We’ve all been taught that protein is needed to make our bodies strong and to repair damage, but what have we been taught about how to heal our spirits and minds? Strength, above all, is valued in today’s modern world, but we may be paying a price for all of this rigid outer strength that we are required to show to the world around us. Pressure to “shrug it off,” “get over it,” and “move on” without inconveniencing or embarrassing anyone with our emotions causes us to discount the very reality of our feelings and experiences.

Opening up and being honest about our fears and weaknesses may actually be one of the strongest things we can do. Try this simple but powerful exercise to help you detox your mind and spirit:

Use a blank sheet of paper or a page in your journal to write about your current fears. write about your past fears also. Are there fears from your childhood that are still with you? Were you afraid of the dark? Were you afraid of not being liked because your parents told you there was something wrong with you? Were you teased by other kids in school? Describe these fears in detail and allow the hurt to fill up the page. Let the anger and hurt flow down your arm, into your pen, and onto the page that can’t talk back. Use this exercise to see what your fears and weaknesses really are. Perhaps they are lingering voices from the past that, once recognized for what they truly are, can no longer hurt you. See how your fears have affected your life and choices throughout the years. What you are holding on to from the past that is trapped in your body and mind? See your fears melt onto the page and release their toxic hold on you.