Can we have some real talk for just a quick second?
(And I know it’s a long one, but trust me…you’ll want to make it through it.)

It’s currently 11 o’clock on Thursday night, and I’m just now sitting down to type this blog post so it can come out Friday morning. It’s not that I procrastinated, or that I didn’t want to write this post, it’s just I didn’t know if it was right. Right as in whether I’d accurately get it right on dealing with these topics, or possibly come off as self-proclaiming and self-righteous, which I absolutely do not want to do. However, lately I’ve discovered myself to be in somewhat of a funk.

Do you ever find yourself in a funk? Where just absolutely nothing can motivate you? You’re not sad, depressed or anxious, you’re just…..meh?

That’s been me recently, and I’m not afraid to admit that either! It’s okay to find yourself in a funk, or also known as a slump. A slump is a term usually used in a sports setting, and as a retired softball player I know a few things about slumps. They usually come at the most inopportune times. They can come on suddenly. They will frustrate the life out of you. They don’t last.

Did you read that last one?? They. Don’t. Last.

Everyday I go to work for 8 hours a day thinking about my career and chemistry and the workplace. Then I commute home, try to force myself to workout, do some things around the house, help my husband with dinner, and then I spend the rest of my evening working on blog related things, shower, and hit the hay. I’m not saying any of this to toot my own horn or to ask for a pity party, because I’m not! I wanted to start this blog. It’s my passion project, and it’s a hustle. It’s been so humbling and amazing to see it take off. But then why was I feeling so funky and motivation-less?

Slumps and/or funks can usually occur when people feel uninspired. (This is also known as burnout in the workplace, just so you know.) I felt myself getting caught up trying to keep up with the Joneses when it came to blogging and social media networking. It’s so hard in this day in age, being constantly surrounded by social media, to not compare ourselves to others. I had actually hoped that this post would be filled with adorable Amazon fashion finds to share with you all, but if you caught my Instastories…it’s not. Many women I followed were sharing lots of cute things from there, so I figured I’d try to do the same, only to be extremely dismayed when only 1 out of 5 things that I purchased fit me correctly. I can’t share things with my followers that I know that I one-wouldn’t endorse and two-doesn’t cater to ALL of my followers.

So here I am…blabbing away, or I guess you could say clacking away, on my keyboard while my husband soundly sleeps in bed right next to me. I’m sure this sounds like a lot of self-reflection for a blogger who usually shares makeup and clothes and all kinds of girly-related items (we will get back to that stuff ASAP I promise.), but I wanted to share my thoughts with you guys since I’ve been pondering this blog post. Maybe you’re a busy mom who never has time for herself. Maybe you’re extremely stressed out at work and just wish your boss would lighten up. Maybe you’re currently wondering why you’re even still reading this….well here’s why: The tough times will not last, just as your slumps in life. Just because you’ve struck out the last three at-bats doesn’t mean you’re going to on the next one. Just because you’ve had an extremely trying day, or your children are testing every fiber you have left of your patience, or you just seem to be having the absolute worst luck possible doesn’t mean it’s forever. Because it’s not. Plain and simple.

So how do we work through the tough times, find our inspiration (or lust for life as Iggy Pop would have it), and get our groove back?

First thing’s first: Set right your compass and find your true North.
What are you striving for? What are your goals? What are you scared of?
Write it all down. I know it’s silly, but by just simply writing these things down automatically lifts the burden significantly of which you’re carrying. Why do you think so many people SWEAR by keeping a daily journal or gratitude journal? It helps them to establish what about life is so special to them, as well as answering all of the above questions. I find myself nowadays writing everything down. Ideas, thoughts, fears, observations…you name it! The more you let the thoughts freely flow from your brain, the less inhibited you’ll feel about trying to achieve your goals. This is crucial when experiencing any sort of set back in life.

Secondly: You need to take care of yourself.
Self-care people. It’s the 21st century and people are realizing just how important it is to check in with ourselves and realize what areas of our lives are lacking and which needs are sufficiently being met. Life is just too busy, and yes, we are all short on time most days, but somehow it has to be done. The idea of self-care can look different to everyone, and the better you communicate that with the people around you that care for you, the better. Maybe you need a weekly nail appointment, or an extra hour of sleep on the weekends, maybe a weekly bible study, or maybe you just need to take a nice long soak in the bath with absolutely zero interruptions. Whatever makes you feel more in-tune with yourself is what your self-care needs to be. Emotionally, spiritually and physically. Even more importantly, is when you realize that these needs aren’t being met is when you have to communicate with those around you what you need to get yourself back to 100% you.

Thirdly: Find and make your own happy.
I had a trying day at work this week. Nothing I did worked like it was supposed to, and I was just about done with the bad chemistry karma. I left being in a terrible mood and that’s never good (I can have a short temper….not that any of my family, friends or husband would know that). I started my drive home thinking about what I needed to accomplish for the evening, and I decided to play an Elton John album on my car stereo that I hadn’t listened to in forever. Now you may think, “Okay Chelsea, cool story…is this almost over?”, but the answer is NO. I cranked up the volume in my car so loud I could see the rearview mirror vibrating with the bass notes and you better believe I performed an entire Elton concert the whole way home. Did I look absolutely ridiculous driving home, dancing, acting, and singing my heart out to the other drivers around me? Probably. But I couldn’t have cared less! It was like all of a sudden, the entire day just went away and it didn’t matter anymore. Music works that way for me. Always has and it always will. It can make me happy on some of my worst days, and by performing my Elton tribute, I had created my own happy.

I understand that not everyone gets the same feeling from a great album or artist, or even music in general! But by identifying what can make you happy, almost instantly, is an incredible asset to have. Maybe it’s picking up a paint brush, or watching a rerun of one of your favorite shows, or organizing your closet, or just having the last chocolate chip cookie in the package. Regardless, finding that key to unlocking your happiness code is crucial to not only self-care, but to also help pull you out of whatever slump in life you are facing. Covet that happiness and harness it to propel you further out of your funk! Stella has to get her groove back somehow!

These three topics have helped to pull me out of my slump that I was facing. The same can be used for set-backs. Simply refer yourself to point number one, then wash, rinse, and repeat. I’m feeling much better now by just simply using these three tactics over the last week. I re-oriented my goals, which helped to inspire me with new ideas, I tried to work on my self-care and get myself to the gym more because I always feel better after a workout. And lastly, I identified my own happy.

I understand not every situation in life is as simple, people are highly complicated, and many problems lie deep beneath the surface of what we express in our normal daily lives, but these three points can at least start you on your journey to getting back to your normal and best self.

If you’ve stuck with me through this entire post, I thank you for your time. It’s been a journey (via keyboard), but I hope you got something out of it, even if it’s just a gentle reminder to take care of yourself and those around you. The world is a difficult place to navigate, so it’s best if we all just show a little more grace to ourselves, and also to one another.

I’m working up content for June that will be back to our usual scheduled programming of fashion, beauty, and even some DIY projects! Stay tuned for those posts, and until then….love yourself. I promise you’re worth it.

xoxo, Chelsea