What is emotional detox? Why it’s becoming the latest self-care trend | Mint
What is emotional detox? Why it’s becoming the latest self-care trend
Emotional detox is emerging as a popular self-care practice. Experts explain what it means, why it matters and where to set realistic expectations
Gone are the days when self-care meant only working out, eating well and pampering your skin with products to make it glow. Now, it is about things that help you feel emotionally safe. With mental health conversations breaking stigma around the world, “emotional detox” is something that’s picking up steam
Emotional detox doesn’t mean absence of emotions; rather, it asks us to recognize our feelings and learn how best to process and channel them. Despite experts stressing that maintaining mental health is just as significant as maintaining physical health, it should be approached with reasonable expectations
Whether you practice mindfulness,journaling, therapy or even energy healing, emotional detox is a part of modern culture
Why emotional detox matters
While physical detox in terms of self-care has become one of the most prevalent practices, emotional cleansing is just as crucial — in fact, recent studies have revealed that it produces substantial energy and affects health in far greater ways than organic treatments
“To illustrate, stress breeds heavier energies, which means denser frequencies, and a build-up leads to mental and emotional exhaustion plus illness in the physical body. Just as we detox our physical body, we should also cleanse and repair our energy body every now and then. Emotional detox is simply the process of cleaning or refining emotional energy. Pranic Healing is a simple but powerful, no-touch modality ofcleansingand balancing,” says Sumi Lazar, Pranic Healing Instructor, Healer, Trustee, World Pranic Healing-India.
What emotional detox involves
Dr Minakshi Manchanda, Associate Director Psychiatry, Asian Hospital, says emotional detox is about making space to acknowledge, process and release emotional tension through healthy means
Also Read|Do detox retreats and cleanse treatments actually help?
“An emotional detox is not a cleanse or a diet; it has nothing to do with detoxing the body. It is about taking time out for yourself, intentionally, to recognize process and release emotional sustenance in healthy ways. It might be journaling, mindfulness, meditation, therapy, spending time in nature, or even setting some boundaries and taking a break from the non-stop notifications and digital onslaught,” she says
Impact of unprocessed emotions
“We’re not programmed to deal with long-term stress, even if we can tolerate it. If you continue to ignore or sideline your feelings, you may notice that you start feeling restless and anxious, more irritable or burnt out, difficulty in sleeping and even physical symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, etc,” says Dr Manchanda. She adds that instead of running away from emotions, taking the time to think about them can improve their emotional regulation and resilience
Emotional detox is not straightforward
Dr Manchanda warns that the emotional detox should not be seen as an immediate fix
“It also takes time and usually needs to be done consistently through meaningful conversations, and if indicated, then professional help. Wellness trends will not cure chronic sadness, overwhelming anxiety or trauma or other serious emotional stress. Opt for a licensed mental health professional,” she says
Also Read|Wellbeing coach suggests 5 daily habits to beat your stress and anxiety
Growing shift in self-care
This rise of emotional detox is representative (and reinforces) a much larger cultural shift. People are becoming increasingly aware that mental health should be treated just as seriously as physical health
The point is not to repress negative feelings, but rather to develop healthy ways of understanding and processing them
(The author, Nivedita, is a freelance writer. She writes on health and travel.)
Mental HealthHealthcare
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