What are people detoxing from as they seek to have a better 2025?
The cliché goes “new year, new me”, but when one examines it deeper, it is far beyond the four words it is dressed in.
For individuals who want to walk the talk, it means ditching some habits as they seek to be better versions of themselves. Call it detoxing. So, what are people detoxing from as they seek to have a better 2025?
Our interviews with various individuals brought up a mix of negative traits they wish to dump.
Fredrick “CJ Kwach” Onyango, businessman: Overcommitting
From this year onwards, Fredrick wants to drop the tendency to overcommit.
“I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a habitual over-committer. I used to think that saying ‘yes’ to everything was the key to being successful and appreciated. One year, I took on so many projects at work, volunteered for every committee, and agreed to every social event that my friends and family invited me to. The result? You guessed it; I ended up feeling exhausted, stressed, and had no time left for myself,” he says.
“Overcommitting … leaves you with no time to relax, recharge, or do the things you truly enjoy. What’s worse is that when you’re overcommitted, you can’t give your best to any of the things you’ve committed to. You’re spread too thin, and everything suffers as a result – your work, your relationships, and most importantly, your health,” adds Fredrick.
He adds: “In 2025, I will prioritise my time and energy for the things that truly matter to me.”
Dennis Chisaka, journalist: One-way friendships
This year, Dennis is detoxing from the “nitumie thao urgently (send me Sh1,000 urgently)” gang. He says his friends only look for him when they need money urgently and do not reciprocate when he is in need.
“I have learnt that when I have an emergency, it’s me alone. Also, they do not even return the money they borrow urgently. So, from 2025 onwards, I’m learning to say ‘no,’” he says.
Edwin Juma, project coordinator: Neglecting personal health
Edwin, a Nairobi resident, wants to make personal health his top priority in 2025.
“It’s true health is wealth and that’s my prime investment this year. I have made a conscious decision to detox from things and habits that could jeopardise my health and wellbeing; both mentally and physically. I’m mindful of what I consume henceforth; on what gets into my body and mind,” he says. I have chosen to do away with refined sugar and opted for more fresh fruits instead. I have replaced beverages with more water. Water is life, right? I want to live and enjoy more life, so I will hydrate more.”
Edwin also wants to detox from too much screen time and to keep off activities that cost him his mental wellbeing.
“I have made a choice to detox from unhealthy relationships, discussions, engagements and situations that negatively affect my mental stability. I will instead focus more on what I can handle and what is within my control. Whatever is out of my control, I will let it go. All I want is to maintain a positive, peaceful mindset and a healthy living. And as they say, que sera sera!” he notes.
Synthia Asienwa, teacher: Negative energy
“I’m detoxing from negative energy. This year, I intend to give energy where I’m served energy,” she says.
In previous years, Synthia has maintained friendship and associations that are characterised with excessive whining and whinging.
“People who always complain about situations, negatively impacting any meaningful progress,” she notes.
Additionally, she is detoxing from friendships that do not add value to her life.
“I have had friends who would lose touch, resurface when they have an issue that needs my attention and disappear afterwards. I’d keep asking myself if maybe I wronged them but in a real sense, they were just using me,” she says.
Victor Moguche, poet: Overspending
The poet and filmmaker, who is based in the US, has a long list of items to detox from. One of them is overspending.
“(I plan to) pay off credit cards and be debt-free...and be mindful where my money is going,” he says.
He also wants to cut ties with his “godless” side and “build a relationship with God”.
“Since Covid hit, church ilipotea kidogo (disappeared a bit),” he says.
Winfred Abuti, a Community Practitioner is detoxing from overspending.
Winfred Abuti, community practitioner: Overspending
In 2025, Winfred – just like Victor – vows to detox from spending more than her budget.
“I want to save and invest more rather than spending too much on unnecessary things,” she says.
Additionally, Winfred plans to detox from unappreciative and toxic working environments. Colleagues and bosses who do not see her value will be cut off.
“I will also not be giving out my goods and services to clients who end up frustrating us on payments,” says Winfred.
Sellah Babu, teacher: Lone-ranging
In 2025, Sellah will be detoxing from the tendency to handle struggles alone.
She says: “I will no longer hesitate to ask for help when I need it. I recognise that reaching out for support is not a sign of weakness, but a powerful step toward healing and balance. I will allow myself to lean on others, to share the load, and to embrace the strength that comes from connection.”
Additionally, Sellah will be detoxing from the cycle of online purchases made on credit.
“This has, for a long time, impacted on my financial well-being and mental peace. Moving forward, I will practise mindfulness in my spending, making intentional choices that align with my values and goals, and avoiding impulsive purchases that contribute to unnecessary stress,” she says.
