Spring Cleaning Pt. 3: Detox Your Mind

Most of us spend the vast majority of our time inside. According to one government estimate, the average American spends 90% of his or her life indoors, and as we get older we become even more inclined not to venture out.

Research is adding up : Spending time outdoors is showing multiple health benefits from increased Vit D levels to improved focus and quicker healing.(4)

Make this spring your best outdoor year!

The following are some examples to get started :

• Take a 5 minute walk after lunch or dinner. If you have easy access to a park or somewhere quiet with plants and animals, spend some time there quietly. Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese art of “Forest Bathing” invites us to spend time in nature, simply walking and taking in the sounds and sights around us.
• Lie on a hammock
• Shoot some hoops with your kids after school.
• If you have a dog, take your dog out on daily walks - it will benefit the both of you!

If you enjoy writing, the habit of journaling and writing down your thoughts can be a powerful tool to incorporate into your day to help your mind destress. (5) 

Journaling has been shown to reduce stress and improve symptoms of various ailments from asthma to rheumatoid arthritis. (6)

“I write because it makes me feel like someone’s listening. -or maybe I am finally listening to myself.” ~ Shubhangi Swarup

Set aside a dedicated time and space for you to sit down daily to write out all your thoughts into a journal. 

Some favorites include “The Morning Pages” or “Gratitude Journal” but there are no fixed rules on what you write. 

Simply getting your thoughts down on paper can free up space in your mind which helps us to feel more relaxed. 

In juggling all the pieces of our lives such as holding up our responsibilities to family, friends, work, our health, our financial well-being, as well as trying to lead a full and satisfying life, it sometimes does not take much to unsettle the delicate balance of the forces that keep our worlds revolving. We often find ourselves wobbling and struggling to right the course. This can lead to worry, tension and stress build up. 

How do we find our way back?

With mounting evidence on the benefits of a mindfulness practice on health, longevity, happiness and various other markers, this free and simple method of Mind Detox needs no equipment and is not dependent on the weather. (9) 

To begin, pick a quiet, dedicated space that is beautiful, calm, and free of clutter and distractions. It could be as simple as a corner in the far end of the house away from home traffic, or as elaborate as an entire room dedicated to meditation. 

Use this space every time you sit to practice as this will help condition your mind to prepare for a quiet session every time you enter into this space.

Pick a meditation practice that you enjoy and resonate with.

• If you like guided meditation, use one of the many free apps that are available now. 
• If you prefer to focus on your breath, set a timer to do that for several minutes. 
• If you prefer, you can simply sit in silence with your eyes closed, while you observe all thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations that appear.
• If you are not into a sitting, quiet meditation, you can still practice being still by doing activities like journalling, coloring, chanting, reading uplifting and self reflection books, woodworking or knitting, or playing a musical instrument. 

As you sit down at your dedicated space to do these activities, focus your thoughts and attention only on the activity that is being done.

Earthing, also known as grounding, allows us to directly connect our bodies with the Earth and use its natural electric charges to stabilize us.

Earthing research suggests reduced pain, stress, and inflammation and an improvement of overall mental well-being.(7) (8) This technique restores the connection between the body and the electrical currents of the earth. 

Earthing is super simple to do. Sitting, lying, standing or walking with direct skin contact with the ground is the easiest way to connect with the earth. 

You may want to do this after lunch when the sun is out and the day is warm. It could be the first thing you do in the morning, stepping outside on the dewy grass. Pick a time that works for you to help motivate you to stick to it. 

In order to get into a deeper state of self-reflection and mental clarity, it pays to detach from the nonstop electronic and social demands of daily life. 

There is growing evidence on the dangers of EMF exposure to our health which could be another reason for us to take breaks from our devices. (10)

Carve out time away from your smartphone, access to social media, and the steady stream of texts, calls, and emails. 

When you are at the mercy of notifications, it means you are living according to someone else’s agenda. When you detach from these things, you are in charge of your time. 

The best way to do this is to set up tech-free boundaries in advance. 

Here are some ways to do this daily: 

• Go for a walk every day without your phone.
• Silence your notifications and phone for a one- or two-hour window every day.
• Disconnect from electronics 30 minutes before bedtime each night and don’t reconnect until a specified time each morning (i.e. after your workout, meditation, or conversation with spouse).