Emotional Healing- Why do you need it on a regular basis?
Whenever you speak about health you are always speaking about your body, when you get a bruise you cover it up with a bandage so that the wound does not get infected, but have you ever thought about the bruises that occur in your mind? When have you put a bandage on the bruises in your mind?
Have you ever done, or at least thought about doing, a “detox” or a “cleanse”? Chances are you have or, at least, you're thinking about it! The point of detoxification is to flush out toxins and other harmful substances, helping you recharge your body and improve overall health. But while physical cleanses certainly have a variety of health benefits when done correctly, emotional health – an important part of overall wellness – is often overlooked.
In my journey as an emotional healer, as I listened – and read – my client’s stories, something dawned on me. What you are really craving, beyond physical healing, is emotional healing. Many cancer patients are unable to process what’s happening to them due to an emotional haze that lingers on and on. This prevents them from understanding what is happening to their bodies and from making wise decisions.
At that point, I knew there was a missing gap in emotional healing and I set out to fill it. My goal in this article is to give you the bottom line, most actionable steps to help you start your emotional healing journey…
What is Emotional Healing?
We’ve all been there, after a stretch of poor eating habits and other unhealthy activities, our bodies start to feel sluggish and ill. When bad chemicals build up in our bodies, it causes a toxic overload. This can make us feel lethargic or even make us sick. In a similar way, negative emotions can build up in our bodies, too. This can weigh heavily on our minds, spirits and bodies when ignored.
Just as a physical detox removes the chemicals and other toxins that make us sick, an emotional healing detox will help cleanse all the negative emotions that plague our minds and souls.
How to Know if You Need an Emotional Healing
Life is just one big roller coaster. Experiencing extreme emotions is part of what makes us human. We face challenges every day that cause us to experience negative emotions. And while almost everyone can benefit from an emotional healing detox, anyone currently experiencing toxic emotions may want to start sooner than later. Here are a few signs you need an emotional healing detox:
Negative Emotions
Are you experiencing negative emotions or thoughts? Like…
· Anger
· Resentment
· Regret
· Hurt
· Discouragement
· Bitterness
· Shame
· Sorrow
· Powerlessness
Over time, any or all these negative emotions can build up and begin to harm your mental and physical health. Research has showed that chronic emotions, such as anger and hurt, can lead to an increased heart rates, higher blood pressure, and poor immune response, all of which can ultimately lead to higher risk of depression, heart disease, diabetes, and other serious conditions.
Weakened Immune System
When your immune system is down, your overall health is at risk. This is a good sign that you need an emotional healing detox. Among many other contributing factors, chronic stress is a primary cause of a weakened immune system. Chronic stress as result of negative emotions can certainly have a harmful effect on your immune system.
Gut and Digestive Health
There’s an old saying that says, “The quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” But did you know that the quickest way to the stomach is through the brain. In fact, the brain has a direct impact on gastrointestinal health, and negative emotions can have an impact. Emotions, such as anger, anxiety and sadness, can all trigger symptoms in your gut. These symptoms can include nausea, upset stomach, reflux and leaky gut. People who experience gastrointestinal issues on a regular basis have seen significant results after an emotional healing cleanse.
10 Ways to Detox Your Emotions
Taking regular emotional healing detox breaks will help you handle your emotions with ease and cleanse your entire system so that you can reach your full potential and enjoy the abundant life.
While detoxing your emotions is important, it’s easier said than done. The following 11 tips will give you a good starting point for setting out on your emotional healing detox journey. I have ordered these steps by which I find most important. If you tackle each one at a time, you’ll be well on your way to living the abundant life!
1. Forgive Others
We’ve all been hurt by someone at one time or another. But holding on to that pain is one of the unhealthiest things we can do. Letting go of the past and forgiving those who have wronged you is the first step to emotional detox. A grudge can not only weigh on you mentally and emotionally, but physically as well. The longer you keep these grudges, the more the negative feelings have time to take hold on your soul.
There is good news, though. Letting go and forgiving can help you release the metaphorical and physical burdens that have been impacting your health. Stop fighting and start forgiving, and the results may surprise you. In fact, research has shown that people who forgive identify hills to be less steep and could jump higher in a test of fitness. Forgiveness is so powerful, that once you forgive those who have wronged you, your entire outlook on life can change.
2. Forgive Yourself
It’s the golden rule: Love others as you love yourself. But what if you don’t love yourself? What if you look into the mirror and loath the person looking back? This is where the second step in emotional detoxing come into play. By forgiving yourself, you’ll find it’s easier to release toxic emotions that have built up over the years.
Regret and shame are two negative emotions that can quickly take over you psyche and take control of you mind and spirit. Stop blaming yourself for the past and look toward the future and achieving your full potential. So how do you forgive yourself, you may ask? Start by realizing the past is the past and no amount of mourning or regret can change that. Move on, slowly if needed, and focus on things you can change.
3. Practice Self Love
Now that you have forgiven yourself and others, it’s time to love yourself. Self-love is the next step in an emotional cleanse. We are bombarded daily with images, especially in social media, of what we “should” look or feel like. This can have a harmful effect on us and cause us to feel hurt, shameful or even discouraged. But by realizing that we are all a gift from God and practicing self-love, we can move past these negative emotions.