What life coaches say
Lifestyle spoke with two mind experts who shed light on how to drop the baggage for a better year ahead.
Hypnotherapist Tazim Elkington.
Tazim Elkington
Tazim is a psychosomatic therapist (expert on issues relating to the mind and body) and a leadership trainer and speaker. She tells us that the first step towards detoxing from detrimental habits is having a proper balance.
“People have lost balance in terms of priorities on what is important and what really matters. We have got caught up with … external validation. We are here for a very short time and the main aim is to look at the inner growth through raising our levels of consciousness,” she says.
She also emphasises the need for people to seek spiritual growth, same as taking time to meditate, pray, and reflect. Tazim also advises that a person distributes the 24 hours of the day equally for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects.
“Most people are running themselves ragged competing with others. When one realises that death will come no matter how much one tries to root themselves into the earth, then priorities change,” she says.
Vanessa Akiwumi is founder of Life Coaching KE and the head Life Coach and Psychologist at Life Coaching KE.
Vanessa Akiwumi
Vanessa is a psychologist, a life coach and an art therapist who works with the general population as well as high-performance athletes.
She is the founder of Life Coaching Ke, a firm dedicated to empowering individuals to live fulfilling and balanced lives. She gives Lifestyle a list of four common baggage-bringers worth dropping.
1. Negative coping mechanisms
Using alcohol and other drugs, Vanessa counsels, is a habit anyone should seek to abandon. One way to keep off them, she advises, is by embracing healthy alternatives like physical activity, journaling, and building a strong support system that encourages sobriety and personal growth.
“It involves replacing the drinking or drug use with more positive habits. You can be working out, going to the gym, participating in hikes or going to different types of functions that maybe involve more creativity, such as going for a play or going to a dance show or an art exhibition. These are things that are more creative and are a good use of your time other than going to parties and indulging in negative coping mechanisms like drugs and alcohol,” she says.
2. Negative friendships
Vanessa says life changes when someone discards friendships and associations that take away from them rather than add to them.
One way to avoid negative friendships, she says, is to set boundaries with “people who drain your energy or bring negative energy into your life”.
“This is super-important because we are who we hang around with and who we surround ourselves with. So, if we’re constantly around negative energy or individuals that want to participate in things that you don’t, such as drug and alcohol use or things that you might not be passionate about – or they don’t have the same values as you – it tends to rub off on you and then you become integrated into that circle and you start to act accordingly or the same way,” she says.
According to Vanessa, you should surround yourself with people who “align with your values, support your goals and prioritise your emotional and mental well-being”.
“This can be done through just sitting down and writing down what your values are, what your goals are, and how you want to prioritise your emotional and mental well-being. From that, you’ll know yourself a lot more and therefore you’ll be able to be a little bit more selective with the relationships that you cultivate,” the psychologist advises.
3. The hustle culture
Yes, it is good to chase the bag, but there is such a thing as overworking, Vanessa advises. This is not sustainable in the long run, she says, and so a person should consider breaks.
“Schedule regular breaks and downtime to recharge mentally, physically, and emotionally,” she says. “We don’t have to be on the go all the time because this puts us at risk of burnout. It’s really important to schedule time to relax, to do nothing, to just check in with yourself and understand how you are doing mentally, physically and emotionally.”
To ensure one doesn’t over-burden oneself, she also calls for people to pay attention to activities that nurture their wellbeing.
“Prioritise balance by incorporating activities that nurture your spiritual, emotional, and mental and mental health. This can be done through meditation. You can find a lot of meditation groups. I have one on my social media page that is free. You can join that. Have other hobbies and also spend time with people that mean something to you and that you love,” she says.
4. Too much social media
“Screen time” is commonly mentioned in reference to children, but Vanessa thinks even adults need to be concerned about it. Too much time on the screen, she says, can be a source of derailment.
Besides reducing screen time, Vanessa also advises individuals to unfollow accounts that trigger bad feelings or diminish their self-worth.
“Social media is a very informative place, but it can also be super toxic,” she says. “If you feel that a page is a source of negativity and it puts you in a place where you’re doubting yourself and your abilities and who you are as an individual, it’s really important to unfollow that page and try and limit your screen time.”
To detox from the screen, Vanessa encourages people to embrace offline activities like visiting forests or parks.
“Sometimes we need that because it (the internet) is very, very heavy on us. There’s so much social media content to sift through,” the life coach notes.
She concludes: “So, basically, a quote I want us to live by for 2025 is: ‘A healthier 2025 starts with letting go of what no longer serves you.’”
