When you hear the word “Stress” everybody immediately thinks about emotional stress. This is only partially true. There are actually 3 types of stress and they affect the body in the same way, they are Physical Stress, Chemical Stress, and Emotional Stress.
Granted, emotional stress can throw off the other 2 in the big way and just like when our body is overwhelmed by chemical stressors, it is a good idea to detox. We can do the same thing with emotional stressors!
“Doesn’t our body detox on its own?” Is a question that I get a lot. Even though the answer is yes, sometimes we need help. Think of your kitchen sink. Do you ever need to help it drain? Of course! How come people don’t ask themselves “doesn’t the sink drain on its own?” before they hit the button for the garbage disposal? Well it is because they know that there is something clogging the drain that is causing it to back.
Think of the body the same way. Even though a big job of the liver is to detox the body, in A LOT of people there is clogging that has happened and we just need to help it along. Same thing with our mind, when we get bombarded with finances, relationships, jobs, Covid, elections, etc. We need to detoxify our mind. So how do we do it?
Here are 3 super simple ways to detox your mind on a daily basis:
Get out in nature: Do you ever just feel energized when you take a hike in the woods? I normally get a resounding “Yes.” This is because there is a energy, a frequency, in nature that truly recharges our batteries. Breathe fresh air, let the sun hit your face, listen to the birds sing. These things naturally de-stress and detoxify our mind.
Turn off your cell/TV: Social media, news media, television ads. It is amazing how these sources invoke a reaction, and normally a negative reaction. So that causes stress and anxiety. There is a hidden source of stress here, and that is the blue light these devices emit. Constant exposure to blue light throws of melatonin and alters your ability to get deep restful sleep. Try to not use a device within an hour of bedtime.
Live in Gratitude: Writing in a Gratitude Journal daily when you wake up and before you go to sleep. This sets the town to live in the emotion of gratitude and when that happens your body is in a more natural state of relaxation. This doesn’t have to be amazingly deep or profound things to be grateful for, a lot of times I write “I am so happy and grateful for my sense of sight, so I can see all of the beauty this world has to offer.” Things as simple as this set up your day, and finish off your day in gratitude.
Let me know what you think once you’ve done a little Mind Detox? I would love to hear your comments and questions.
In Health,
Dr. Cody