Now, realize that there’s no right or wrong way to practice self-love. It’s different for each and every one of us. As long as you’re working to build your self-esteem, you’re moving in the right direction. Self-esteem plays a critical role in our physical health.
4. Recite Positive Affirmations
A positive affirmation is a specific statement that uses positive language to break the cycle of negative thoughts and help you visualize change.
Reciting positive affirmations is one of the easiest and quickest ways to build self-esteem and self-love. Constant negative thoughts not only lowers your self-esteem, but as I’ve documented above, they also have severe impacts on your physical health. Several studies have highlighted the impact of positive affirmation on individual growth.
5. Don’t Look Back
Not that you’ve made it this far and you have the fundamentals behind you, don’t look back. It’s easy to look back and regret the decisions we have made. don’t do it. While it’s natural to regret when you’ve made a mistake or taken the wrong path, coping with that regret is important to maintaining proper physical health.
While learning to cope with regret can take time, there are a few helpful ways you can work on letting go:
· Remind yourself that life is a journey
· Remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes
· Remind yourself how great you are on a daily basis
You should look at the past as a learning opportunity. Instead of dwelling on the things you did wrong, learn from those mistakes. When you look at the past in this light, positive change will come.
6. Have a Good Cry by Yourself
We’ve all had moments in private where we just break out into tears for one reason or another. There are many emotional benefits to crying. Whether you’ve lost a loved one, ended a relationship or have witnesses a touching moment, shedding tears is a great way to express your emotions and learn more about yourself. Crying is also beneficial to an emotional detox, tears are therapeutic, in fact, crying releases many toxic substances from the body, including those found in cortisol.
7. Cry with Someone You Trust
After you have cried it out on your own and learned to forgive and practice self-love, it’s now time to speak with a close friend, loved one, or even a professional counsellor. Since we all hold on to negative feelings, such as regret, stress, fear and anger, it’s important to talk with someone who can relate to your situation.
However, it’s important that you don’t open up and dump your toxic emotions on just anyone. Remember, sharing details of this nature gives the other person an open window into the intimate parts of your life and relationships. Try to find less judgmental people to confide in. This is where speaking with a professional may be better.
8. Make Sure to Have Faith
Ask yourself this: “Do I deserve to be well? Do I believe emotional stability, and therefore the abundant life, is possible?” If you honestly answered, “Yes,” to those questions, you’re ready to move on. Having faith in yourself is the next phase of an emotional detox. It’s not enough to just go through the motions if you don’t believe in yourself. As we discussed early, negative self-talk has an impact on your emotional and physical state.
Once you have convinced yourself that emotional cleanse is possible, you will begin to develop positive feelings and emotions, which will push you to succeed in life. Not only is an emotional detox within your reach, but it’s within your God-given right to be happy, healthy and emotionally stable.
9. Remove Distractions
An important part of an emotional detox is to avoid distractions at almost any cost. People, places and things can all distract from what’s truly important: your emotional health. While you work to cleanse negative emotions, you are more susceptible to hurt because your guard is down. Be honest with yourself when opening up to others and avoid those who may feed on negative thoughts. These people will do anything to stop you from achieving a full emotional cleanse.
Likewise, you should also avoid places or situations with similar motives. Time after time, I see people visit places that are associated with negative memories. This self-destructive behaviour is counterproductive. If you have yet to get to a place in which you can cope with these memories in a health way, you should avoid dredging them up. Instead, you should focus on surrounding yourself with positive people and creating new positive memories.
10. Ditch Social Media
Yes, I know, this one is much easier said than done. But think about it. Our addictive relationships with social media is unhealthy. Taking a break from Facebook and other social media , at least while you’re in detox, is important. While keeping in touch with family and friend is also important, the negative effects of social media far outweigh the positives during an emotional detox.
Facebook, for example, can trigger feelings of jealousy and envy and cause you to develop unrealistic comparisons, one study found. This has serious consequences on your overall wellbeing and can even lead to depression.
Talk to a Professional
Your family and friend are probably poorly equipped to effectively help you deal with your negative emotions. If you get a sense that they lack empathy, it’s not because they don’t care, it’s because they can’t relate. A professional can provide guidance if you’re not afraid to ask. Talking about your feelings is an important step in an emotional healing detox and you need to ensure you talk to the right person.
Seeking professional guidance is not a sign of weakness. It doesn’t mean you have failed. In fact, it shows how committed you are to your own detox and finding emotional balance. Be honest with yourself and take an honest look at your needs. When you embrace someone else’s strengths, you can find a more strategic path to full mental and emotional healing detox.
Reach out on reachme@shashikalyanpur.com if you want to have a conversation, it will be a true transformation.
In Christ Youth Mentor India ????
4 年God bless you
Health & Fitness Coach: Helping you achieve an unbelievable version of yourself - Fitter, Healthier and Happier! TimesSheUnLTD Rising Star Awardee by TOI.
5 年Very thoughtfully put Shashi. Sharing.