Yeah, yeah, yeah. Resolutions. Reset. Eat better. Cut out sugar. Stop drinking. Blah. Well, there is a lot more to detox than your food diet, and I will argue that some of these are more important than what you put in your mouth. A detox is where you get rid of unhealthy substances, and your mind, body and soul allll need a detox to function properly! Here are three January detox routines that have nothing to do with food.
Hair
Shampoo. Conditioner. Detangler. Heat protectant. Dry Shampoo. Smoothing Serum. Hair Spray. Those are all the products I use on my hair in an average day. That’s a lot of gunk going onto my strands and clogging up my hair folicles, and TBH none of it is natural. I try to avoid artifical colors and flavors in my food, but never really thought about what I am putting in my hair (which, duh, is part of my body).
I tried natural shampoo and conditioner, and it definetly takes some getting used to. Since my hair is quite thin and chemically lightened (which I will probably never give up, I tried!), it gets weighed down easily. At first, my hair felt heavy and the ends were a bit dry. I’ve heard that it takes your scalp/hair time to adjust to the new routine, and with a little time, your hair will be healthier than ever. This is one of those detox routines that take time to work, but stick with it to see if it could be a long-term success.
I started applying hair oil to the ends of my strands, and also switched to a natural dry shampoo that doesn’t contain talc. Also, I have been trying to cut down on products with synthetic fragrance since it isn’t a regulated ingredient. Ummm….I didn’t know that companies don’t have to disclose ingrediets in their fragrance since it is a “trade secret.” Natural fragrance, though, like peppermint oil or botanicals, are welcome in my haircare!
I was sent Captain Blankenship products to test out over the holidays, and was impressed by the ingredient list, commitment to tranparency, and their use of organically and domestically-grown ingredients when possible. My faves? The Mermaid Dry Shampoo (on sale now!) and the Mermaid Hair Oil. PS- all of the packaging is gorgeous, reminiscent of hand-drawn maps and tales of the sea.
I also use a scalp brush- don’t be fooled by the Instagram ads that try to get you to buy an expensive one. Mine from Amazon work just fine, and are two for nine bucks.
Digital
How in hell are you supposed to detox digitally when we depend upon devices for even the simplest things, like waking us up in the morning? I recently heard an interview with Jay Shetty in the topic of a digital detox, and he gave some helpful hints as to how he has accomplished it. This is a perfect plan for January detox routines of your own.
First off, he stresses Awareness as the first step. You need to know what you are dealing with before you can start to work on it. Are you even aware of how much/what you are consuming on a daily basis? The easiest way is to check your iPhone screentime- head to Settings>Screen Time>See All Activity. I love (hate) how this breaks out how much you use each app, and even what you are spending your time on (Social vs. Creativity vs. Other).
Jay also recommends creating “no tech times and zones” in your home. For example, most people set a no device zone for their kitchen and bedroom, since these are places where you connect most in person with people in your household. A no tech time could be for the first 30 minutes you wake, or for the last hour before bedtime. I also moved my least productive apps (Instagram and Facebook) away from the main screen on my phone, and shifted ones that encourage productivity (Podcasts) to the main screen.
In order for a detox to work, and not just a digital one, it needs to be done slowly. Going cold turkey doesn’t give you the highest shot at long-term success. Decide what you want to eliminate and do it slowly, over time. The big priority here is change, filled with many small steps.
Thoughts
“I’m a bad mom for locking myself in the bathroom and taking a timeout…for like an hour”
“My house should be clean. Everyone else’s house is clean”
“Why in the hell did I spend $8 on a latte? I’m so bad with money”
Yep, these are three thoughts that I had over the weekend. And they aren’t doing me any favors. Deep down, I know I’m not a bad mom and I shut myself in the bathroom so I don’t say something I will regret. My house isn’t clean because…it isn’t a priority for me. And I spent money on a latte because…well, I wanted it. And sometimes lattes are heaven in a cup.
But how do we detox our minds from these negative and self-harming thoughts? Here are a detox routines that I am trying for a mental reboot:
- Unfollowing anyone on social media that triggers negative thoughts, even if that is someone I care about.
- Do a brain dump- just write everything swirling in your brain. Sometimes, negative thoughts swirl in my head like background music. If I bring attention to them, write them down, and rationally analyze them, they can move on.
- Think carefully about who you associate with. Is there a co-worker who starts the day with listing of all the reasons why people suck? Does your partner just complain the minute they walk in the door from work? Distance yourself from this. You are deeply influenced by conversations you have, the moods of others, and negativity from others in general. Change up your morning routine- come in earlier, pop on headphones, make calls when your coworker is usually in rant mode. Talk to your partner about how you are trying to filter the negativity- opt for a problem-solving session instead of a vent session.
- Make a goal of the practice of finding forgiveness. Yes, when you hold a grudge against someone, it increases negative thoughts in your subconscious. You just have that icky feeling as a baseline. A while ago I did a deep dive into what it means to truly forgive, and how to go about it. It left me with a lot more peace and positivity. AND notice how I said it is a practice? Like yoga, or a sport, it is something that you just keep trying to improve, not ace or nail.
