Some of you may be familiar with detoxing. Maybe you've attempted one of those 3-day juice cleanses, or maybe you've tried something a little more extreme. Whether you're the detox-type or not, I have one detox in particular that I am confident will benefit everyone immensely—the ultimate detox.

No, you don’t have to starve yourself for a week or do anything of that matter. You are simply doing a “life detox”. A detox is defined as “a process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances; detoxification”. That’s right, you’re going to detoxify your life.

Whether you realize it or not there are most likely a few unhealthy substances lingering in your life. Sure, it can be the food you’ve been eating lately or the alcohol you consumed all last weekend. But let’s look at it from a greater perspective: what about the toxins that are affecting our minds? This could be the people you surround yourself with, the places you force yourself to go, that pile of papers that’s been sitting on your desk for the past three months, etc.

After analyzing a few of my own lingering toxins, I have created the Ultimate Detox. I’ve come up with a few mind-clearing, toxin-ridding tasks that are sure to dispose of any unnecessary stress, drama or anxiety. If you are in need of a fresh start, I urge you to take on this challenge. With that said, here is the Ultimate Detox:

Take a step back and look at the people you surround yourself with. Are these people adding to your life in any way? Or are you simply keeping them in your life because it’s convenient or because they just so happen to be there. If there is anyone in your life that leaves a bad taste in your mouth or whose actions you disagree with, end that “relationship” now. Maybe it’s easier said than done, but life is too short to tolerate people who bring nothing good to your days. You are not forced to stay friends with someone you genuinely don’t enjoy being around. You are not obligated to keep your ex on social media. The quicker you eliminate the presence of these people the better. Do what you need to cleanse your life of toxic people. It doesn’t have to be malicious and you certainly don’t have to explain yourself. You simply are not forced to surround yourself with negative energy.

What about the places you go? Or your everyday surroundings? Every morning you wake up, the first thing you see is your room. Keep this clean. If you’re not happy with it, do a little rearranging. Change the paint color, by art for your walls, etc. It’s your room after all. If you wake up to a cluttered, unsatisfying room every morning this can linger in the back of your mind without even realizing it. Waking up every day in a place that makes you happy is a refreshing start to the day. Aside from your own abode, think about the places you go. Do you dread going downtown every weekend yet always end up falling into the persistent peer pressure from your friends? Two words—don’t go. Stay home, or go somewhere you want. Do you dread going to your job every day? Quit. There are other jobs. Stop putting yourself in situations you know don’t want to be in. Life is too short to waste even a day doing something you don’t want to be doing.

In my opinion, these are the two biggest toxins that we have control over—the people and places we surround ourselves with. Of course, there are other possible unhealthy substances like a forced college major, a continually increasing pile of things to do, etc. Start taking control of your life and handle it. There isn’t time to waste on negative energy. After you do that 3-day smoothie detox, I urge you to try the Ultimate Detox. You won’t regret it.