10 Surprisingly Effective Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

We all hit those phases where everything feels… off.

Not necessarily bad, and not dramatic enough to fully call it a crisis. Just off. You’re not excited about much, your motivation is questionable at best, and even the things you normally enjoy feel a little muted. It’s like you’re moving through your life, but not really in it.

That’s a funk.

And if you’re in your twenties—or honestly, just a human being—you probably know exactly what that feels like. The frustrating part is that getting yourself out of a funk isn’t always about doing the obvious things.

Yes, self-care matters. Yes, fresh air helps. But sometimes what you really need is something a little unexpected—something that shifts your perspective just enough to shake you out of autopilot.

Effective Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Funk ASAP

If you’ve been feeling stuck lately, here are 10 genuinely unique ways to help you reset.

1) Change One Tiny “Default” in Your Day

We love routines, but sometimes they quietly start numbing us. A funk often comes from living on autopilot—same coffee order, same route, same playlists, same everything. Instead of trying to overhaul your entire life (which is overwhelming and rarely sustainable), focus on changing just one small default.

Try ordering something different than you usually would, taking a new street on your walk, starting your morning without immediately reaching for your phone, or working from a different spot.

It may seem insignificant, but even small disruptions can remind your brain that you’re not stuck—you’re just in a pattern. And patterns can always be changed.

2) Romanticize a “Nothing” Day

We talk a lot about romanticizing our lives, but usually only when things are already going well. There’s something powerful about doing it on a day that feels completely average.

Pick a normal day and decide ahead of time that you’re going to treat it like it matters. Light a candle while you work, make your lunch look a little more intentional, or play music while you clean like you’re in a movie montage.

The goal isn’t to force yourself to feel happy—it’s to re-engage with your life in small ways. Often, the feeling follows the action, not the other way around.

3) Do Something Slightly Out of Character to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

You don’t need to make a dramatic change to shake a funk—sometimes it’s enough to do something that feels just slightly outside your usual behavior.

If you’re typically reserved, try starting a conversation with someone. If you’re always the one planning everything, let someone else take the lead. If you rarely share anything personal, open up a little.

When you’re in a funk, it’s easy to feel like a flat version of yourself. Doing something a little out of character reminds you that you’re more dynamic than you’ve been feeling lately.

4) Give Yourself a “Low-Stakes Win”

When you’re in a funk, even simple tasks can feel heavier than they actually are. Instead of focusing on big goals that feel overwhelming, create a win that’s almost impossible to fail.

Clean out one drawer, respond to one email, go to one class, or cook one meal. It might not seem like much, but momentum builds from completion, not intention. That small sense of accomplishment can shift your energy more than waiting around to feel motivated ever will.

5) Change Your Input Before You Change Your Output

It’s easy to assume that when you feel stuck, you need to do more. But sometimes the issue isn’t what you’re doing—it’s what you’re consuming.

Take a closer look at your inputs. Are you scrolling content that makes you feel behind or not good enough? Are you watching or listening to things that drain your energy?

Try switching it up with new podcasts, different music, or content that actually inspires you. Your mindset is influenced by what you surround yourself with, often more than you realize.

6) Have a “Main Character” Hour to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

Pick one hour and decide, very intentionally, that you’re going to be fully present in your life.

Put your phone away, go somewhere on your own, and pay attention to what’s around you. Notice how things look, feel, and sound. Let yourself exist without rushing to the next task or distraction. A funk often comes from feeling disconnected, and this is a simple way to reconnect with your own experience again.

7) Revisit a Version of You That Felt Good

Think about a time when you felt more like yourself. Maybe it was a specific phase of life, a hobby you used to enjoy, or just a version of you that felt more energized.

Instead of comparing yourself to that time, get curious about it. What were you doing differently? What did your days look like? And, what did you care about?

Then bring one small element of that version of you into your life now. You don’t need to go backwards to feel better, but you can absolutely bring parts of that energy forward.

8) Get Honest About What You’re Avoiding

Sometimes a funk isn’t random—it’s connected to something you’ve been avoiding.

There might be a decision you’ve been putting off, a conversation you don’t want to have, or a change you know you need to make. Instead of dealing with it, you stay in this uncomfortable in-between space.

Gently ask yourself what you might be avoiding right now. You don’t have to solve it immediately, but even acknowledging it can take some of the pressure off and help you move forward.

9) Create a “Future You” Micro Plan to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

When your energy is low, thinking too far ahead can feel exhausting. Instead of trying to plan everything, focus on the version of you a week from now.

What would make her life easier? Maybe it’s prepping a few meals, scheduling an appointment, organizing your space, or getting ahead on one small task. You’re not trying to completely reinvent your life—you’re just making things a little easier for yourself in the near future.

10) Let Yourself Be “In It” Without Making It Permanent

Not every funk needs to be fixed right away. In fact, the pressure to snap out of it can sometimes make it worse.

Instead of judging yourself for feeling off, try accepting where you are. Remind yourself that this is temporary, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. When you stop fighting the feeling so hard, it often passes more naturally. You’re not stuck—you’re just going through a phase.

The Bottom Line on How to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

Getting out of a funk isn’t about becoming a completely different person overnight. It’s about small shifts, tiny moments of awareness, and little decisions that slowly bring you back to yourself.

You’re not stuck—you’re just a little disconnected. And that connection is something you can rebuild, one small choice at a time.

If nothing else, start with one thing from this list. Not all ten, and not perfectly. Just one.

That’s usually all it takes to begin.

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