Toxicity comes in many forms; from the air we breathe to the food we eat, the people we spend time with to the thoughts in our own heads...it's no wonder so many of us are running around on autopilot, feeling out of sorts, depleted and run down.
BUT.... we don't have the time or energy to waste on the things that run us down my friends!
News Flash...2020 is only 6 months away and if you're going to successfully crush those goals, feel your best and up level your life then you have to buckle down, do the work and get rid of the things that are energetically, emotionally, physically and mentally weighing you down.
Normally, in the yoga and wellness world, the thought of detoxing conjures up images of lemon water, sage baths, hot yoga, clean eating and long conscious exhales with your charged up crystals in hand, and while those are all lovely things that truly DO aid in the detoxing process, this post is not going to be about THAT. No my friends, we're jumping off the "woo woo" train for a minute (though no hating on the "woo woo" train as I'm personally a BIG fan) and talking in more practical terms that even my crystal booing, yoga hating friends (yes you'd be surprised but I actually DO have a few of those...and more than you'd think) can appreciate and actually digest. And its good for us "woo woo" fairies to get our head out of the clouds from time to time and our feet back on the ground so here. we. go!
These are a few of my favorite simple and highly accessible strategies that you can implement today to begin your mid year life cleanse:
1. Stop people pleasing.
Our energy is finite and if we find ourselves constantly saying YES to everything we won't have enough of it to spend on the things we value most. Prioritize your goals, needs/desires and eliminate anything that's not serving those things. You cannot be everything to everyone so stop over filling your schedule with busy work and excess social gatherings that are getting you nowhere and are only wasting your precious time and energy. If something is depleting you so much that you don't feel as though you have enough energy to truly make substantial progress with your life's goals then it's too expensive. You don't have to say Yes to every invite. Sometimes a NO is the kindest, most aligned thing you can so for yourself. The world doesn't need another burned out human running around on autopilot trying to make everyone happy. The world needs you to reserve your energy for the things that ignite your passions so that you can light it back up with your unique gifts and presence. The two questions you should always ask yourself before you do anything are 1) "does this raise or reduce my energy? and 2) Is this in alignment with the life I'm trying to create for myself?" If it's depleting you and not in alignment with your goals then cut it out.
2. Squash those negative thoughts.
You may get a temporary ego boost every time you judge Sally from work who just can't seem to get her shit together, but SPOILER ALERT, you're not here to live Sally's life and figure out Sally's problems for her, so stop spending your energy on her or anyone else. You're here to live YOUR life and get YOUR shit together, so stay in your lane and stop distracting yourself. And no, you narcissists....you're not perfect and you of all people probably have the MOST work to do, so get off your high horse and get to work. And no, you out there with the low self esteem who's always beating your self up over everything, not bashing Sally doesn't translate into you bashing yourself instead, that's equally unproductive and is seriously self destructive so cut it out and give yourself a break!
Negative thoughts weigh us down big time and keep us from the good feelings that help promote growth, joy, love and success. I'm not saying you should NEVER have a negative thought (that's extreme, impossible and also a bit creepy?) but I am saying to not let your negative thoughts be in the driver's seat for too long. Pause, pay attention and observe your thought patterns. If negativity is doing the majority of the steering then it's time to pick a new driver with a sunnier disposition. When we let negative thoughts take the wheel too often, that kind of thinking becomes habitual. Complaining and judging become the crutch that we rely on to keep us from taking responsibility for our own actions. By blaming others, we take the spotlight off of ourselves and give ourselves an excuse to not do the work needed to grow and thrive at our most optimal level. It's self sabotaging at it's core and something us humans are all pretty adept at. All people have it, the difference is, the truly happy, thriving ones are just better at reframing their thinking when they start to go down the negativity spiral. How do they do that? By focusing on what IS working rather than what isn't (there is literally always a silver lining to every situation) and on what they're grateful for. Gratitude makes you a magnet for miracles. A grateful heart attracts abundance in every aspect of one's life. Try to pause and notice when you're riding the low vibe negativity train. When you become aware that you are, take a deep breath and try to redirect your thoughts to something positive. It takes PRACTICE. Every. Single. Day. And initially it can feel forced or fake, but the more you do something the more natural and accessible it becomes. It will be begin to feel less forced and more authentic with time and with consistency of effort it will restructure your thought patterns. What we put out is what we get back, so the higher the frequency of your thoughts the more you'll attract what you desire.
