self-care – Dr. Danielle Clark

Summer detox tips for higher summer vibes

Summer is in full swing. The longer days. The festivals, celebrations, vacations, and the sunburns (that hopefully tan), the sandy cards, and the missing flip-flops. Or is that last one just me?

For me, summer brings a sense of vitality paired with a more relaxed mindset; the extra warmth and light (especially here in Florida) provide me with more energy (and sweat), a sense of deeper gratitude and a deeper connection with Mother Nature, especially with water.

Because of the light and bright summer feel, I’ve found it to be an excellent season to detox mind, body and soul giving me an even higher summer vibe.

In no particular order, here are a few detoxes I’ve incorporated and some ideas on how you can too:

Calendar Detox: Participate in more spontaneous activities, block off days to just ‘live in the moment’, and cancel plans that don’t energize you. Too much planning keeps us rigid. This detox invites flexibility and flow into your life. I’ve been saying ‘yes’ a lot more when an invite comes my way and feel more free and alive.

Cry: Yes! You read that right. Make space to open your heart. Read a sappy beach-read novel. Volunteer at the local shelter. Have a heart-to-heart with your partner while you’re fishing on the lake. Crying is a beautiful emotional cleanse that releases stress-related hormones and gives us a sense of renewal and emotional clarity.

Technology Detox: Easier, said than done, I know, but it’s so worth it. To get the full effect of a technology detox, leave all technology at home for a fun summer day out, including your smart watch and ask others who are with you for the day to do the same. If you’re not ready to go all in, you can commit to not watching TV for a week and instead spend your nights crafting on the porch or taking a long stroll in your neighborhood. Getting a break from technology has many benefits including enhanced focus, creativity, and productivity.

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! Water, fruit and veggie infused water, and organic juices are excellent for helping to flush unwanted chemicals (like too many peach margaritas) from our bodies. Summer favorites of mine include turmeric pineapple water and beetroot, carrot, apple and ginger juice. Iced green tea is also a great detox as it packs lots of antioxidants.

Sweat: Thanks to the mounds of sunscreen and mosquito spray we consume, our skin and body may be suffering from chemical overload. Regularly sweating will help to remove toxins from your body. Fortunately, finding ways to sweat in the summer is easy. You can ride your bike, go for a run, play pickleball. Be sure to shower soon after sweating to remove any residual chemicals. If sweating isn’t your thing, dry brushing can help bring chemicals up to the surface, allowing them to leave your body.

Breathwork: Adding breathwork to your summer increases oxygen flow in the body, improving circulation and nourishing cells. Oxygen plays a crucial role in the body’s natural detoxification processes. Yoga and long night time strolls are two spaces where I do deep belly breathing activities.

I’m sending you and your summer so much love.

PS – Here’s an affirmation to use to remind yourself of the power you hold in your wellness journey, “I design a life of well-being. My choices create healing and rejuvenation.”

PPS – To offer you additional support on your summer detox journey, you may want to consider starting a food and beverage log. If this calls to you, grab your pen and journal. Between BBQs and beers and extra sweets, summer can knock us off our health goals if we aren’t careful. That’s why creating a daily log to track your food and beverage intake may be helpful.

Write down everything you consume, including meals, snacks, and beverages. Reflect on how certain foods make you feel and identify any patterns or triggers that may affect your body and mood. Use this log to make conscious choices and gradually incorporate more detoxifying foods (leafy greens and citrus are great) and hydrating beverages (see above) into your diet as needed.

Do healing your own way

My hubby Ron is a project coordinator for maintenance operations at our local hospital. Yes, I know, he is a total badass. The other week, Ron received an emergency request to build bunk beds (of sort) for the morgue so they could have more space for the bodies. Rest in peace you beautiful souls.

Ron, whose biggest fear is dying… Ron, who has never been inside a room full of lifeless bodies, was asked to enter the morgue to take measurements… And he did. He spent the rest of the day building those beds.

When Ron came home, he was drained and overwhelmed – rightfully so!

I – being the kind and yes, overprotective and loveably overbearing person I am – started an impromptu coaching session.

Me: “That was a lot for you to take on today. Are you taking care of yourself?’’

Ron: “Yes, babe. I’m trying.”

Me: “Good. What exactly are you doing for you? To make sure you’re not letting the heaviness of your job weigh you down?”

Ron: “Today I had an ice cream sandwich and me and the guys were making fun of each other all day.” He chuckled like he remembered one of the jokes he cracked.

Now, I have to admit, my own self-healing go-to’s look nothing like Ron’s – I’m more of a take a long walk, read a book, and relax with an epsom salt bath kind of person. So while part of me wanted to suggest one of these, seeing Ron’s shoulders relaxed and his eyes gleam when he recalled the way he cared for himself told me that satisfying his sweet tooth and picking on his friends was the absolute best remedy for his hard and emotional day.

And with that, I had nothing else to say besides, “Good for you babe. I’m so proud of you.” I had no spiritual guidance to give him. No intuitive guru advice. No ‘here’s an affirmation to help you…’ wisdom. Sure, I could have suggested meditation or a crystal bath or journaling, but Ron didn’t need to do anything different or anything more. He, in my opinion, handled the day and his self-care perfectly.

