Five things to detox for 2020 which don't involve your body

With Christmas and New Year's Eve now over, the onslaught of 'advice' will begin, instructing us to hit the gym and embark on an aggressive diet.

In the era of body positivity it seems strange that every new year is brought in with arguably outdated cries to slim down and detox, in order to discover the 'new you'.

If you wanted to lose weight for personal or health reasons, that's absolutely up to you. However, we really would not recommend going on a diet of celery juice because everyone is telling you to 'detox'...

That doesn't mean you shouldn't make any positive changes this January though. Luckily there are plenty of other 'detoxes' you can try that won't push your body to its limits...

1. Your closet

Unless you're the rare person who has a streamlined capsule wardrobe and knows exactly what to wear on any given day, chances are you have a huge closet of which you only wear about 15%.

With fewer social plans this January, why not use your spare time to sift through all your clothes and donate anything you don't want to your local charity shop or homeless shelter? To properly pull off this detox you have to be brutal – if you haven't worn something in the past year, it's time to let it go. You'll feel lighter, and your home much less cluttered, by the end of it.

2. Bad friends

Could your circle of friends do with a cull? Think about it: if you have a 'friend' who's constantly criticising you and getting you down, why are you still mates with them?

It could be time to rid yourself of this negativity – we're not saying you need a big, dramatic friendship break-up, but it's about spending less time with someone who doesn't bring you joy, or enhance your life.

3. That one drawer you definitely have

You know the one we're talking about – that drawer in your house where you shove odds and ends you can't be bothered to deal with. Over the years, it's become an impenetrable cavern of random things you just keep on adding to. Even neat-freak Monica in Friends had a cupboard like this, so you definitely have one too.

Now is the time to face the drawer, and you'll probably find you don't actually need anything in it. Your reward will be a newly-empty drawer which you can put different odds and ends into.

4. Technology

The benefits of a digital detox – cutting your screentime, limiting your tech use – are really wide-ranging, from improving sleep to helping manage anxiety. You can start small – an hour-long detox every so often – and build up to longer phone-free periods, reaping the benefits as you go.

5. Your mind

In January so much emphasis is put on your physical health – you're urged to hit the gym, cut out booze and only eat vegetables. But what about your mental health? It's likely it could really use some TLC after the hectic Christmas period.

Detoxing your mind sounds a little extreme, but all we're recommending is taking a moment to focus on yourself. Why not carve some time each day to meditate? You brain will thank you for it.

Picture: iStock/PA