It’s that time again. Dark, wet and increasingly cold, November can be a time when many of us are feeling what has come to be called seasonal affectiveness disorder (SAD). For many people this means you may feel like you’re in an emotional funk. Funks suck. They drain our energy, impact our well-being and transform otherwise positive people into Debbie Downers and Negative Nellies. Here are my top four tips for getting out of a funk:

Identify that Funk

First, be mindful of the mental space you’re in and recognize that you may be looking at things more negatively than normal. Once you recognize your bad spirit, you’ll be much more effectively equipped to do something about it. Acknowledging the problem is the first step towards solving it.

Change your Perspective

Go and do your something somewhere else. Mix up your environment. Get out of your home or office for a brisk walk or hitting up your favourite but infrequently visited coffee shop. For many people, the best bet is to get some exercise. Not only will that change the environment, but it’ll flood your blood with some serotonin – the body’s own happy juice. If you can’t get away, take a deliberate mental break and watch a TED talk and get inspired.

Reflect on What You’ve Already Done

For many people, funks are fuelled by all the things you need to do but haven’t finished. This can make like feel oppressive. So perform some mental judo and consciously think about all the things you’ve accomplished over the last day, week or month. You’ll probably be surprised at how productive you’ve been.

Make Time for Nice Empowering People

We all have those positive, happy-go lucky people walking around and through our lives. Too often when we are in a funk, we forget about them. Don’t forget, reach out and book a date. You’ll be surprised by how quickly these people can recharge you, make you feel good and snap you out of your funky tailspin. Sure it may be a bit more work and require you to put down the remote or mouse – but it’ll be worth it.