7 Things a Life-Detox Taught Me
I am sure you are wondering — what is a life detox?
Let me start with the basic definition of a detox. A detox is a process or period in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances.
For me, this meant:
Life Detox = Social Media Detox + Decluttering the Home + Decluttering the Mind + Detoxifying the body + Cleanse Life
I know it sounds a lot but trust me the journey is worth it.
When I started my detox on July 10th, 2017, I intended to do a Social Media Detox. The last time I went a month without social media in my life, I realized just how much I was missing out on by being “connected.” So much of my work in marketing on social media plays an integral part in my daily activities, But I had to be honest with myself and admit that I get easily distracted! I am sure you too must have caught yourself watching videos or reading things that have no value to you, but you do it anyway. Right?
I believe we all know what is right for us, but small habits are often the toughest to break. If you want to grow and make every moment of your life worth it, then it’s time to break up with daily activities that drain your energy and motivation and do something different.
When I decided to detox my life, my daily adjustments followed this pattern:
Social Media Detox — Allocate time 10–20 mins every day to use all social media and connect related apps like — What’s App, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.…
Declutter the Home — Keep everything in its place, the moment you touched it, be sure to put it back where it belongs. It takes just a min to do that.
Decluttering the Office — Anything that you do not need , delete or trash it. Unsubscribe from the email lists that you dismiss.
Decluttering the Mind — Stay happy. Meditate. Let go of any thoughts that hold you back.
Detoxifying the Body — Eat right, eat healthy. You do not have to go on a diet. Just eat on time and respect your body. Exercise for minimum 15–30 mins every day. Drink a lot of water.
Cleanse Your Life — In life, there are two types of people: those who bring positive energy and those who bring negative energy. In cleansing your life , spend more time with the energizers and reduce your time with the drainers. (More often than not, those who drain us the most are the ones we love. So, try and focus on only the good and helpful information they give you — rest let go.)
In my journey of forty-five days of detox, I learned these seven things about life:
1. You have more time : Checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and What’s App just for 20 mins of the day in total made me realize that I had so much free time. I was suddenly not very “busy.” My complaints of “I don’t have time” vanished.
2. Clarity : When you have a sudden free time at the start you may not know what to do, and the temptations are higher to go back to check the phone. If you can suppress your temptation, you will be able to see everything around you. Everything in the home and office gets noticed. You may even find that journal that you once bought to pen down your ideas and start writing again, or you may return to your lost hobby.
3. Increased Productivity: When clarity and time are present, productivity increases. I am doing so much more with the time I have. It has also helped my business grow. It did break my old notion that being continually active online brings more business; instead, when my Social Media Detox started my creativity shot up miraculously.
4. Life is Beautiful: When I am decluttering my home & office every day, I felt more relaxed. I also realized that I am not carrying my emotion and stress from one place to another when the space around me is bright. Decluttering helps me subconsciously in thinking about being more intentional with my space and time.
5. I needed more time for self-development : As my Social Media time was limited, I had that extra ten mins a day just to read 2–3 pages of the book I wanted to read for a long time. I signed up for courses or training that aided in my process as well, just to make good use of the time.
6. More Family Time : As all work was done when I started my detox, I had more time to spend with the family. I had a moment to see and notice how others around me felt. I was able to see what was needed. As a result, my relationships with those around me improved tremendously.
7. New Confidence : I am a confident person. However, I realized the dedicated 30 mins of exercise and meditation, brought forth in a new level of confidence in me. Smiling at strangers became easier than ever. Stepping out to go for a coffee or meet up and connecting with others was easy.
BONUS! Happiness : I started noticing that I was happy without any reason. Though I had piles of work to do , when I looked at those piles, I felt motivated to get them knocked out. Complaints seemed to have vanished and been replaced with the feeling of happiness from within.
Honestly, everything I have learned and received is related. If you have someone who can help you in this journey start it together or find someone who will hold you accountable. Accountability gives you the boost of motivation. If you want to know more about the detox, you can always connect with me or make me your accountability partner. I believe in you!
