Fighting the February Funk

Heather Rafanello, MSW, LCSW

@GrowingMindsetTherapy

While yes, February is technically the shortest month of the year, the days have a tendency to feel oh so long. 

What is the February Funk

The February Funk is a phenomenon where many of us feel stuck in the doom and gloom of winter: the days are gray, the air is cold, and the motivation is lacking. During this time, many of my clients report feeling stuck, unmotivated, and even apathetic.

This melancholy time of year is the result of a combination of things: 

• the post holiday blues

• seasonal depression

• winter illnesses running rampant 

• the excitement of the new year wearing off

Here are 5 ways that you can fight the February Funk

CONNECT

Connect with people who fill your cup. Find your people, and wrap yourself in their support. Lean on one another, make plans that light you up, start conversations that feed your soul, attend events that help you feel seen. 

Our tip: Quality over quantity here people, if you’re deep in the funk you’ll want to be extra intentional about these connections. Find your light, avoid the takers. 

MOVE

Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object in motion will stay in motion, and an object at rest will stay at rest. Make a plan, move your body, get out of bed, move things around in your home. 

Our tip: Romanticize your movement. Romanticize it? Yes, romanticize it. Make it special, think of it through rose colored glasses. The way that we think about things can be a huge barrier for success. If we keep thinking about movement as a chore, or something we ‘have’ to do it’s much less appealing to us. If we instead think of how nice it will feel to get some fresh air, and how excited we are to feel the cool air, or the warm sun on our skin it makes the idea of going outside a heck of a lot less daunting. 

LIVE BY THE NOVELTY RULE

The Novelty Rule says that by adding new and novel experiences to our lives, we can actually change how our brain perceives time - helping us to create more memories, and allowing our perception of time to slow down. 

Our Novelty Recommendations: try a new recipe, take a different route to work, change your morning or evening routine, play a board game instead of watching tv

The Novelty Rule was created by Liz Moody, author and podcast host, and based on research by Dr. David Eagleman from Stanford University. You can learn more about it on Liz’s podcast, linked here. 

BREAK DOWN YOUR GOALS

We’re all about working smarter, not harder; and setting yourself up for success. Don’t get me wrong, we love a big goal - reach for the stars - but while you’re reaching big, perhaps you can break your big goals down into smaller, more manageable goals. 

Q: How do you read a book? 

*spoiler alert* 

A: One page at a time.  

Our tip: Think backwards. If your goal is to get a new job, then ask yourself ‘what do I have to do in order to get a new job?’ Well, typically you might need to schedule some interviews. Now, in order to have some interviews scheduled, what would you need to do? Well, applying to jobs would be a good start. In order to submit job applications, an updated CV and resume would help… and so on. See where we’re going here? Break it down until you can’t make it any smaller. 

Download our free Goal Mapping worksheet here. 

HIRE A CORPORATE THERAPIST

You don’t have to do this alone, and neither should your colleagues. At Growing Mindset Therapy, we’ve been trailblazing the corporate wellness space since 2022, allow us to support you and your team (plus what’s better than getting your boss to pay for your therapy!)

DISCLAIMER: This article is not intended to treat, or diagnose and medical conditions, nor is it a replacement for mental health or medical treatment. If you or someone you know is in need of clinical support, our team is able to provide therapy services to those in NJ and FL. Contact us to learn more. If you or someone you know is in need of immediate support please contact emergency services. U.S. Mental health crisis line: dial 988 ; medical emergency dial 911