something just isn’t clicking.
It’s known by many names. My favorite of which is, “funk”
Funk (noun): A mysterious and highly inconvenient state of existence characterized by low motivation, excessive sighing, and an unshakable urge to reorganize your fridge instead of doing literally anything productive. Often accompanied by an existential crisis over minor inconveniences, an inability to choose what to eat, and an unearned sense of fatigue.
Symptoms include:
Staring at your phone without actually reading anything.
Feeling personally attacked by your to-do list.
Saying "I don’t know, man" more than usual.
Debating whether you need a new hobby, a new friend, or just a snack.
Briefly considering that everything in your life is wrong and needs to be burned to the ground immediately.
Here’s the truth—we should expect funks to happen. Difficulty and uncertainty are part of life. You can’t live on a high all the time, and sometimes you even need to dip below baseline.
If you take nothing else from this, let it be this: An off day, a hard week, or even a prolonged season of “just getting by” doesn’t automatically mean your life is in shambles and in need of a drastic overhaul.
Most of the time, small adjustments and intentional responses are far more productive than sweeping changes.
The best way out isn’t to rush through—it’s to go through.
Address the funk. Don’t avoid it.
This is where the Project, Reflect, Reject tool comes in handy.
A simple, actionable process to shift your perspective, find clarity, and reset your internal compass.
Here we go.
Step 1: Projection – Seeing Through the Eyes of Your Future Self
Most of us experience funks as if they are permanent, forgetting that every past one has come and gone. The first step in breaking out of it is zooming out and looking at yourself from a different vantage point.
Ask yourself:
How would my future self view this moment? If you project yourself six months, a year, or five years ahead, how much will this actually matter? More often than not, the thing that feels insurmountable today is barely a footnote in hindsight.
Where’s the lesson? The utility? The humor? Your future self has the benefit of seeing how this moment shaped you. They understand the role this phase played in your development. You can’t shortcut that process, but you can benefit by beginning to learn that lesson now.
How can I embody that future self today? Instead of waiting to be past the funk, step into the mindset of the person who’s already broken through it. What choices would they make? How would they carry themselves? Start moving as if you are already out of it.
Funk thrives on immediacy. It traps you in the present and convinces you that how you feel now is how you’ll feel forever. Projection reminds you that this moment is temporary.
This too shall pass.
Step 2: Reflection – Finding Your Flow Patterns
While projection gives you perspective, reflection gives you a map. A funk often feels like something external has thrown us off course, but more often, we’ve just drifted away from the things that keep us on course.
Ask yourself:
When was the last time I felt “on”? Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, look at when things were right. When were you in flow—mentally, physically, emotionally?
What was consistent during that time? Were you training regularly? Sleeping well? Reading, writing, creating? Were you spending time with the right people, or dedicating your energy to a project that mattered?
What has fallen off that needs to be added back in? A funk is often a sign that you’ve let go of something essential to your well-being. It’s not just about what’s happening now, but what’s missing. Find those consistencies and the behaviors that correlated to your sense of wellness, then reintroduce them.
Instead of trying to "fix" the funk, focus on rebuilding the conditions that naturally put you in alignment.
Step 3: Rejection – Abandoning the Lies That Keep You Stuck
This is where you take inventory of the internal narratives that aren’t serving you. Here, you take the time to ask what story you’re telling to yourself, about yourself. Because if you’re in a funk, chances are you’re holding onto a few things that aren’t true.
Ask yourself:
What am I believing that isn’t actually real? Maybe it’s “I’m behind.” Maybe it’s “I’m not good enough.” Maybe it’s “Things will never change.” Are these objective facts, or just temporary emotions masquerading as truth?
What unrealistic standards am I holding onto? Are you expecting to feel motivated all the time? Are you demanding immediate results? Are you measuring yourself against an impossible benchmark?
What would happen if I let these go? Sometimes, the funk isn’t about what’s missing—it’s about what we’re gripping too tightly. When you reject false narratives, you create space for true ones.
Don’t just lie to yourself. Sometimes you’ve got to look long enough into the mirror and accept that there are things that need to change. Rejection is about clearing the weight you’ve placed on yourself that doesn’t belong, not the stuff that you need to take responsibility for changing.
Action Is the Antidote
A funk makes you want to withdraw, wait, and analyze. But clarity often doesn’t come from thinking—it comes from doing. The fastest way out of a funk isn’t to wait for it to lift. It’s to step forward, even when you don’t feel like it.
So, start now.
Project forward. What would your future self do? Do that.
Reflect on what worked. Rebuild the patterns that kept you at your best.
Reject the weight of false beliefs. Let go of what’s keeping you stuck.
The funk isn’t forever. But the lessons you learn from breaking through it will be.
