The Funk Before the Storm

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This past week I found myself in a funk. I felt stuck, overwhelmed, restless and oddly unmotivated. As I typically do, I popped on my phone and texted my best business gal pal to voice my concerns. “What is going on with me?” I pondered. And more importantly, “When will this feeling pass because I have work to do?”

Before a major shift – a big leap in one’s life or business – I have found that there is a period you go through that just plain stinks. It is usually a transitional period where you’re gearing up for a lot of work, effort and energy. In my case, my book is finished and I’m preparing for the launch. This feeling often comes out of nowhere and can level your otherwise confident self.

It’s what I call The Funk Before the Storm. The storm in this case is the beautiful madness and hurricane of activity that occurs when you’re launching something new. It’s the storm of activity and what months or years of work leads up to. It’s an exciting and scary time and you know it’s coming. But before it does, something quietly behind the scenes goes off and says “Hold on there, sister. It’s time for a break or a reboot or a reconsideration.”

Rather than chalking it up to resistance or easily accusing your devilish subconscious of self-sabotage, I believe that in some magical way it is a forced moment of self-reflection and preparedness for the next major leap in your life.

I imagine it as the hours leading up to the Oscars when you know your big moment is upon you. You are all dressed, made up and your acceptance speech is secretly tucked into your bra. You know that bigger offers are about to roll in and your career is going to catapult overnight. Your next immediate step though is to place your beautifully heeled foot out of the limo and walk the bright lights of the red carpet.

Before the flurry of attention comes the quiet moments where you can imagine our star staring out the window feeling pangs of overwhelm mixed with emotions that cover the spectrum from self-doubt to exuberance.

You are about to step out and embrace the next phase of your life and work and in those quiet moments preceding it can be a wonderful time to appreciate how far you’ve come. It’s much easier to keep pushing and plodding ahead – always looking forward and never stopping to smell the proverbial roses. But I implore that when you do find yourself in The Funk that you take that magical moment given to you to reflect on where you’ve been, rest for a moment, revel in the present with bountiful gratitude and prepare yourself for the amazement that lays ahead.

And if you just can’t seem to embrace it for the lessons and gifts, here are five ways to help when The Funk is upon you?

1. Reach out to a friend and share your thoughts and feelings

2. Get out of your head and into your body through exercise, dance, yoga

3. Do something for someone else

4. Take a day or weekend off and get away from your work completely

5. Reflect on where you were 5 years ago (or 1 year ago, or even 6 months) and celebrate how far you’ve come.

Instead of falling apart or fighting The Funk, appreciate it’s purpose of having you stop for a moment to celebrate where you’ve been and steady yourself for the exciting times ahead.