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Ep41 How to Get Out of a Funk

Hello and Welcome to the Way of the Emotional Warrior Podcast. My name is Kai Ehnes and today we will be answering the question of: When my mood is less than optimal, how can I get out of my emotional funk?

Doing some cursory research for this episode, I found that there are quite a few websites that will tell you 10 to 45 tips on how to maintain your mood. On the heavy hitter list are strategies such as a mood journal, proper diet and exercise, and interactions with nature.

I thought that it might be a good idea before we get into any strategies, to actually take a look at why we have mood swings. Of course there are triggers. Maybe someone slighted you or you simply are at odds with the current state of affairs, locally to globally. But aren’t there times when none of that changes and you find yourself feeling okay, dare I say good?

On some level, I think that it has become normal to be below a 5 on scale of 1 to 10. Somehow the grumbling and complaining has become the norm. In a way I am sure it is about attention. To some degree it is about fitting in. For example, you find yourself in a group that you have to attend, ie a group at a job, and after 2 hellos it becomes a complaint fest. As if any of the participants are even in a position to change anything. So, when in Rome, right? What do you do? You add to the list of complaints, everyone is happy that you too are miserable. If you step back a second, how much of your life is dictated by the low vibration of others. You don’t want to make any waves etc… Since most people extend their work relationships into their friendships, you can see where this goes…nowhere empowering, that’s for sure.

We have many reasons for doing all this but with enough time, it becomes normal. According to neuroscience, Dr. Joe Dispenza, states that by the age of 35 your dominant personality and outlook on life are in place. Your subconscious takes on that particular mindset.

Are you stuck in this repetitious cycle? Why, you may ask.. It has to do with 2 natural laws which are the law of rhythm and the law of polarity. Polarity means “poles” or bookends of a continuum. Think of good and evil, up and down, light and dark etc… The reason for opposites is simple. There can only be expansion if something is thrown out of kilter so that something new can emerge. That new something can be an improvement. For people, we fluctuate between constancy and variety. We seek comfort through constancy but immediately want something different for variety. This allows us to gain perspective and grow.

The law of rhythm is what drives the experience of polarity. Think of it this way: Rhythm is movement and the direction is somewhere between the polar opposites.

Why does this matter? An emotional warrior can learn to use this to live a better quality of life. In your life dimensions, health, relationships, finances etc…what if you could predict where on the continuum you are?

Just like there are seasons of the year, think about the seasons for every aspect of your life. Certain foods grow better in spring and summer and not so much in the fall and winter. What if you aligned your life with these rhythms? Investments have cycles, your budget has cycles, your relationships have cycles.

An emotional warrior can be ready for these cycles and better yet, know the parts of the cycle and live accordingly. Ex: winter is a great time to work out because there is less outdoor activity, in the summer your system naturally functions longer throughout the day and has more energy to do so. Money has cycles. There are times where it makes sense to save and then there will be the right opportunity to spend that saved wealth and seize an excellent opportunity of value.

The key with all this is quite simple. There is no need to stay in a negative environment and mindset. Find your own groove. Learn to identify the polarities and realize the rhythms involved. Now you...