Each month deserves a fresh start. This made me inspired to start a new monthly tradition where on the first Sunday of the month, I will do a deep clean a reset. With September just starting and kicking off my favorite string on months coming up, starting now was the perfect time. Below I am going to deep dive into all that I did to put myself back on track for a successful month again. I might also mention that I woke up today feeling the most peace I have in ages, so I can confirm this reset is essential.

Home:

𖥔 Laundry : washing usual clothes, towels, bath mats, bedding, bags, (anything that can be washed essentially)

𖥔 Vacuum

𖥔 Mop

𖥔 Clean mirrors

𖥔 Wipe down all surfaces

𖥔 Dust

𖥔 Re-organize all drawers and papers

𖥔 Put everything back in its designated spot

𖥔 Clean makeup & hairbrushes

𖥔 Clean out any junk ( in drawers, bags, wallets)

Digital Space:

𖥔 Clear out any old messages that aren't needed taking up space

𖥔 Clear out search histories

𖥔 Change device wallpapers & re-organize home screen

𖥔 Delete any apps you don't use

𖥔 Clean out camera roll

𖥔 Unfollow social media accounts that aren't good for your mental health

𖥔 Clear out emails

Brain:

𖥔 Journal about the prior month & reflect on what was fun and what didn't work out

𖥔 Set goals for the new month

𖥔 Tarot reading on advice & what to expect in the upcoming month

𖥔 Re-asses routines

Body:

𖥔 Everything shower : full shave, exfoliate, scrubs, dry brush, body oils, tons of moisturizer

𖥔 Face mask

𖥔 Full skin care : shave face, pluck eyebrows, clean out pores, oils, eye cream, toner, moisturizer, use a frozen clear quartz or amethyst face roller and gua sha

𖥔 Teeth whitening strip

𖥔 Paint nails

Finish the evening off with a hot tea and book and a nice candle burning!

☆.。.:*·°☆.。.:*·°☆.。.:*·°☆.。.:*·°☆☆.。.:*·°☆.。.:*·°☆.。.:*·°☆.

Getting into bed all squeaky clean, clean bedding, mind clear, and ready to take on whatever the month has in store is sure to get you the most refreshing nights sleep!

Very good advice, which includes this gem:

Have you ever heard of a "digital detox"? Many heard about it when American musician John Mayer finished a one-week detox in 2010 and invited his fans to join him. Or maybe you heard of "Digital Detox Week," a yearly April event encouraged by Adbusters magazine which suggests cutting back on digital stimulation.

Just what is a "digital detox"?

Also called "technology detox," digital cleansing," or even "e-tox," the idea is to just clear your head out of overstimulation and information overload, and restore balance to your life. You know that "healthy feeling."

Urban Dictionary defines "e-tox" as "detoxification from digital and/or digital devices." Adbusters suggests meditating in your relationship with your box, reflecting on slowing down and reconnecting with reality in a detox.

But actually, a detox is what you make it. You know yourself and your needs best. Thus, detox your own way! Read on for a few thoughts...

Why detox?

Plain and simple, because too much of a good thing might not be a fantastic thing.

Your"Why" may differ from mine. My current 48-hour digital detox enabled my mind and body to break more. I got to perform various fun, relaxing items. Admittedly, I wanted to put my relationship with technology to the test, and prove to myself that I'm not an Internet enthusiast (probably a lot of us are not so sure!). Can my digital life control me, or did I restrain It?

So what's in it for you?

7 Steps to Make Your Digital Detox Easier

Of course, you can just plunge into it, or you can use some or all of these 7 tips to make your detox simpler:

1) Pick a time period. Cut back on digital stimulation for a weekend, or an entire week. Or institute a routine weekly cleanse, by way of instance, every Saturday, Sunday, or a block of time every evening. For me, plugging and unplugging daily was harder than a longer detox, so I began the easy way. I suggest picking a time period that's doable and realistic, although any alternative may feel like a stretch!

2) Decide on the conditions. What are the requirements for your job and family life? Is email and telephone use okay, or can you do a phone-free, 100% offline cleansing? Within my 48-hour detox, I truly wanted to detach, so I just checked phone messages after a day if a treatment client was in crisis. Create a list of the ways you are frequently"plugged in" and decide what you can do by location (work, home, other), from the device (telephone, computer, iPad...) or by activity (email, text, gaming, internet surfing, Facebook, Twitter...).

