Emotional Detox | Everything You Need To Know

If you feel that your feelings are all over the place and things are out of your control, you may be due for an emotional detox.

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Emotional Detox | the Whats, Hows, and Whys

What Is an Emotional Detox?

Emotional detox is like a food cleanse. When your body is full of harmful toxins that affect your health, you need to get rid of them, so your body can begin to heal.

Detoxing will help you purge your negative thoughts so positive feelings and thoughts can come in.

Why Do You Need an Emotional Detox?

With a clouded judgment and a distressed mind, you may see situations in a more negative light and act accordingly. This feeling is heavy and burdensome, and you may not feel like yourself.

A stressed and bothered mind not only affects you but also the other people around you. Things that do not usually irritate you may cause you to uncharacteristically angry.

An emotional detox will purge your mind of all the negativity so you can replace them with more positive ones. It will release you from your anger and help uplift your spirit. Detoxing may help you reconnect with yourself, sort your emotions, and help improve how you deal with them later on.

Are you ready to take care of your mental health?

How Can You Achieve an Emotional Detox?

1. Allow Yourself to Feel What You Feel

It's okay to feel down or burnt out sometimes. These feelings are normal, and everyone experiences them. What's important is how you process them and what you do with them.

Bring your emotions to light and tackle them head-on. Instead of fighting them, think about the following:

• What triggers these negative emotions?
• Why do I feel this way?
• Who makes me feel this way?
• Is this important to me? Why?

Don't suppress your emotions. Understanding why you felt them in the first place will help you understand yourself better.

2. Forgive and Forget

Holding a grudge hurts you more than the person that hurt you. Forgive, forget, and move on.

Forgiving the person does not mean you are excusing their actions. It's just a way of releasing yourself from hurtful feelings. You don't have to spare any more thoughts on whoever and whatever hurt you – and that's freedom.

Once you do, you may feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

3. Laugh Out Loud to Force an Emotional Detox

If you've heard someone say, “Just laugh it off,” it's because you should.

Research shows that laughing could be an alternative treatment to anxiety and depression. Trick your brain into a happier mindset by faking a laugh or smile. Even if you don't feel like it, your brain won't know.

4. Keep a Journal throughout Your Emotional Detox

Jot down everything you felt today. Actively thinking about it and scribbling your thoughts may force you to reveal how you felt. By bringing these thoughts forward, you can begin to work through them.

When you look back at your journal, you may find that your thought process and perspective may be different now than it was before. That could be a signal of growth and a healthy attitude.

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5. Talk to Other People

Getting outside perspective may help you sort through your thoughts and feelings.

A close friend or ally will allow you to express your feelings without judgment. They may even give you an outside perspective and help you judge things from a different light.

And sometimes, all you need is a good rant.

6. Learn to Communicate Your Feelings

Sometimes troubled thoughts build up inside is and evolve into pent-up anger. By communicating your feeling, you will feel heard and understood. It could also help clarify some misunderstandings.

7. Seek Professional Help

For some, a professional therapist may be the best person to speak with, especially if you are not comfortable sharing some secrets with family and friends.

A therapist offers discretion and a helpful conversation. He or she may be the best person to teach you how to communicate effectively.

Your therapist could help you identify specific emotions and determine how best to deal with them.

8. Figure Out the Healthiest Way to Deal With Hurtful Emotions

If you feel anger boiling inside you, find an outlet to express your emotions such as:

• journal
• count down to ten when you feel like you're about to say something hurtful
• breathing exercises
• yoga
• meditation
• therapy

Everyone will deal with their issues differently, but the key is to deal with them at all. These are things you can do to recharge and relax at the end of a stressful day. A calm mind with sound judgment will be able to handle stressful situations better.

Some studies show that yoga may help deal with stress and anxiety. It may make you more resilient in stressful conditions.

9. Surround Yourself with the Things That Make You Happy

Decorate your room with plants, a cozy rug, and family photos. Dedicate this room to the things that make you happy and knick-knacks that help put you at ease.

Applying some feng shui in your interior design may help bring happiness and harmony into your room. Some studies show that plants help de-stress and relieve anxiety.

The goal is to create a safe haven you can retreat to and relax in. After you detox, you can fill up on the things that bring you happiness.

10. Hydrate

While it's not yet conclusive, there are growing studies that show that water could help improve your mood.

If water isn't your cup of tea, maybe a cup of tea will do the trick. Some herbal teas that may help fight anxiety or stress such as:

• lavender
• chamomile
• green tea
• Centella Asiatica
• passiflora incarnata (purple passionflower)

Consider holding a tea party with your closest friends, so you hit two birds with one stone – hydration and socialization.

11. If You Stumble, Go Back to Square One of Your Emotional Detox

The path to emotional detoxing isn't linear. You may experience moments of personal growth as well as setbacks, and that's okay. What's important is that you stand back up and muster the willpower to go back to step one.