This time of year inevitably brings up spring cleaning plans of the physical space, both body and home. But that wasn’t enough for me and I began a month-long focus on spring cleaning from the inside out.
Including a detox of the mind.
de·tox
verb – to rid the body of poisonous substances
How do you know if your mind needs a detox?
Notice how often you think negative thoughts (yes, these are poisonous substances.)
Notice how often you compare, criticize and complain.
With enough time, these ways of being become habitual and toxic, and left alone long enough they will become default; like running on auto-pilot. Which wouldn’t be so bad except this pilot does not have your well-being as a priority.
You may not realize how much that auto-pilot (aka: lizard brain) has taken over your thinking. You may not yet have connected that drained feeling you often experience to the thoughts you repeatedly think and the stories you live like the truth.
Mostly, you probably think if you just took better care of your body you’d have more energy. But it’s not that simple because you are a system, a trinity of mind, body and spirit and if one part is neglected it has an impact on the whole.
Just like the crap that accumulates in your body when you don’t take care of yourself, your mind gets bogged down by crap of another kind, and rather than pretend it’s not there, sweep it out and make room for something new.
So where do you begin this detox?
Grab paper and pen, and a quiet spot. Consider the following questions, and write down anything that comes to mind. Tell the mad critic in your head to take a nap and just write down whatever comes up.
What do you wish you’d never done?
What do you wish you could forget?
How do you punish or beat yourself up?
What do you wish you could do differently?
What actions have you taken that you now regret?
Notice and keep writing.
Breathe and keep writing.
Write it out as a list, don’t get too caught up in the story of it.
What’s your reason (the real reason) for hanging on to your old beliefs?
Let it all out. From your head through your fingertips, onto the paper.
It can be challenging to get this crap out of your head. Stay with it; you won’t die from discomfort.
And now that it’s been transferred to paper, you can begin to see it for what it really is.
Poisonous, toxic waste.
Clients tell me it usually seems so ridiculous once they see the crap on paper, and the stories begin to fall apart.
Keep that fresh clear space in your head free by using this exercise to continue adding to the list on that paper. The more you get these toxic thoughts and stories out of your head, the more space you create in your mind and the more you’ll cause a shift in your overall thinking.
Because here’s the truth. . .
“If you don’t take care of this the most magnificent machine that you will ever be given. . .where are you going to live?” – Karyn Calabrese
Great tips: great exercise. I choose to live my life with no regrets. Sure, I can lament something, but I never wish for a “do over”, because I am where I am as a result of where I’ve been, and even on the crappiest days, I always say: “I lead a blessed life”. So although I don’t hold toxic waste in my being, Spring cleaning is always a good thing for any bits of debris that might be floating around, consciously or unconsciously. Great reminder. Cheers! Kaarina
@KDillabough It’s like clearing the dust bunnies 😉
@Sandi Amorim Great visual:)
@Sandi Amorim Great visual:)
Great tips: great exercise. I choose to live my life with no regrets. Sure, I can lament something, but I never wish for a “do over”, because I am where I am as a result of where I’ve been, and even on the crappiest days, I always say: “I lead a blessed life”. So although I don’t hold toxic waste in my being, Spring cleaning is always a good thing for any bits of debris that might be floating around, consciously or unconsciously. Great reminder. Cheers! Kaarina
Holy cow you are speaking to me today. I wrote today about the burden of our yesterdays and finding our truths today. It’s something I struggle with daily (HECK – we ALL do!) I love this detox exercise and will certainly be implementing it into my daily quiet time.
@Crayon Wrangler I once did a course where we were asked to write out a story we had about ourselves and then read it aloud to another. Over and over, we had to read it aloud and how you knew you got it was when you began to laugh and see the story as ridiculous! This is kind of the first step 🙂
Jesus, woman. How do you do it? This is MEANT for me right now, in this very moment. I can literally feel my hunched shoulders relax as I read this. Thank you so much. You are beautiful 🙂 I heart you plenty! Mwah!
@otitiovuewhorie I think we fireballs have a psychic link 😉
Great post Sandi! Love the idea of a mind detox!!! When you don’t take care of your mind, it eventually shows up as physical symptoms in your body! The two are intimately connected!
