4 Spring Cleaning Tips to Detox Your Mind and Body

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As we spring clean and de-clutter our homes, it’s the perfect seasonal reminder to spring clean and detox our spirits, minds and bodies as well.

We’ve all heard about dietary detoxes. “Drink more kale juice,” our yogi squad tells us. “Stay away from added sugar,” our naturopath advises.

That’s all great, but real detoxing goes beyond what we physically put into our bodies. A true detox – the kind that makes us glow with inner joy – tackles not just food and nutrition, but also any emotional and spiritual toxins in our lives. Toxins, in any form, hold us back from reaching our happiest and healthiest potential.

Not sure where to start?

Use these four tips to cleanse yourself of common toxins for a happier, healthier life:

1. Feed the natural detox process

Our bodies already do a bang-up job of flushing out physical toxins, but no matter how healthy and strong our liver, kidneys and other organs are, our modern lifestyles can do a lot of damage. We can help by removing foods that introduce toxins into our bodies (such as sugary snacks), while simultaneously adding new, healthy foods to our diet that improve the strength of our detox organs.

Start by eating more fiber- and sulfur-rich foods like collard greens, broccoli, cabbage and kale. Fiber speeds up toxin and waste elimination, and a recent study in the Journal of Nutrition found that more than 90 percent of us don’t get enough of it.

Sulfur is necessary for our bodies to generate glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that plays a critical role in detoxification, boosts our liver health and protects the liver against damage.

2. Work yourself into a sweat

Get into Downward Dog to keep toxin levels in a downward trend. Our lymph nodes collect and process toxins and bacteria in our bodies. A good sweat session flushes toxin-laden lymph fluid and keeps us healthy.

We sweat out more than just physical toxins in the yoga room, though. A workout also empowers us to work out any negative feelings we may have built up throughout the day. Studies show that we experience a reduction in anxiety, stress, depression and other emotional toxins within the first few minutes of yoga and other forms of exercise.

3. Soothe out stress

Approximately 1 in 5 of us say we feel extremely stressed, and this number is on the rise. It might not be a ‘toxin’ the way we traditionally define the term, but the American Institute of Stress warns that chronic stress has been linked to 3 out of 4 doctor’s visits and may be one of the root causes behind more than 60 percent of common human illnesses.

Before we try to manage any symptoms of stress, we must take a look at what may be triggering this stress. Perhaps it’s something at work, or at home, or at school. Real healing dives deep into the root cause instead of only masking what’s on the surface. Have the bravery to love yourself so much that you’re willing to inspect any stress triggers and do what you can to replace them with healthier situations.

Once we start to feel stressed, following our breath – whether that’s by moving through a vinyasa flow or by simply practicing deep breathing – can soothe our nervous system’s fight-or-flight response.

Finally, stress-reducing foods that are rich in magnesium and vitamin C can support our journey to being more at peace.

4. Respect yourself enough to say goodbye to toxic friends

Our life experience is the sum average of the type of people we surround ourselves with. Research has shown that having healthy, positive friendships actually makes us physically healthier and even extends our lifespans. In several studies, bad relationships have had the exact opposite effect.

Check in with your spirit. What does the best version of you want to feel? Then, how do you feel when you’re with the people in your life? If the answers to these two questions don’t quite line up, have the courage to respect your divine self enough to set boundaries.

For those of us who have a hard time saying no, this may be the hardest “toxin” we have to face. But we must be authentic with ourselves and with others about what we need in our lives. Saying “yes” when we actually mean “no, not really” does not serve us. And it definitely doesn’t serve the person to whom we’re being disingenuous.

When we surround ourselves with people who will grow us and support us, and when we banish physical and emotional toxins, we are better able to feel and experience our best self and our best life.

Detoxing for life

Some say that cleanliness is next to godliness. Whether it’s in our physical space or within our spiritual and emotional space, we can honor our own divine presence and inner godliness by keeping our homes free of clutter, and our lives free from toxic influences and stresses, long after the spring-cleaning season has passed.