Emotional Cleansing

Before embarking on a fast or a whole-food cleanse to eliminate the indulgences of the past year, take a moment to reflect on other aspects that may be weighing you down. Consider the unseen burdens such as emotional or spiritual remnants of ongoing stress and unresolved traumas. These invisible factors can significantly affect your mental health, and they also play a role in your physical well-being.

A supportive approach to resetting yourself includes creating room for your emotions to flow freely. Think of it as a detoxification process for both your body and spirit.

Embracing Your Emotions

Although emotions are typically categorized as either positive or negative, every emotion serves a purpose when managed appropriately. Trouble arises when we suppress these feelings rather than expressing them authentically.

Specifically, “toxic feelings such as fear and resentment can have detrimental health effects,” explains Anna Runkle, affectionately known as the Crappy Childhood Fairy and author of Connectability: Heal the Hidden Ways You Isolate, Find Your People, And Feel (At Last) Like You Belong (Hay House, 2025).

When the nervous system gets stuck in a continual “fight-or-flight” mode, it can result in chronic stress, heightening susceptibility to issues like depression, anxiety, cardiovascular problems, and digestive disorders.

Stress and trauma can also manifest in various health conditions including irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. Furthermore, adverse experiences in childhood can lead to long-term health complications like increased risks of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and even suicidal tendencies later in life.

Emotions that get “stuck” can be felt in various parts of the body, particularly the airways, heart, and digestive system. However, research indicates that emotional regulation contributes positively to both mental and physical health.

Runkle shares, “After starting a daily emotional practice, I found relief from various health issues common among those who grew up with challenging circumstances, including asthma, back pain, knee pain, and migraines.”

Releasing Emotions

Our brains are inherently programmed to focus more on negative experiences than positive ones, a survival trait from earlier human environments. This “negativity bias” persists in modern life, yet techniques exist to counter it.

Practicing Forgiveness and Gratitude

Letting go of grudges has been connected to improved physical health, including the reduction of pain symptoms and enhanced cardiovascular health. Meanwhile, practicing gratitude can uplift heart health and overall well-being.

Journaling

The daily practice Runkle advocates involves documenting your fears, resentments, and various feelings, followed by destroying that paper. “It’s a way to let go of burdens,” she says. “The essence is to move on.”

She adds, “Engaging in regular writing and meditation gave me a chance to expel the negative thoughts and feelings that plagued my mind.” Research underscores that expressive writing benefits both physical and mental health, especially for trauma survivors. Runkle believes her methods can also assist those grappling with different stressors.

“This practice has been taught to people in hospice care, students in schools, prisoners, and men’s groups,” she states. “It’s adaptable to fit individual needs.”

Therapies Focused on the Body

Body-centered therapies can help strengthen your nervous system’s capacity to handle and process emotions. The focus is not merely on being joyful all the time but on being able to transition between pleasant and unpleasant feelings.

Modalities such as Somatic Experiencing and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are especially valuable for releasing trauma stored within the body. Practices like meditation, yoga, and breathwork play significant roles in reducing stress and enhancing mental health.

Nourishment and Physical Activity

For optimal results, couple emotional healing with additional supportive routines. Consuming a nutritious diet, such as a predominantly plant-based Mediterranean diet, alongside regular exercise can significantly uplift mood. Spending time in natural settings, whether in forests or near the ocean, fosters emotional well-being.

Connecting with someone who can support you during challenging emotions—whether it’s a partner, friend, or therapist—can also help alleviate distress. Ultimately, the essential factor in rejuvenating your emotional health is discovering what resonates with you.

This article was first featured in the January 2026 edition of Thewindowsclub magazine.