A Cleanse of the Mind, Body and Soul.

Occasionally, I find my mind out of coordination with my body and the physical world. When that happens, I lose the ability to stay on top of things. Everything starts to fall apart, and I don't feel like doing anything but failing at life and sleep. It's rare that I let it get that bad, though, because I can typically feel the symptoms of this semi-annual disease. There are several names for it. Maybe you have heard of Brain Fog. Perhaps it’s just dissociation. The best medicine is prevention, right? Well. The second best medicine is a change of diet. 

When I say diet, I am not just talking about food. The kind of content you consume can directly impact your ability to stay focused on your goals, improve your life, and improve your brain function. That is why twice a year, I do a cleanse. It’s not a diet; it’s not a huge lifestyle shift; it's a time period of abstaining from the “not the best” things so you can have a better quality of life. I normally make this time period anywhere from one week to one month. Often after this experience, I feel the benefits for months because it allows me to have more self-control and reminds me of the value of delayed gratification. So here is how I do it.

Mental

In 2023, we are inundated with content from everywhere and go out of our way to seek more. There are many studies that show that social media is designed to be addicting and affects cognitive brain function. There are also many studies that show the type of content you consume directly impacts your subconscious, and you behave more like what you consume. So I always take a “tolerance break” I don’t want to be desensitized to the things I see that I don’t agree with, and I want to set aside time to consciously consume the content that I want to become like. For the mental part of the cleanse, I focus on the value of my time. Your consciousness has limited real estate at any given moment, and during this time, you want it to be working on you—your personal development and your growth. The mental cleanse I do limits all social media use, where I will only consume educational, artful, or spiritual content. I only listen to classical, wordless Lofi, and gospel music and only consume educational videos and podcasts. I don’t watch any TV. I normally use this time to work on a challenging but necessary or fun project that builds on my skillsets. I find that after a month of this, my attention span lengthens, and I have created a habit of thinking more productively or constructively. I live with much more intention, even in the small things.

Physical

In the aspect of physical things, this can change every time. I sit and really reflect on how my body has been feeling in the previous several weeks and make a decision based on that. If I notice I have been indulging in too much junk food. I’ll do a processed food cleanse and eat only whole foods or cut out snacking. If I feel I have been too sedentary, I take on a squat challenge or a daily walking challenge. If I have put on some weight, I have sometimes done a lax intermittent fasting process eating under calories for two days of the week or eating within a certain time window. If I notice excessive brain fog and a lack of concentration and motivation, I add a water-drinking goal (because I often do not drink enough). Either way, it is intuitive and a solution that aids my current self, not harms it. To learn more about the benefits of intermittent fasting and abstaining from processed food, subscribe. More posts on that topic coming next.

Spiritual

Part of the spiritual cleanse is made easier with the mental cleanse aspect. During this time, I make a point to pray more, memorize a scripture passage, or dive deep into a study I have been meaning to know more about. With my time suddenly freer, this becomes much easier with the social media ban. Some people would choose a meditation routine or another spiritual wellness routine. Either way, the impacts of spiritual maintenance cannot be denied. By doing so, people can become more focused, less anxious, and more emotionally intelligent.

Social and Emotional

This is a more difficult aspect to tackle, and sometimes I ignore it completely. I find that doing the other aspects of the cleanse reveals what needs to be worked on for my social or emotional realms. I become more introspective, and I have realizations about people in my life who I may have neglected or people in my life who make me wander away from my personal goals or personal stances. I use this time to consider the wise next steps I need to regulate my emotions or approach my interpersonal relationships.

Ultimately a cleanse is for you to improve your quality of life. It is a time for you to reduce chosen distractions and consider the direction you are headed in and whether or not you want to make a direction shift. Maybe you need to focus on a transition coming up or a huge lifestyle change. If so, consider a cleanse to put you in the best place for success. Consider what you consume. Is it making you the person you want to be? For more research on this, check the following abstract on the impact of violent video games on the mind as a starting point. Of course, the solution wouldn’t necessarily be to avoid violent video games. It would be to demonstrate how much what you consume can impact your behavior.

Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Cognition and Aggressive Behavior