It's already been more than a week into the new year and we hope you have stayed true to your New Year's Resolutions. This is the time of year when we reflect back and set goals for the year ahead. We want to help you in managing your promises and set out a plan which will make your goals realistic and achievable. Strategy: start with a detox! What we all need, in every phase and plan, is to detox our body, mind, and lifestyle to bring out any desired change.
The Importance of Detoxing
Becoming healthy is the most common resolution we all tend to make, and is also the basis on which many other resolutions depend on. After all, without vibrant health and wellness, how can we begin to enjoy life to the fullest?
Detox is not merely a cleansing of the body, but actually a change in lifestyle and the habit of adopting positive practices, which will recharge the mind and soul. Only when we align physically, mentally and emotionally, we can live life to complete contentment.
Here are some simple steps to start your journey with:
1. Cleanse your body: After the holidays and the indulgence in wine and brownies, it only makes sense to cleanse your body. So, a good week or two of kicking caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, added sugars, gluten, dairy, etc. is just the thing to put back into a virtuous spot. Opt for juices, smoothies and add as many veggies and fruits you can in your diet. We encourage plant-based diets that are beneficial for individuals and the planet. Maybe you can begin with a small step like being a vegetarian for one day of the week.
2. Get into an exercise routine: Start working out three times a week and increase it gradually. Ultimately, energy produces energy, the more a person works out, the more clarity, focus, concentration, strength, and stamina the body can produce. Choose an activity of your choice, it can be a morning walk, or swimming, yoga, or even dance to activate each cell of your body and leave you with happiness and satisfaction.
3. Regulate your sleep schedule: Though the holiday times are meant to relax, we also loosen up on our healthy habits. Now is the time to get back on schedule and get enough sleep so that your body can repair and heal itself. Set your sleep routine, enjoy some quiet time before going to bed and give your body the rest it deserves.
4. Meditation: Practice some mindfulness. Meditation, even if it's for 5 minutes a day, can give you some much-needed headspace to gain some calm and serenity. Meditation isn't becoming a different or new person. It's about self-awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You're not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You're learning to observe them without judgment and eventually, you may start to better understand them as well.
5. Digital detox: It's time to keep all the electronics in the other room, and be offline and present in the moment. Staying away from digital media will improve your attention span, focus, relations, and sleep quality. Time to give this a shot and start with an uncomplicated schedule. Be present in the moment, in conversations with your family and friends and take this opportunity to step out in nature and hear the beautiful sounds that surround us.
6. Eliminate unhealthy food: Avoid junk foods. Eating unhealthy food has various negative impacts, including on the environment too. The transportation, packaging, and emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during the preparation of fast foods, along with the high percentage of wastage involved in junk food, are too high for us to ignore. Use all the items that already exist in your cupboard to prepare daily food. Look for recipes with ingredients you already have, this way no food will go to waste and you may even start learning how to prepare new dishes!
7. Hydrate: The solution for more energy, better digestion, glowing skin, improved mood, weight loss, a healthy heart and so much more can be achieved by drinking water and staying hydrated. Keep a count of the number of glasses you are consuming to reach your daily goal. Always carry a reusable bottle with you so that you can hydrate even on the go!
8. Take a bath: This may sound extremely simple, but taking a bath is considered as one of the best ways to detoxify. In fact, in Asian culture, a total cleansing of the body is practiced which relieves mental and emotional stress. Soak in warm water to improve blood circulation.
9. Use essential oils: Essential oils have been used over many centuries to alleviate common problems such as insomnia, irritability, headaches, and depression, working by scent and by absorption. To destress, choose oils for their calming and rebalancing properties.
10. Breathe: Fill your body with deep breaths and it will fill you with peace and positivity. There's a magic in this simple action, if you focus and concentrate only on your breath for five minutes daily, it will leave you with so much more and enable you to become a better version of yourself. This simple routine is taken for granted by the majority of us, and this is the practice that can completely change our day and eventually our life. Breathing exercises improve blood flow, increases energy levels, improves posture and helps relax the mind and body.
Life is so endlessly beautiful; we should try to be fit mentally and spiritually to enjoy it to the fullest. Detox, destress and deflate all the toxins in your life and start this year on a positive note. Detoxing emotionally is always tough and there will always be good days and bad days, but just remember that it is a process and it will take time.
Empty old thoughts, emotions, and words in your mind and soul, and allow your heart to start a new journey.