In the 10+ years of detoxing my home (and life!), I’ve certainly gone through my fair share of the highs and lows that come along with it. The peak moments of feeling so incredible, feeling so confident and healthy and proud, to the defeating moments of feeling like this journey is impossible given our current options in this world. I’ve been through the times where I thought I had found a tox-free option, and then just a few months later, had to go back to the drawing board after new research or studies showed questionable things about a particular ingredient. We can make ourselves crazy, or we can know that perfection is unlikely, and we can do the best we can with the information we have at the time.
Knowledge is power, but stress is probably our biggest toxin.
It’s important to know your why. And once you start learning the truth about toxins in our lives, it’s certainly hard to turn back. Guilt, shame, and stress can play a toll as we try to do better but struggle through the process. So while easier said than done, try to reduce the stress of going through this process. Today, we’re sharing a few tips to hopefully make it a bit smoother.
Aim for progress, not perfection
There are many ways to start and move through this journey. I can’t think of “the one” that is the most right. We all have unique lives – different preferences, creature comforts, and must-have items that you will be damned to give up. We all have different priorities and our “whys” are going to vary as well. So it only makes sense that we have to start in different places. And when there isn’t a clear direct path, it’s easy to get discouraged or lost. We can only do our best. And that looks and feels different for everyone.
Go with the 80/20 rule, a.k.a. pick your poisons
In a lot of groups where we talk about more organic lifestyles, this is an important concept. If you start at a point where you realize the majority of your lifestyle and home products have toxic ingredients, and you make just a 5-10% change, that’s a great start! And for people who are really passionate, if you can get to the point where 80% of your lifestyle and home is tox-free, then that’s a job very well done.
There are always going to be things we do or have that may not fall under a toxin-free lifestyle. But we aren’t here to be miserable either. If you occasionally go out to eat and that’s in your 20% to indulge, then go for it. Refuse to toss your microwave? Fine. If you can’t live without your morning coffee run, great! Pick your 20% and focus on what things you are ready to change. Who knows where you will be in one year’s time! Maybe one of your must-have items eventually feels like it’s ready to be given up.
Don’t go bankrupt
I’m not kidding. One of the biggest concerns I see is people feeling they have to throw everything out and start over, and it’s unaffordable. Some of the overwhelm of this process has to do with the financial aspect of buying new things to replace toxic things, or spending more to get higher quality and safer products. We can be responsible with finances and take things slow. Take the following examples –
You are sorting through cleaning supplies and realize that the majority of your products are unnecessary, duplicates, and have ingredients you no longer want to use. Your approach to this situation could go several ways: throw it all out, donate the items, or use it until it’s gone and then purchase the toxin-free items you’d like to switch to. There really isn’t a wrong answer, but the correct path will be a combination of your financial situation and personal values. “If I donate this, someone else will be exposed to these chemicals. But if I throw it out, it feels wasteful to just dump in a landfill. If I use it myself, I’m adding to my body’s toxin load.” Is there really a right choice? Probably not. None of these are truly ideal. You get to decide what feels right for you and what is financially feasible at that time.
The initial investment to make swaps can be done gradually over time to ease the burden. And in time, you will probably find yourself buying less and saving money, because quite frankly, we don’t need a lot of the junk we are buying. Toxin free swaps can actually be incredibly economical, and oftentimes are simple and reusable, eliminating the need to restock every month.
Create a plan
I’m a Virgo, so this is literally my favorite thing to do. But in this journey, I truly think it’s important for everyone to consider creating an outline. Diving into the rabbit hole of toxin free living can make you feel scatter brained and crazy. One minute you are searching for toothpaste alternatives and then you find yourself researching ingredients and then suddenly you realize that ingredient was also in your body wash so now you need to find a swap for that, then you think about the plastic containers and all the waste then suddenly your entire bathroom needs to be thrown in the trash and now you have nothing to clean your body so you go to the store and buy the old junk that you used to buy. Yes, it can ramble and escalate just like that. But no, it doesn’t have to.
Create a plan of your priority areas to target, and stick to it, no matter how tempting the rabbit hole can be. Exceptions – an ungodly toxic thing you find out about that is lurking in your home and needs to get taken care of NOW. Honestly though, that filter to identify gets really tough because everything can feel extra important to get taken care of right away. Stick to the plan.
Know your priorities
There is always room for improvement and growth. You can have all the best non toxic products in your home and then suddenly realize that the carbon footprint to ship them all the way from New Zealand is actually a really poor choice. Or that the perfect shampoo that finally worked amazing for your hair is in a single-use plastic bottle and you just learned about plastics and now you have to start your search over. Do you though?
Before you start – think through your priorities of what matters most to you. Again, these might change over time as you build confidence or increase awareness. Start where you can, with the budget you have. Below are some ideas about priorities. Pick just one or a few that matter to you:
- Starting with a particular category such as food/supplements, body care, or just tackling cleaning supplies. Refer to your 80/20
- USA made (or whatever country you are reading from), or possibly zoomed in further, such as locally made in your own region, state, city, or community
- No plastics – finding zero waste options
- Ensuring certain qualifications – organic, vegan, cruelty free (but do your research as many nice sounding phrases actually have no regulations, aka greenwashing)
- Eliminating particular ingredients – palm free, “natural fragrance,” etc.
get help when you need it
Just like with our design clients, who often times need someone to take all the information overload and overwhelm and filter through it and create a plan for them. We see our home detox consulting the same way! Let us simplify things for you and guide you through the murky waters to clean, reverse-osmosis, drinkability. With nerdy jokes, non-judgement, and a heart ready to help support you!
If you’d like to book a consultation to detox your home and lifestyle, reach out! We are opening up our in-person and virtual consultations to address this important aspect of safe and healthy homes for you to live beautifully.
