Most people know about the concept of a physical detox, a programme designed to cleanse the body of impurities and make it feel healthier, but have you heard of 'mental detox programmes?' During these courses, steps are taken to feed and balance mental health, including by using a method developed by a Hollywood psychiatrist to address the balance of positive and negative emotions.
Emotional detox is about learning to regulate your emotions, whether positive or negative, to prevent them from accumulating and overwhelming you, RTBF reports. The method developed by Dr. Habib Sadeghi has convinced stars such as Penelope Cruz, Anne Hathaway and Stella McCartney of its benefits.
Sadeghi has even written a book detailing his philosophy, which aims to try to discharge accumulated negative emotions.
Of course, you don't have to be a Hollywood star to experience an emotional detox; there are four basic principles that experts say can help ease the build-up of negative emotions that pile up in everyday life.
An emotional detox journey
In our modern, hectic lives, people tend to let their emotions – especially the "negative" and unpleasant ones – accumulate week after week, year after year. Stress, disappointment, frustration, sadness, anger, jealousy… Many deem unacceptable to express these emotions freely in a world where you are expected to remain wise, polite, smiling, and fulfilled.
However, by not letting out negative emotions, this increases the pressure inside your minds, which can lead to depression, anxiety, and what can be termed a midlife crisis.
Importantly, psychiatrists make it clear that all emotions are valid, even the bad ones. The idea of trying to get rid of negative emotions is already a false start in an emotional detox journey, as all emotions have a function. The key is not to let yourself be overwhelmed by your negative emotions, or to try to run away from them at all costs.
So, the first principle is trying to recognise that these emotions are a signal that a need is not met: observe and welcome them, and recognise that this emotion is there, do not make value judgments, welcome it as part of yourself and try to listen to what it is telling you.
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The second principle is flexibility when it comes to reacting to emotions. Be proactive. By identifying what unfulfilled need this emotion signals, you can adapt to make sure to fulfil that need, be it taking a bath when stressed, getting more sleep when tired or even quitting your job if it is making you unhappy.
The third principle is about taking action. How do you prevent emotions from accumulating? By applying principles one and two, you can avoid the pile-up of negative emotions, and then dealing with them as and when they occur – one by one – can help avoid the accumulation of layers upon layers of negative emotions.
Finally, prevention is better than cure. It can be useful to take a break regularly and take stock of your emotions from the past day, or week. One idea to keep track of all this is to write them down in a journal, which many studies have shown to be beneficial. At the same time, checking in with yourself at the start of the day is an equally important ritual that can sometimes give the coming day a completely different, and hopefully positive, atmosphere.