3. Clean up your friend list.
Is this person on your team or are they hating on the sidelines and secretly hoping you fail? Deep down inside you know the answer to that question whether you like to admit it to yourself or not. If they're not cheering when you succeed then they're haters and you don't have time for haters and anyone who is not in total support of you. You are a product of your environment so make yours a kind and loving one where the people in your tribe are excited and happy for you...always. Ditch dead end relationships that are only draining and not filling your cup. Stop trying to make people like you who are committed to misunderstanding you. Not everyone is going to "get" you and that's OK. Instead of trying to translate your beautiful, unique language to someone who doesn't speak it, let go of those individuals and make space for the people that are vibing on your level and you on theirs...that's where the magic happens.
4. Marie Kondo your home.
Why are you stuck and in a rut with the work project/relationship/health goal/fill in the blank? Maybe, just maybe, it's the piles of clutter and excess crap you have laying around your house that's been quietly driving you more and more insane each and every day. You want it to be clean but who has time for that? Here's the thing, when we make things a priority we always find time for them, and our physical environment should always be a priority. Why? Because physical clutter creates mental clutter and when our mind is cluttered that clutter trickles down into all the other areas of our life so that nothing is functioning well. If you haven't worn it in a year, toss it (responsibly of course! Drop it off to the local thrift store or host a friend clothing swap party). If you look in your kitchen cabinets and see a big ol' mess, organize it! Clean, orderly, high functioning systems make for less stress and more productivity in all areas of our lives. And if this isn't something that comes naturally to you then either hire help (delegating is KEY to simplifying our lives) or watch the master Marie Kondo herself for some great tips on how to keep it tidy. Doing a 10-15 minute clean up 2 times a day can make the BIGGEST difference in the world for your home and your sanity and literally everyone can spare that much time. Just stop scrolling and binging on Netflix and see how much more time you have in the day for more productive endeavors which leads me too....
5. Stop mindless scrolling, binge watching, and consuming junk.
The digital detox... it's a serious thing that can't be avoided in a conversation about detoxing your life in the year 2019. We all have to start putting our phones down and out of sight more often...myself included. It's such a toxic time and energy suck that's so tempting because it's always right there at the tip of our fingers, tempting us with it's adrenal depleting blue light at any moment in time that we begin to experience the discomfort of silence or standing alone in line at the grocery store. God forbid we should have to just stand around or sit and do nothing? This constant need for stimulation leads to us spending hours on our phones which only results in consuming loads of mindless content which can then lead to wasting money on mindless online shopping for shit we don't need. And the more mindless we are about what we're consuming on our screens the more mindless behaviors we're likely to indulge in like stuffing our faces with processed foods that are packaged in plastic and made with ingredients that no one can pronounce. Literally chemicals. Sooooooo swap the processed food (that isn't even really food) for whole, organic ones that actually are and be intentional with your time spent on technology. Both these things are kind of a huge given that we all know we need to be more conscious of, but they can be some of the toughest habits to break and unfortunately can have the most detrimental, toxic affects on our heath, wellness and our bank accounts....thanks Amazon! All that time you spend scrolling, shopping and eating junk you could be starting a project, moving your body, engaging in an incredible conversation and applying your energy towards your priorities and your dreams. If you have a hard time setting screen time limits for yourself then try downloading an app such as In Moment or Space that can help keep you on track.
The weight of toxicity is real and effects us down to the cellular level. Cleansing your life of these toxic offenders is an act of self love and self care. In doing so you'll begin to feel an energetic weight lifted which will make space for more productivity and improved financial/physical/emotional/mental wellness. You should feel energized to live the life your heart wishes to create. You are beyond capable and worthy of living the life you dream of, but in order to manifest it you have to let go of whatever's weighing you down. It takes courage, it takes commitment, it takes effort and it takes vision...all of which you have inside you.
Happy cleansing you beautiful humans... 6 months until 2020. Just sayin...
