What does it mean to cleanse your relationships? Maybe you’ve tried to “cleanse” your body of toxins or your house from clutter but you might not realize that your relationships need some clean up too. Have you been clinging to old relationships that no longer work out of fear? How often have you felt that you’ve outgrown a friend, intimate partner or a job but were desperately afraid to leave them? Nurturing yourself with these kinds of relationships is no different than feeding your body Twinkies instead of nutritious broccoli. To cleanse your psychological house, start slowly. Perhaps meet with a negative friend less often or TRY ON THE IDEA of moving on from a tired intimate relationship that is slowly fading. Before doing anything, just IMAGINE what it would be like to be without this person or even to be with someone who treated you better or understood you more. IMAGINING change is the first step towards making it happen. Clearing out the clutter from your life takes time, patience, risk and a lot of compassion. So, do it gingerly and in steps. In cases where your relationships have become addictive, withdrawing from them can feel ominous. What will you substitute in their place? How will you fill your free time…with more toxic people or more healthy connections? The choice is yours. This is not a simple task. But just like a food cleanse, if you get through the horrible cravings, difficult emotions that arise and stick with the detox, you will awaken to huge changes in your mood, emotions, outlook and your life. This is hard to do alone so I am here to help if you are ready to take action. If you found this helpful, please feel free to e.mail me at nanlcsw@gmail.com or call me to schedule an appointment at 847.491.1111. Feel free to offer my article to others. I offer this as a free service to promote relational healing. Dont hesitate to offer my article to others. I offer this as a free service to promote relational healing.