Toxic Overload: How I'm Cleaning Up My Tech, Environment, and Body
Because sometimes the most dangerous things are the ones we've normalized.
I swear I've been wanting to talk AI. Lots happening there - have you heard about Manus, or Sesame?
But the truth is, over the last few weeks I've been deep into a detox process/obsession, barely able to think about anything else. I've started noticing all the ways I've been letting various toxic elements creep into my life. I'm talking about digital boundaries and environmental exposures that I've been far too casual about.
Reading up on these topics has been a journey - from initial curiosity to genuine concern, then anger, and finally a resolve to fight back. Since I'm currently obsessed, I thought I'd share what I'm reading, changing, and exploring. I'm not an expert in any of these fields – just someone with a newfound fixation.
Problem #1: Technology Dependence
It all started when I ran out of memory on both my phone and laptop simultaneously. This triggered a special kind of tech hell: cable compatibility issues, expensive cloud service upsells, and the utter inability to even see what was occupying all this memory, let alone expand it.
This experience prompted (yet another) reflection on how much of my life depends on these devices, and whether I'm okay with that arrangement. Here are some of the questions I've been asking myself:
Backups:
Do I have functional backup devices if my primary phone/laptop breaks? (This matters especially for accessing critical services like banking and health platforms)
Is my important data backed up in multiple places and formats? Can I find it when needed? Do I trust where it's stored?
Are my physical backups stored in different locations and protected against environmental damage?
How easily can I transfer important information between devices/software? (Example: I had all my notes in Google Docs – not easy to bulk download or control the format, now they are all in markdown, backed up on icloud and github)
Privacy and Security:
Are my passwords organized in a password manager, uniquely generated for each site, and stored in at least two separate places?
Where are my most critical passwords backed up? Currently, mine are in: 1) laptop 2) phone 3) Google account. Could I access important accounts from a new device if needed?
Do I have at least a basic understanding of who's using my data and for what purpose? (Google Maps, Facebook, YouTube, ChatGPT, etc.)
How is my two-factor authentication set up, particularly for financial accounts? Can I use authenticator apps over sms as much as possible? (less dependence on the specific sim card/being in a country where that sim card works)
Problem #2: Environmental Pollution
We've all heard about microplastics, but that's just the tip of the toxic iceberg. Do your own research – I'm just sharing my evolving thoughts on something incredibly complex.
Air Quality:
I bought a CO2 monitor and was shocked how quickly indoor air quality deteriorates. Now I'm opening windows at least hourly. I'd never live or work somewhere without openable windows, and I'm increasingly drawn away from city living.
Water Quality:
Chlorine is problematic, plastic containers are worse, and skin absorbs more than we think. I drank tap water for years and carried plastic bottles – both less than ideal. My recent changes:
Ordering glass water bottles for home delivery
Using a glass jug to collect filtered, non-chemically treated spring water from a friend's place
Avoiding pool jacuzzis entirely and minimizing time around chlorinated pools (that stuff is definitely in the air too)
Not a solution yet, but I am thinking about how to also bathe in non chlorinated water while renting. Not easy.
More sauna and more epsom baths to help the body get toxic stuff out.
Mold:
I've been lucky to have minimal mold exposure in my life – until now. I recently discovered mold in my house, and it's probably worse than it looks. I'm researching mold remediation while considering whether to move and what to do with potentially contaminated belongings. Also experiencing some emotional conversations around what I’m willing to tolerate now that I know about it versus what is considered normal, and all of my anger around giving up on improving any situation - especially heath related.
EMF Exposure:
If you think it's ridiculous to discuss electromagnetic fields, this newsletter probably isn't for you. While I can't definitively feel the effects (though my right hand, my most device-exposed body part, experiences increasing tingles and numbness), I'm taking precautions:
Setting my WiFi to power down at night
Using wired headphones instead of wireless
Putting my Oura ring in airplane mode and just checking it in the evening (and I am on the fence of whether it’s worth keeping it at all, the tension between wanting to measure but minimizing exposure is real)
I just ordered an EMF meter and can't wait to see what it reveals
Problem #3: What I Put On/In My Body
Food:
Organic is worth both the expense and effort. I'm increasingly motivated to seek it out, pay the premium, and invest time cooking it after learning more about what pesticides do to both our brains and soil health.
Sometimes I wonder if it's extreme to spend more than average on healthy food and dedicate so much time to procuring and preparing it. Then I remind myself that historically, people spent a much larger percentage of their resources—time, energy, and money—on food. So maybe my priorities aren't so out of line after all.
Regarding diets: they seem highly individual. Currently, I eat meat, lots of eggs and yogurt, have committed to avoiding sugar, and am rediscovering green leafy vegetables after avoiding them all winter. I'm grateful to finally have enough stability in my life to experiment and discover what foods truly work for my body. For example, I only recently had the mental space to track changes and realized my body doesn't seem to get along well with beans. Small discoveries, big impact.
Fragrances:
I've always disliked perfumes and similar scents, and that aversion is intensifying. I'm going down the rabbit hole of asking ChatGPT to explain specific ingredients in detergents, makeup, and skincare products – and finding the answers both frightening and disgusting. I already used minimal products but am now motivated to use even fewer.
Light Exposure:
Blue light genuinely seems problematic. I've been more successful than usual at avoiding screens after 8 PM while still engaging with activities I enjoy – podcasts, entertainment, conversations – without unnecessary blue light and WiFi exposure. I'm researching e-ink devices, exploring ways to digitize my handwritten notes, and setting up cables and WiFi timers to reduce exposure.
Parting Thoughts
Am I extreme? I'm really not sure. I can only say that I'm in the exploration, that I increasingly trust my intuition on what's important, and that the accelerating spread of chronic disease leads me to think that even small interventions matter. Spending a few months reducing my exposure to a lot of recently made things and reintroducing them slowly (if needed) feels worth it to me, and I don’t see a better time than now.
Some recent podcasts on the matter I’ve enjoyed:
May all beings experience a full blooming health. May all beings be happy.