When I was young, my father used to always tell me, “Remember: Always live light.” Wanting to impress in us the benefits of living a life without clutter, he stressed this message constantly—and still does so to this day. I used to think this meant to not buy too many things. While this certainly has a lot to do with it, Living Light doesn’t just refer to a life free of material things that may be piling on top of each other. It also refers to behaviors and elements that cause us internal stress as well. The good news is, there is a lot you can do in your daily life to drastically reduce your exposure to toxic elements in your life. Here are six easily achievable methods to detoxify your life.
1. Get rid of toxic thinking
Negative thinking and emotions causes a great amount of mental, emotional, and even physical distress. Do you ever notice doing negative-talk? Negative thoughts and worry sink deep, and they can dominate your mode of thinking. There is power in how you perceive yourself and your world—positive affirmations and turning negative thinking into positive can help stop the vicious cycle. It takes practice, but a practice that is necessary.
2. Get rid of toxic people
Toxic people can fall into a wide category, but they look like anyone who resents your progress for various reasons. Do you know people who respond to you with anger, frustration, cruelty, or even manipulation? These could be friends, colleagues, or even family members, and due to their own insecurities, they attempt to sabotage your happiness and growth. Identifying who these people are –and then most importantly—figuring out the best way to manage them or eliminate them (if need be), is crucial to your wellbeing.
3. Get some sleep
Yes, time is something we all have too little of, but you absolutely need to add more sleep into your schedule. You can make this happen—it just requires a very diligent and disciplined mentality and strategy. Emphasize relaxation before bedtime, this could mean many different things to you, but think about the things that stress you out late in the evening and work towards slowly deafening them.
4. Get some exercise
Don’t think you have time? You do. Just incorporate 10 minutes a day, or even adding a walk after dinner. It doesn’t have to be a rigorous workout routine, just something that increases your movement and heartrate! You can do it!
5. Eliminate clutter
Now, in a physical sense, let’s start the decluttering process! Stop wasting your hard-earned money on things you don’t need—the knickknacks, the extra clothes, the things to adorn your home with that make no difference in the long-run. These things don’t bring value to your life, your well-being, and your character.
6. Detox your finances
Money problems mean life problems. Everyone has dealt with financial problems at some point, and I think all of us can agree that having a sound budget is key to maintaining peace of mind. Identifying and eliminating old spending habits, residual money pits is incredibly important. Reaching a place of sound monetary ground will make all the difference in your life.
Even practicing any of these steps above can make a huge impact in your life and help you to overcome challenges that hold you back from feeling amazing every single day. Try tackling one at a time. It might seem difficult, but once you get into the groove, you’ll quickly begin to notice the benefits of a clear mind—and most importantly– life!
