Chicago Red Line

11 Signs You Need A Spiritual Cleanse

Mind Body Green writes:

I recently had a night where I just couldn’t sleep. I was up. Grinding my jaw. Worrying. Sleep would come mercifully here and there, but it was never deep and truly restful. I know what this means, I thought to myself. It’s time for a spiritual detox.

Just like the body, the soul needs occasional, mindful cleansing. We’re barraged by media of all kinds, and it’s all too easy to consume spiritual junk food.

Are you aware of when you might need a spiritual detox? In other words, are you aware of when you’re feeding your spirit too much junk for the soul to feel good?

Just in case you aren’t following, here are some spiritual junk food items that you can become addicted to:

Endless Facebooking

Constant patrolling of your Twitter feed

Grand Theft Auto 5

Binge-watching Netflix

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with these “junk food” items in moderation, but it’s possible to go overboard. The result can be toxic to your soul.

Here are some signs you might need a spiritual detox:

You find yourself scrolling through your newsfeed seeking negativity. Misery loves company.

You open your mouth and spew sarcasm unintentionally. You try to be more mindful when you speak, but you can’t seem to help yourself.

Your friends don’t want to be around you.

Your heart hurts. Or worse, it doesn’t. You are numb.

You find pleasure in other people’s misfortunes. (Again, misery loves company.)

Happy people piss you off. You don’t even want to hear the word “joy.”

You don’t sleep well. You’re having bad dreams and catch yourself grinding your jaw. A lot.

You keep finding yourself in circumstances where you feel like the victim.

You shy away from prayer, meditation, anything inspirational.

You are bored — all the time.

You can’t even remember the last time you took a walk, watched the sunset or sunrise, walked barefoot in the grass, or felt the summer breeze on your face.

Here are a few ways to engage in a spiritual detox. Remember, please do so with compassion. Above all else, be kind to yourself. We are all doing the best we can, and everyone wants to be happy and free from suffering.