FEEL BETTER when you DETOX YOUR LIFE!
Julie Brown • Aug 29, 2020
5 ways to DETOX your life and MAKE ROOM FOR HAPPINESS.
Today, with the COVID shenanigans, it is more important that ever to detox our lives. Resiliency does not come easy to all of us. Patience is...what do they say? a virtue that also does not come easy for most even in the best of times. Being strong, staying positive, and being immune to anxiety is very difficult when the issues we are experiencing today are global. Everyone is affected in one way or another. Frankly, these are HARD times.
I have found a few things to help me cope. My business has been affected, my ability to grow my business and the lives of my awesome patients have all been changed in one way or another. We are all feeling this. Here are some tips that help me cope, detox and make room for happiness. Making adjustments and clearing out the garbage from my life is something that I have control over. Right now, we can at the very least, take control of our own selves and clear out the toxins, trash, and excess.
Number One: CLEAR OUT THE GARBAGE
Literally, throw stuff away. Go through your shelves, your closets, your file drawer, your pantry, the chair in the corner, the trunk, box, or anywhere else you throw things to be used at a later date. YOU DO NOT NEED IT! Does every item have a purpose right now? Ask yourself how it makes you feel when you hold it. If it gives you an emotional reaction because it evokes a memory, think about the memory (write it down to keep it forever), then gift the item to someone else or throw it away. It has had it's use. When you do, you leave room for new memories.
Also, throw away things that are well used. Like, makeup (it builds bacteria after so many months and that is just plain gross), sponges, scrub brushes, make-up brushes, rags, towels. There is no shortage of necessity items at the store.
Number Two: REPLACE THE ITEMS
If it's make-up that needs replacing, seek the advice of a professional Esthetician (like, *David Beltran at Body Talk Spa or my friend *Kathryn from Mary Kay Cosmetics) and only replace the necessity items. Focus more on SKINCARE rather than make-up to cover-up. Take care of your skin health so that you need less make-up. If you are quarantined, use Amazon to replace your cleaning supplies. Everyone should be purging clothes after so many years. Even if you fit into the same shirt you wore when you were a teenager, does not mean you should be wearing it. There are great used clothing stores you may be able to bring the items to or replace them with new clothes for you. Plato's Closet in Tacoma or South Center are great options to replace your worn out items.
Number Three: CLEAR OUT YOUR SCHEDULE
We can ALL do this! Many of us go to bed at night and realize that we did not accomplish everything we were supposed to do. Some things get put off for months, if not years. Procrastination is our own torture device. It haunts us when things are undone. I know it sounds simple but make a list. Santa Clause needs one, you do too. Make a list of your three priorities. Work on only those things. The others can wait. When you have accomplished those things, make another Threes List. Pin it up where you can see it. Tell your family and friends you are getting xyz done and seal the deal. Telling someone will help make you more accountable to finish.
For some, they don't get things finished because they DO TOO MUCH. If this is you, an important skill to learn is how to say NO. A friend of mine, *Stephanie Owen's wrote a wonderful little book called, The No Pro. I highly recommend it. You could be a No Pro too!
Number Four: DETOX NEGATIVE PEOPLE
Honestly, what better time to stay away from negative, toxic people in our lives. There is a pandemic going on people, you have a great excuse to stay away. If you are an introvert, you may be reveling in the chance to be socially irresponsible. Good for you. If you are an extrovert, I am truly sorry. If people make you feel bad, do not support you, do not show you love, just hide from them. This advise is not backed by a doctor, however, from my experience, if you lock out the negativity, it won't hurt you and it could very well make you happy.
Number Five: DETOX YOUR BODY
Okay, now this I am an expert at. This is probably the most important detox recommendation. If this box is checked, you feel better and have more energy to do the other detoxifying things I suggested. I highly recommend, first, that everyone cut out the sugar from our bodies. It is literally poison. Replace it with farm fresh fruits and vegetables or a glass of WATER. Your body will thank you.
After you detox from sugar and rehydrate, which we all should do, go see your doctor for a suggested detox solution for your body.
Sometimes detoxing is getting rid of the foods you are sensitive too first. For myself, when I did an IGG allergy panel (*Dr. Erik Gilbertson at Puget Sound Natural Medicine) my Naturopath recommended, I learned I had a very high sensitivity to Chocolate, SUGAR, wheat, and dairy. It has been three months and I feel great! I have less swelling (I retain less water), lost weight, got rid of cellulite, have more energy, AND my cholesterol went way down! I am now on antifungals, probiotics and digestive enzymes and I feel like I can only feel better from here. I highly recommend asking your doctor or seeing a Naturopathic doctor for details on what you can do to feel awesome with a detox.
Also, I would suggest getting regular massage. Massage therapy is a powerful detoxifying agent. It helps to improve mood and combat anxiety, boosts the body's filtration system (lymphatic), and can increase energy. I equate it to doing cardiovascular exercise that makes you sweat for an hour, but you do not sweat on the table. Your circulation will be increased and your toxins will be brought to the surface. For some people, this is the reason why they may feel ill after a massage. To help flush the toxins out, I recommend drinking a lot of water. I have turned people down with a scheduled massage when I find out they are inactive and severely dehydrated. I want to massage to be a benefit, not send them home feeling sick.
So now you have it. These are my recommendations on how to detox your life and make room for happiness.
*To get the contact information for any of my friends that I mentioned, please text or message me.
Best Regards and Bye For Now,
Julie Brown, L.M.T. at Body Talk, Inc.
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In our Spring-Cleaning efforts, we reorganize, and REDUCE to cleaner, more efficient systems in our cupboards, closets, or maybe even our diets. Have you ever thought about putting some effort into REDUCING your body's pain? Self-care and massage are the best way to help you alleviate scar tissue and increase circulation, which creates a more efficient system too. WHAT IS THAT MUSCLE? Quadratus Lumborum (QL) (check out the picture below) This muscle is ALWAYS secondary to the real culprit of LOW BACK PAIN. It is helpful to follow the below advise and do this stretch. However, it is more important to get to the root cause by having a skilled practitioner, LIKE US, to determine which muscles are causing the QL to tighten and hurt. Massage therapy, coupled with self-care, is the best recipe to counteract the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time.
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