5 ways to get out of a personal or professional funk

If you are anything like me, its hard to stay motivated ALL of the time. Lets face it, we are human and sometimes we may find ourselves in a funk or a rut that is hard to shake. Because I work from home, it's super easy to get into seasons where I don't feel as motivated or the passion for my career is hard to find. There are definitely times when I don't FEEL like working or going after my dreams. There are also times when I get down on myself for personal issues. We aren't perfect and things will come up! Life happens. We all have those days where it seems like everything is going wrong and we aren't happy with where we are at.

I want you to know something...

If you are in a lull season or even just having a tough week, let me tell you a secret, YOU WILL BE OKAY. We all get into a rut sometimes and its very normal to have a rough day every once in awhile. It's important though that whenever you are facing a personal or professional rut, that you work to grow yourself so you don't stay in that rut forever!!

*I feel like it is important to say that being in a personal funk or professional rut is different than suffering from anxiety or depression-if you feel like you are facing something more than occasional mood swings, you should seek professional help. If you want to read about my journey through debilitating anxiety, you can read that here.* 

When I am in a funk, there are a few things I do that help get me back on track! 

1. Process how you are feeling:

Oftentimes when I am feeling down and out, its really because I am feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes there can be so many ideas, to-do's, or projects swimming around in my mind that it can be hard to feel grounded. The very first thing I do when I am in a funk is journal out all of my feelings! I write out EXACTLY how I feel and I do my best to try to figure out WHY I'm feeling that way. I've found that oftentimes, the things we perceive as insurmountable in our heads are actually pretty trivial when you put them down on paper. I like to do a "brain dump" and literally list out every single possible thing that I need to do or accomplish. This helps me to clear my mind and refocus on the present.

2. Give yourself a mental vacation & do something creative:

After a good brain dump, give yourself a mental vacation! Remove yourself from your normal day-too-day and do something to give yourself a reset. For example, if you work from home, go on a spontaneous adventure to somewhere outside of your norm for an hour! If you work full-time, ditch the gym after work and go on a hike or bike ride. If you are a student, step on the brakes with studying and instead spend an hour painting or doing something creative. 

When you can remove yourself from your normal day-to-day routine, you allow your brain to reset and process. Oftentimes when I do something to intentionally go on a mental vacation, I come back feeling so refreshed and rejuvenated that I WANT to start working towards my goals again. 

3. Tune into personal development:

If you are still not feeling inspired after step two, it's time to dive into personal development! There's nothing that fires me up like a personal development book or an inspiring podcast! I will link my all-time favorite personal development books down below but some of my favorite podcasts to listen to are: The Goal Diggers Podcast, Rise Podcast, or Second Life Podcast! There's few things I love more than going on a long walk and listening to a podcast! 

4. Write out possible solutions to the problem you are facing:

After completing steps 1-3, you should be feeling pretty good! Now is the time to problem solve any potential triggers or issues that could be causing your stress or "funk". Is there a toxic relationship in your life? Are you always finding yourself overwhelmed because you don't know how to manage your time? Is there a personal insecurity that is keeping you from the next level? Asking yourself these types of questions and then creating an action plan to find a solution is one of the best ways that you can move on from the rut you are in and begin chasing your dreams again! 

5. Set daily small & achievable goals to get you back on track:

At this point, you should be feeling pretty good about yourself! You have reflected, rested, re-gained clarity, & problem solved! Now is the time to put your reflections to ACTION! What is one thing that you can do TODAY to make your life better? Maybe it will be to call an old friend to reconcile a broken relationship. Maybe it's choosing healthier eating habits. Maybe it's completing specific tasks that is going to move the needle in your business. Whatever small goals you have, create new habits to help you achieve those goals to improve your life and just DO them! It doesn't have to be anything drastic or life-changing but I'm a believer that developing small habits each and every day have the power to create massive change in your life. 

I really hope that these tips help you problem solve and gain clarity so that you can truly live the life & calling you were meant to! I believe that we are ALL called to do great things with our lives and so don't let a funk get in the way of you being your BEST self!!

All my love,

Lo

My Favorite Personal Development books: 

How to live a life of FREEDOM

As Independence Day is approaching, I've been thinking about Freedom in all different areas of life. Here in the United States, we live in one of the most free and opportunity rich countries in the entire world. The world is our oyster and opportunities are available for anyone who wishes to work hard for them. That being said, I think there are many things that still hold us captive and keep us from living out our purpose. Here are a few things that may be holding you back, they hold me back too! If we can master these areas in our lives, we will be able to live lives of more clarity, purpose, and direction which will FREE us up to do what we are made to do! 

1. TRUST YOUR GUT

I think that many times, we KNOW the right decision we need to make, but outside influences keep us from doing what we know is best. Have you ever been caught between what you feel you truly want to do and what you think you should do? Sometimes, it's important to clean our house because we should do it, but thats not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about when we know in our hearts that we have to take a leap of faith, build a business, start a blog, apply for a new job, etc. but we don't because its risky and we feel like we should stay in our comfortable, stable life and not rock the boat. I'm speaking from my heart when I say that true freedom comes when you are spending your days doing something that makes your soul light on fire. No stability or predicability in the world will be able to out-weigh that type of creative freedom and passion! 