3) Reduce temptation. Limit access to digital activities. Eliminate Twitter, Facebook, and other programs from your phone if necessary. It is easy to reinstall them later. Are you going to leave your computer on 24/7? Will you carry your cell phone with you at all times, or leave it behind? I had more trouble when my phone was handy. How can it be if people around you use technology? It was hard to see my husband online during my detox!

4) Inform others that you're detoxing. Announce it on Twitter and Facebook, or set up a vacation email. This may reduce the flow of incoming messages. Plus accountability works! Invite others to join you in offline activities, like a walk, coffee, or dinner with a friend, i.e. power in numbers.

5) Enlist help for your travel. What will you do if it gets tough? Make a list of choices to "plugging in" for all those withdrawal minutes: Journal (also helps with self-reflection), read a book, exercise, have a bath. Do not leave it to chance. Muster all of the help you can ahead.

6) Just do it! Despite the fact that the impulse to go back to your digital world may drive you mad, be in the moment as far as possible. Draw attention to your senses: Smell a flower, see a sunset, listen to music, get a massage. While I was originally counting the hours to the end of my detox, feelings of relaxation and euphoria started creeping in as time went by. Watch how it is for you!

7) And now what? After detoxing, shut your eyes and take inventory of how you are feeling inside: Is your inner pace different? How do your body and mind feel? Was it worthwhile? I felt relieved to know that everyone and everything online was still there when I returned. But most of all, I was"there" more than previously.

DETOX TIPS TO CLEAR A STRESSED MIND:

One of the main reasons I had for removing social media from my daily routine, was simply because of the stress I was under. I lived with constant head noise of my brain sub-consciously going through 1000′s of situations and scenarios without me even thinking about it. I would have a negative thought in my head and spend hours overthinking and analysing every inch of a situation. It drove me crazy to the point I was so low I had to go see a doctor. 

I know it’s hard to just give up social media, it’s a connection point between you and friends, a great platform for free information and a place to find inspiration. So, with that I wanted to share some of the things I did to help clear my head from all that noise, negative thoughts and stress. 

1. Go out in Nature

It seems so simple but its so effective. I found going for a walk, going to the beach, seeing the sun or even just looking out the window of a car made me feel so much better. I started by going for walks. Not only did it help remove stress, but it increased my clarity and improved my mood. I listened to podcasts or songs with meaningful lyrics that weren’t too hardcore. I usually found 30-60 minutes off this whenever I felt low instantly helped.

2. Write a list of your happy triggers

Sometimes without thinking you will do activities which make you unhappy or stress you out. But because you may have not thought about how these things make you feel you may have not recognised how crappy they really make you feel. So, I grabbed a piece of paper  and drew a line down the middle. One side said “happy triggers” and the other said “stress triggers”. I noticed the first thing I wrote for stress was instagram. But my happy triggers were things like going for walks, taking a bath, watching a tv series, going to the beach, eating breakfast out or simply cooking food off a recipe. This is such a simple way to clear head noise because it allows your brain to productively think of something else.

3. Make an area of the house your “Zen” 

I created this area in my room which had an aromatherapy diffuser and oils, candles and my speaker, I had a bookshelf near me and when I was stressed I would take my pillows off my bed and lay on the ground listening to my “relax” playlist on spotify while either reading a book or just shutting my eyes. 

4. Get a journal and write down how you feel 

I have a journal A5 and its full. Some days I have 3 sentences just with how I eel and some days I had 12-20 pages full of words that if I read back, probably wouldn’t make sense. But the purpose wasn’t to write for someone to read, it was to write for my heart to heal and my head to clear. It was a safe space I could write all my gut wrenching thoughts without the judgement of others of the fear it could be spread as gossip. It allowed me to deal with my emotions and get them off my chest. 

5. Get a good nights sleep. 

I found when I had a good nights rest not only was my mood better the next day but the head noise was reduced. I felt more determined as well which was always a positive and getting adequate rest also did wonders for my health and physical self. I get 8 hours every night (or try to) because I hate how I feel on anything less or anything more. Each night I did my night time routine and set my alarm, I had a really dark environment and had my fan an aromatherapy machine on. Waking up and going to bed at the same time every night also defiantly added to the degree of satisfaction I had from my night’s rest.

Can I stay off social media for a week? 

GOALS.