With that being said, do healing your own way. Whatever feels right to you and helps you through the day, that is what you should be doing.

Ron – Thank you for always opening my perspective and heart. I love you.

Join me in spreading my messages of breaking judgement habits and strengthening intuition even further: forward this blog to a few family members and friends. The greater the shares, the greater the impact – They can subscribe here.

Sincerely,
Danielle

PS – It can be overwhelming when the world is telling you one thing but your intuition is telling you another. When in doubt, use this affirmation, “Only I know what’s best for me.”

PPS – Do you have enough self-care in your day? If you’re not sure, grab a pen and journal for this activity. For the next few days, right down everything you do that feels like a treat to yourself. This could be watching a guilty-pleasure show, chatting with a friend on the phone, attending a dance class, cooking yourself a nice meal (not because you have to, but because you want to). Was capturing everything you do for yourself easy? If not, maybe you need to do more for you.

If you don’t know why, ask me

The other morning, when my 14-year-old son Aaron asked me where I was going, I cheerfully responded, “To my eyelash appoint.”

Aaron’s nose crinkled as he gave me a judgy look, “Why do you try to be someone you’re not? Who are you trying to impress anyways?”

His response hurt; he was quick to judge with questions oozing accusation.

Excited for a change amidst the 2020 work from home same-old, same-old, a few months ago I started getting false lashes. My lashes have brought me joy. They make me feel more confident, more prepared and prettier for my dozens of Zoom calls. I’ve had fun waking up looking like Marilyn Monroe (hey, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) and receiving compliments from my clients, students and even strangers I meet on my daily walks and trips to the store.

That’s why I was disappointed by Aaron’s assumption; that I was trying to pretend I was someone I wasn’t as opposed to enhancing the person I already was and am: Confident. Prepared. Pretty. I cringed hearing that Aaron thought impressing the world was a bad thing. What’s the problem with wanting to look good for others? I’ve found that the more put together and refreshed I look, the more others perk up and are open to my energy, which helps when I am teaching, coaching or giving a seminar. As long as self-esteem doesn’t solely rely on how others see you, then looking good can fuel self-love and happiness.

To snap me out of my critical feelings towards Aaron and I’s conversation, I found empathy. I reminded myself that Aaron’s limited viewpoint wasn’t his fault. He’s a freshman in high school, an age when many kids judge one another and make unfair assumptions based on appearance. He’s superglued to Snapchat, TikTok and I’m sure other apps I don’t know much about that seem to perpetuate this habit.

I took a deep breath in, looking Aaron straight in the eyes.

“This is important. I don’t like that you judged me right there. I am being ME. Just like my blonde highlights and gel nail polish compliment me, so do my eyelashes. A girl can want to look good and do that for different reasons. Some will do it for herself and others will do it for someone else and regardless, that’s their decision to make. These lashes make me happy. I’m not getting them to try to fit in or hide who I am; I get them as sort of a celebration of who I am. As a way to treat myself.”

I could see Aaron processing. I smiled and said, “I love you kid.”

Aaron told me he loved me back. He then gave me a ‘thanks’ and a head nod that showed me I got him thinking differently. And with that, we moved on with our day.

I’m proud for speaking my truth – not always an easy thing to do – especially to my teenage son. Will he get it? Will he understand? Will he care?

I hope introducing Aaron to a new way of thinking opens his eyes to the importance of not snapping judgements and instead, becoming more conscious of others’ WHY. I hope he starts asking questions that come from a place of curiosity such as, “Does it make you happy? How so?”

Later that day, I started wondering how many people had judged me for my fake eyelashes and how many other females had also been judged for theirs. I then thought about all the women out there getting judged for their botox, their weight or their clothing. That number was enough to inspire me to write this post.

So, to those rocking new outfits that match your flair; those typing away with fake nails; those driving to work with a brand-new hairstyle: Go YOU! There is no need hide or be ashamed. You’ve taken the time to invest in yourself, and that’s beautiful self-love!

As for the others who judge you, remember that their judgment is a reflection of themselves, not you. Hold onto grace and patience in these moments; they don’t know your WHY. If they don’t ask, they probably don’t know any better. Keep rocking anyways.

If you’re making assumptions about others, how can you break those limiting beliefs and work toward appreciating the choices that others make?

And most importantly, how can we have meaningful conversations with our youth to ensure appearances don’t control their perceptions of others?

Did you enjoy this post? You can subscribe here.

Sincerely,
Danielle

PS – Here’s an affirmation to help you along your ‘I won’t let sticks and stones hurt me’ journey: “I am the only one responsible for my self-esteem.”

PPS – To remind you that empathy is possible in all situations, get out you journal. Here’s a writing prompt: Think back to a time when someone hurt you. What did that person do? How did they make you feel? Although you may not forgive that person, can you find empathy? What human experiences may have shaped the way they treated you? How do you think they feel about the situation now?

Tag: self-care

Summer detox tips for higher summer vibes

Do healing your own way

If you don’t know why, ask me

A higher version of YOU

Check your inbox! If you can't find the email try checking your spam folder / promotions tab.