Everywhere we turn, there seem to be messages about the importance of periodically detoxing our bodies. But when was the last time someone encouraged you to detox your thoughts and mind? Probably never. Interesting yes, in light of all we know about the science behind the mind-body connection? As a psychologist, one of my goals is to change that. I have seen how our mental well-being is completely connected to our physical well-being. As a holistically oriented psychologist, I work with people to mentally clean house to access the rejuvenating and beneficial effects for overall health.
Over the course of a life, people experience periods of stress, grief, and self-doubt. Everyone gets lost in the grind of the to do lists, work demands, and the overall pressure of everyday life. For these reasons, our minds will benefit from a “detox” of sorts. This creates a mindset shift, helping us to feel rejuvenated and able to take on life’s twists and turns. The good new is that we have a great deal of control over our minds, if we treat them with care, compassion and intentionality.
Here are five simple steps to do your own “mental detox,” which I’ve found beneficial for both myself and my patients:
1. Cultivate acceptance and compassion.
Feelings, even difficult feelings, are a normal part of a healthy life. By now, you may have read the research outlining the brain’s natural response to human experience, namely to get anxious and stressed. This is an adaptive way of telling us there is something to pay attention to. By accepting that your feelings are simply part of the human experience, you create more space with which to deal with them, instead of stuffing them, ignoring them or otherwise denying them, inevitably causing them to pop up later in a more intense and problematic way.
One of the most effective ways to develop self-compassion is to treat your feelings like you’d treat a friend’s feelings, with support, understanding, and love. Free yourself of the extra burden of guilt or shame around your emotions by treating them with acceptance and compassion. How? Well, consider a consistent loving kindness meditation practice and good positive self talk. Remind yourself, this is only a feeling and not a fact. Feelings are not permanent and are certain to change or shift.
2. Pause and practice awareness.
Oftentimes, we are so preoccupied that we do not realize we need a mental detox. We are lost in the past or the anticipated future, so bringing present focused awareness to this need is critical. One way of determining what your mind needs is by listening to your body.
Our bodies give us direct information on our mental state at all times. When you bring intentional awareness to how your body feels, you will gain insight into what your mind needs. Take a moment to notice what you feel in your body, perhaps tension in the shoulders, tightness in your jaw, a racing heartbeat, or butterflies in your stomach. These sensations can empower you to connect with your mental or emotional needs, to calm, ground, refresh, and restore. To connect with the wisdom in your body, try using strategies such as a a full body scan or adjusting body posture and observing possible related changes in bodily sensation and mood.
3. Create real emotional connections.
Connecting with others is a wonderful way to improve physical health and balance emotions, while cultivating acceptance and compassion for your own feelings. Speaking your feelings to others (as distinct from complaining) helps the brain process them in a different and constructive way. When you open up honestly to others, you are vulnerable. While this may be uncomfortable, vulnerability actually connects us. This feeling of being connected amplifies mental well-being. So here’s your “prescription” to schedule a coffee, walk, basketball game, yoga or brunch date with a friend. Choose any activity where you have time to really tune in to each other and yourself….doctor’s orders!
4. Clear your space.
Clearing your mind doesn’t always have to be an inside job, done from the “neck up.” You can clear your mind by changing your environment. Clear your spaces by simply keeping the phone on silent for a few hours or by organizing your desk, your closet or a sleeping area. Or, big picture, trade in city living for an afternoon spent in nature. Actual physical and external changes have a positive impact on your internal state of being, so be mindful of who and what surrounds you.
5. Move and groove.
Have you ever read the book, “The Body Keeps the Score?” At its core, this book discusses the many ways our body holds our emotional difficulties, traumatic experiences and tension. Yes, we have been discussing the critical importance of a mind and emotional detox. But given the interconnectedness of the mind and body, the body can be just as effective an access point for creating a balanced, renewed state of mind. Choose your favorite movement…swimming may release endorphins restoring a sense of joy while gentle stretching or yoga may restore a sense of relaxation and ease. You can access your mental wellness through your physical wellness, so consider caring for the body as a way to care for the mind.
Bottom line:…detoxifying the mind is a full-body job. Building awareness and acceptance, cultivating compassion and connection, considering external changes, and attending to the body are all key to cleansing and caring for your mind. Each of these strategies is grounded in science and research, and can can be used alone or in combination. The key is that, just as detoxing one’s diet takes intention and effort, so does detoxing one’s mind. So be intentional about your mental detox, and be gentle with yourself on this journey.