7 Foolproof Tips for Mental Detoxification

With so much to do on our daily schedules, it's easy to forget the most important component of our well-being, mental health. Mindset is everything. It is what separates the best from the rest. Without a healthy mentality, chances of everything else in your life going well are slim to none. Taking time to reflect and process your thoughts is very important. Having an unclear mind could cloud your judgement and cause mental issues such as anxiety. Detoxing mentally is a great way to maintain a healthy mindset. It is very important to train our minds to see the good in everything. The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. In this self-care post, I will be sharing seven ways in which I detox mentally. I don't only use these methods to detox, I also practice them regularly as part of my self-care routine.

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified psychologist, therapist or anything of that sort. The contents of this article are based solely on my experiences and opinions.

1. Switch off your phone and have some Me Time

Forget about the tea on the tl and spend some time by yourself. Social media is great and all but in order to be at your mental best, you need to spend some time reflecting and analysing your thoughts. You don't have to write anything down, just reflect. Reflecting will help you clear your mind, which will give you peace. You can't be at your mental best with a crowded mind.

Ask yourself the following questions:

- What's my current state of mind?
- How have I been feeling lately?
- Is there anything that has been stressing me out lately?

When it comes to your thoughts and emotions, DO NOT use avoidance as a coping mechanism. Avoidance only gives room for bad experiences to come back and bite you when you least expect it. It's best to face your demons and deal with your issues no matter how unpleasant it may make you feel. It will be difficult at first but it will definitely be worth it. Take it one step at a time, like Jordan Sparks and all will be well.

2. Mediate

Yes, you don't have to be into yoga in order for you to meditate. Meditating can just be you sitting by yourself and thinking. There are many kinds of meditation that you can practice. Meditating will help you exhale negativity and inhale positivity.

My favourite meditations are:

•Loving Kindness Meditation - this type of meditation allows you to focus your energy on the warmth of love, kindness and other positive feelings.

•Transcendental Meditation - this type of meditation promotes a state of relaxation by helping you avoid distracting thoughts and feelings.

• Mindfulness - this type of meditation trains you to focus on what you're thinking and feeling at that particular moment.

Some benefits of meditation are:

• Reduced anxiety due to the loosening of particular neural path ways.

• Improvement in memory.

• Promotes creativity.

• Lowering the release of the stress hormone, cortisol.

• Improves concentration ability.

• Improves self control ability.

• Promotes emotional balance.

3. Write in a journal

Journaling is my FAVOURITE detoxing method. There is just something about writing down your thoughts and emotions. I use my journal to write almost everything.

Here's a list of things you can write in your journal:

•Goals

Setting goals for yourself will give your life purpose and something to look forward to. Writing them down on paper will increase the chances of you actually working towards them. By writing them down, you'll also be able to track your progress. Set short, medium and long term goals. Make sure they're time bound. Realistically time bound. Don't set unrealistic deadlines to avoid being disheartened when you fail to meet them.

Here's a guide to setting smart goals:

# Specific - be VERY specific about what you want. For example, it's abs that you want, be clear on how you want them to look. Do you want Teyana Taylor abs or Kendall Jenner abs? It's very important to be specific because it makes you able to figure out the necessary steps you should take to achieve your goal.

# Measurable - goals that aren't measurable make it difficult to keep track of your progress. Not being able to keep track of your goals will lead to quick loss of motivation.

# Attainable - Set attainable goals. This doesn't in any way suggest that there is anything wrong with dreaming big. However, setting goals that you know are impossible to achieve isn't a good idea since it could have a bad toll on your self-esteem.

# Realistic - Setting realistic goals is similar to setting attainable goals. For example, setting a goal to get Teyana Taylor abs in one week is unrealistic. Setting realistic goals will also help you realise that your goals are possible to achieve.

# Time Bound - Give yourself enough time to achieve your goals. There is no need to rush things. Great things take time so be patient with yourself. Don't set time timelines based on other people's lives. Remember, own race, own lane, own pace.

You could start by writing down your dreams and then an action plan (goals) to achieving them. If writing isn't your thing, record your goals and listen to the recording often to keep working towards them.

•Motivational Quotes

You can use your journal to write down your favourite motivational quotes. Motivational quotes come in handy on days when you're not feeling motivated or inspired. They remind you why you're doing what you're doing, and that giving up is not an option.

Here are a few of my faves:

- "Practice like you've never won and play like you've never lost."  ~Michael Jordan

- "If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one." ~ Dolly Parton

- "The key to success is to start before you're ready."

- "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." ~ Maya Angelou

- "Be the kind of woman that makes other women want to up their game." ~ Morden Minx

•Venting

My favourite thing to do in my journal is to vent. I share all my troubles with my journal and I feel much lighter afterwards. This is a great technique, especially for people who struggle opening up to people about their problems. Journaling is free therapy. Try it.

4. Learn to do something new

Before I write anything else about this, I want you to know that whatever you decide to learn DOES NOT have to be in alignment with your future or current field of work. We're living in an All Work No Play World and it's so annoying at times. If you're a medical student and are interested in learning a thing or two about business, go for it. If your new hobby is in alignment with your future or present, great. But, don't beat yourself up if it's not. Your hobby should be an escape from this big bad world. It should be something that makes you happy.

5. Write a list of things you're grateful for

A grateful mind, is a happy mind. Instead of focusing on all the things that you need but don't have yet, focus on all the things that you actually do have already. The list could include something as "basic" as having access to clean drinking water. It's so easy to take certain things for granted, especially if you feel entitled to them. We sometimes forget how grateful to have those things. Some people aren't that lucky. Next time you feel like throwing yourself a pity party, remember how fortunate you are to even be in this world.

6. Listen to your favourite music

Turn on some A-Reece...I mean your favourite music and get in your zone. I promise it will improve your mood. Music has been one of my escapes since I was a child and it works like a charm.

Some of the benefits of listening to music are:

• Music boosts your mood due to it's release of the feel good neurochemical, dopamine.

• Your blood pressure falls (or rises) depending on the speed and type of music you listen to. This doesn't mean you should stop doing cardio though.

• When it comes to exercising, it's been proven that music helps you push harder and longer due to it's effect on your physical capacity and arousal.

• Music can lower anxiety and encourage relaxation.

7. Work on building a positive mindset

Your mind will always believe everything you feed it. Feed it gentleness, love and positivity. There will be bad days, lots of them. However, you shouldn't let them discredit all the progress you have made.

Here are a few tips on:

• Stop focusing on the things you can't change or control. Focus on everything that you can change and work on accepting what you can't.

• Refrain from negative self talk.

• Refrain from over thinking

• Stop dwelling on your past mistakes

Indulging in your guilty pleasures is also a good idea. However, these guilty pleasures should not be detrimental to your health.

Take mental breaks as often as possible. Instead of reacting to every thought, try letting it go. Detoxing mentally is a good thing. However, you shouldn't overwhelm yourself then counter act it by having a mental detox. Always stay active and conscious in your mental space. Remember, happy mind, happy life.