A detox is a process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances. Detoxes can sound a bit intimidating or strict but detoxes shouldn’t always be viewed in this light. There’s a right and wrong way to detox, and detox should never feel too difficult or pressuring for you. It’s simply a process of getting rid of toxins in the body. But there are different types of detoxes, I’ll provide you with a small guide to detoxing correctly!

If you’ve been interested in doing a detox anytime soon, it’s important that you choose two important and critical parts of the process. First you must choose which type of detox you want to do. For example there are juice cleanses, fasting, and/or technology cleanses. Your choice for the type of detox coincides with what you want to cleanse in your body. For example you could do a digestive cleanse, body cleanse or mental cleanse.

Before we begin it’s important to note that detoxes should normally last about 4-7 days, in some cases it can be longer. But always prioritize your health, meaning don’t do detoxes solely to get skinny or anything of that nature. Limiting your nutrition consumption by replacing it with something else is not healthy to do for a long time. Healthline describes an example of an unrealistic goal: “fasting, drastically restricting food intake, replacing solid foods with liquids, or drinking a ton of water — all which could have negative side effects on your health.”

Lets begin with talking about the benefits of doing a detox and when to do a detox. According to Healthline, detoxing helps with: “resting your organs, stimulate your liver to get rid of toxins, improve your circulation and provide your body with healthy nutrients.”

Detoxing helps the body take a break and relax for a bit so if you’re wondering when to do a detox some of the best times would be during spring! After the holidays it’s common for many to have developed some not-so-healthy eating habits (which is totally fine, holidays are for eating all you want). But if you’re interested in getting back on a healthier track, detoxes are the best type of reset button. 

The two examples of detoxes we’ll discuss are the juice cleanses for the body and technology cleanses for the mind. Juice cleanses are typically about 4-7 days and require only the consumption of the juice that comes from the pulp of certain fruits and vegetables. Some benefits of juice cleanses, in Medical News Today views are: “Juices are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that may boost the immune system and help a person feel more energetic.” Not only this but the juices help flush out toxins in the body and improve digestion by introducing healthy enzymes in the digestive system. 

The next type of detox is the technology detox. A technology detox refers to a period of time when a person voluntarily refrains from using digital devices such as smartphones, computers, and social media platforms. This detox does not require any diet changes but this doesn’t make it any easier. Doing a technology detox is beneficial because the concept of balance seems to get lost when we have instant gratification at our fingertips! But no need to stress about the overconsumption of technology if you’re looking for balance and positive change. All that’s needed is a bit of self trust and enough of a reason to try a technology detox. If you find yourself not getting work done or feel like there just isn’t enough time in a day, then a technology detox sounds perfect for you.

In Psychology Today’s words, when beginning a detox you should: “Start small and allow yourself to experience incremental victories.” When doing the detox it’s also important to find things to keep you occupied while trying to stay off your device, as the temptation may make the detox more difficult. Not only will this allow you to be more present in your life but it will actually help you feel a bit more confident in yourself. As you start to notice all the small tasks you manage to get done. 

Lastly, remember that the only way to stick to things like detoxes is because it’s your choice. If you do it for other reasons it may not hold much importance to you and you’ll find it more difficult to stick to. Always find out what’s best for you and your situation.