2. LET GO

We all have something we need help letting go of. Maybe its a negative influence or an unhealthy relationship. It could also be the fear of what others may think of you. Maybe you need to let go of your ego, which is keeping you in a prideful position and unable to experience any type of personal growth. Many people need to let go of insecurities and expectations which create a permanent negative mindset for themselves. For me, letting go of friendships and negative relationships is something that has been the hardest for me. Letting go doesn't mean you're giving up, it means you are starting over. Letting go of something means that you are creating space for something new. 

3. PEOPLE PLEASING MAKES YOU A SLAVE TO PEOPLE

It sounds pretty obvious, but you will never be able to experience more freedom in your life when you are living your life to please others. I HATE disappointing people or letting anyone down. I also HATE having to say "no" to anything. #REALTALKWITHLO: My first year living in Hawaii was hard for me to follow my dreams with this blog because I was so worried about making new friends and pleasing others. I would drop everything I was doing to go hangout with a friend, and I let all my personal goals & aspirations lay to the way-side. I had to choose to make myself & my goals a priority and fit outside influences in my life around that. Of course I still put my close family and friends pretty much before anything, but having the mindset that my dreams MATTER, has changed everything for me. 

4. DON'T LIMIT YOURSELF

I'm speaking to myself here because this is something I am personally working on. When you limit yourself, consciously or unconsciously, you put a cap on your success. I am constantly fighting with feeling undeserving of success. I don't know why I feel this way but I have always felt that I am not deserving of true success and happiness. It's a horribly negative mindset and LIE that I have been believing that I am working on letting go of. YOU ARE WORTHY FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS AND BEING SUCCESSFUL!!!! Don't limit the amount of impact you can have on the world. Keep doing your thing and keep making your goals bigger and bigger! True freedom comes when you truly believe that you can achieve ANYTHING! 

5. CONTINUE TO GROW

I love this quote, "If you aren't growing, your dying." This is SO TRUE. If you feel stagnant in your career, relationships, or in any area, it's probably because you aren't intentionally focussing on personal development. Personal development has been SO HUGE in my personal success and ambitions and it truly is the missing link for so many people who want to take their lives to the next level but they aren't sure how. We have SO much knowledge at our fingertips, we should be hungry for growth in all areas! 

I hope these tips help you stay focussed on your goals, re-priotize what's important, and help you live a life of FREEDOM in all areas! I would love to know which tip spoke out to you most! 

and here are some of my all-time favorite personal development books...

I hope you all have an amazing 4th of July!!! 

xo,

Lo

Priming yourself for a successful day: Morning Routine

I am not a morning person. I never have been and I don't know if I will ever be that person that jumps out of bed ready to seize the day. I would much rather stay snuggled under the covers until the very last moment but that never served me well. From a young age I knew that I had to CHOOSE to be productive and get out of bed each day in order to be a successful human being. Starting in junior year of highschool, I did online school and so it was all on ME to wake up and get school work done. Now that I run my own business, it is more important than ever for me to prime my day for success. My morning makes or breaks my day and so over the years I've had to set some boundaries in my schedule so that I can stick to a routine. I am learning that boundaries are not bad or selfish or limiting. Setting boundaries is a way for me to show myself self-love and respect for doing things that keep me inspired. 

My boundaries for success:

1. SCHEDULE in your "Power Hour". I write this on my calendar every single night when I plan out each day. It takes me about an hour to get everything I need to get done in the morning to make me feel inspired to start my day (This doesn't include the gym or podcast listening which are also crucial components to my routine each day). Because I know this, I purposefully don't plan meetings or business calls in the mornings because I know I will feel stressed about starting on work rather than filling my cup with devotion & inspiration. 

2. WAKE UP an hour earlier. I am still not a morning person but I have SLOWLY trained myself over the last year to start waking up earlier. I don't know if I will ever be that person up before the sun rises but I try my hardest to start my morning as early as possible so that I have time to just BE before my day starts. 

3. PLAN your morning inspiration. This will be different for all of us! For me personally, I spend some time in my Bible and in prayer first thing in the morning and then I will pull out a current personal development book I am reading to read for twenty minutes or so while I drink my matcha. This may look different for you! Maybe you need to journal, maybe you need to stretch and do yoga or meditate. It may take some time and trial and error to figure out which activities are going to best inspire you in the mornings. Just keep devoting an hour each morning to YOURSELF and you will figure out what works best for you! 

4. CREATE an inspiring atmosphere. This is super important for me. I really like to diffuse essential oils in the morning and open all my windows and doors so I get natural light in my home. I will also play inspiring music. Lastly, I always make sure I have a warm beverage in hand whether thats herbal tea, coffee, or a matcha latte. 

my typical morning

-Wake up- 6:30-7

-Power Hour- 7-8ish

-Go to the gym or start my work day- 8:30-9am 

Because I work from home, I don't have to be as strict with my schedule as most people and I am very blessed for that. That being said, I try to stay as disciplined as possible to make sure I am on some sort of schedule because it truly impacts the productiveness of my day!! 

This photos are from today's morning power hour. Simple & quiet & perfect. Plus, I HIGHLY recommend this book Girl Wash Your Face. It will change your life. 

I hope these practical tips help you have a more productive morning and a more productive day! You've got this!

xo,

Lauren

THINGS I LOVE MENTIONED: