4 Tips for a Mental and Emotional Detox

Posted July 1, 2018 by

I have this drive (admittedly, a totally Nourisher drive) to constantly better myself and push myself to achieve. When I’m really in it, I even have a hard time listening to music in the car during my commute because I feel a pull to expand my mind by listening to podcasts instead of “wasting time.” Instead of singing along to a music station, I listen to NPR. Not sure if that is a sign of getting older and wiser, or a product of fear that I am not doing enough.

The thing about this drive to constantly be doing, is there is not always a lot of time for other drives that I value, like connecting with people or creating new ideas to inspire others. In fact, the energy it takes to go, go, go sometimes saps my creative juices completely. I got to the point that my creativity was so impaired that I could not even muster the energy to sit down in front of a blank page, instead avoiding that simple task by binge watching TV shows or puttering around my house. I do not think I even realized the extent of my brain fog until I was able to step back and do a bit of mental and emotional detoxification over the past few weeks. It took a lot longer than I expected. Luckily for me, I have some time to refresh as I transition from one phase of my life to another, but I wish I could have taken some time over the past year to detox a little more often, so I could have been a fuller version of myself.

Mental and emotional stress weigh us down. The grind of everyday life can be exhausting (and sometimes a vacation from the everyday can tire us out even more). The stress of present challenges and future unknowns fill us up. I like to think of it like water in a bucket. Each day may add a few drops to the bucket (or more if something big is going on), which is not a problem in the short-term; however, over time, the bucket gets closer and closer to overflowing and we get further and further away from the balanced life we strive for. No matter what we do, water will always be added to the bucket – we do not have much control over that – but, we do have control of how much water is removed from the bucket each day to detoxify our minds and bodies.

With that said, it takes work to flush out the psychological stress of life! Here are some tips and tricks for detoxifying. Think of it as regular maintenance of your emotional and psychological gears to get your mind and body working like a well-oiled machine:

1. Schedule Time.
When I tell my clients to regularly schedule time for themselves, they often admit that they want to, but they forget to prioritize time to de-stress. In a world where our days are booked from morning to night, it is important to schedule time to be intentional about your health (mental and physical health go hand in hand). When I say intentional, I mean taking time to do things that will help you detox, not add to your stress. Intentional detoxification does not look like getting lost in Facebook videos for an hour and regretting it later (Yup, that was me last night). Intentional self-care may mean taking 10-15 minutes to sit down and make a to-do list to prioritize and organize your upcoming tasks, it may mean listening to a mindfulness exercise, it may even mean going to bed a few minutes earlier, so you can wake up refreshed in the morning. It could be filling in a page in a coloring book or going for a walk. Find what it is that you are missing in your life and be intentional about scheduling time to fulfill yourself.

As you get started, you may need more time than you think. Do not be worried, as you develop regular strategies it will fit more naturally into your schedule. You may be surprised by how much more you can accomplish by stepping away and taking a break.

2. Create Space.
Part of detoxifying may look a lot like spring cleaning. If your physical space is starting to get a little cluttered, take some time to tidy up. Be intentional about creating spaces that will relax you and make you feel at ease. For example, on the counter near my coffee-maker I have a lucky bamboo plant given to me by a former client and a wax-melting lamp given to me by my mother-in-law. Each morning when I make my coffee I am reminded of strength and start my day with positive energy.

3. Love Yourself.
Every Insider has unique passions and talents. Be intentional about appreciating the things you value and exploring what makes you feel satisfied. Be aware of the “shoulds” and the pull of other people’s expectations of you. The people in your life have a stake in the decisions you make, but at the end of your story YOU are the one accountable for the decisions YOU make. Find a way to love your uniqueness and develop healthy boundaries that allow you to do what you need to do to find the way to follow your heart.

4. Embrace Randomness.
Part of detoxing requires doing something different than the norm. Get outside your comfort zone. Talk to someone new. Read something for yourself. Write without a task or deadline (maybe even just random sentences or thoughts). Break the habit of doing and just be for a little while. Talk to the random stranger sitting next to you at a coffee shop. Do something uncomfortable (maybe a new social situation) and see how long you can go without pulling your phone out. Be daring. Be courageous. Be different. Say yes.

Let me know how it goes in the comments below!

 

Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash.

Corey K

Corey Kuhn is a post-doctoral fellow at Sandstone Psychological Practice in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and completed her Clinical Internship at Texas A&M University's Student Counseling Center. She has worked with teams, athletes, and performers to enhance performance and is dedicated to helping others more fully experience what it means to be human. She is an adviser to Inside8®.

All stories by: Corey K

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