YES! Intimately connected, like working on just one won’t make the difference like working on the whole system!
YES! Intimately connected, like working on just one won’t make the difference like working on the whole system!
It’s tough living in my body when it’s downwind of the toxic waste dump my mind can sometimes be. Lizzie’s fears and rage (just covered up fear) really start to stink after a while. I had a recent experience with it — no sleep for two nights, rapid heartbeat, elevated blood pressure. Not good. Then I told Lizzie to stop spewing her garbage all over my mind. As she slinked out the door of the attic of my mind, I opened up all the windows and let in the fresh air and sunshine. Then I swept and I swept and I swept all those fears right out of there. How? By taking action instead of talking and thinking. I feel SO much better. And Lizzie is quiet, at least for now.
@Carol Hess Lizzie just wants to be heard. Writing it all down and getting it out of your head does that. It’s when we try to ignore the fear and disempowering thoughts that becomes the problem!
Moral of the post: Get out of your head!
Me again. Hey! What ‘s this I’m seeing over in the right sidebar? Nominated for the Ninjamatic Canadian Weblog Awards of 2012? I have no idea what that is (ignorant southerner that I am), but it sounds very, very cool. Congratulations, Sandi! When did this happen? Am I coming late to the party?
@Carol Hess I got the notification back in February which seems early given it’s for the year 2012. But I’ll take the nomination thank you very much 😉
@Carol Hess I got the notification back in February which seems early given it’s for the year 2012. But I’ll take the nomination thank you very much 😉
For whatever reason I’m in a very good place with very little regret or ‘unfinished’ business. I’m thankful for what I do have and focus on that. It might sound hokey, but I think it’s pretty good to be me right now. I really don’t hang onto much……..
Good advice though as I know many have trouble letting some of these things go; to the point it affects their health. Maybe this will get them going in the right direction.
@bdorman264 Thanks Bill! I’d love to hear more about how you’ve learned this way of being, because believe it or not, it’s not that common.
@Sandi Amorim Prescription meds………….
Without being too melodramatic, losing both of my parents helped me gain perspective on what really is important in life. Also, you might have seen me write about my volunteer efforts with the Guardian ad Litem program.
I’ve seen what ‘reality’ is and know I’m pretty damn lucky and blessed. I’m comfortable being content with that.
Sometimes people just ‘think’ they have problems.
@bdorman264 Yes, I totally agree. Often the thinking about the problems is greater than any problems that may actually exist! Brilliant!
@bdorman264 That reminds me of something I heard about how Sydney Banks became “enlightened.” One day he was complaining to a friend about how insecure he was, and the friend said, “You’re not insecure, Sid — you just think you are.” This marinated around in his head for a day or two and then he had a huge awakening about Mind, Thought, and Consciousness.
If only it were easy to remember that it’s all thought, when it all looks so real sometimes!
I love the way you put it, Bill — and I will remember that the next time I “think” I have a problem!
@bdorman264 Thanks Bill! I’d love to hear more about how you’ve learned this way of being, because believe it or not, it’s not that common.
Oh Sandi, what a beautiful exercise for my “spring cleaning!” I have noticed lately feelings of resentment that have been filling my head (body, soul, EVERYTHING!) with toxicity, and I will sit down tomorrow in my backyard sanctuary to let it out and let it go. I <3 your reminders!
@MyMiBoSo I wish I could sit in your backyard sanctuary with you! Imagine the wonderful clearing we could do together 🙂
It’s so easy to get caught up in the big deal of body cleansing, eating the exact right foods , etc. But none of it does a speck of good if all this toxic sludge is still cluttering up our thoughts. Love this exercise!
@saraho Yes, that’s it exactly. We become fixated on the physical but if we don’t clean out these mental dust bunnies, it’s all for nothing.
I love the idea of not only making that list, but then sitting down with every negative or self-defeating item on the list and asking “Is that true? Is the story I’m telling myself about that true?”
They usually aren’t!
@LynnHess Oh. My. God. The stories we tell are so rarely true it’s laughable. I think that’s why Byron Katie’s work works so brilliantly! It’s really hard to get past “Is that true?” 🙂