by Helen Snape
Contributing Author, Conscious Reminder
Protecting our energy is important because it enables us to get the most out of life.
For those who are highly sensitive, or have a tendency to always be helping other people, learning to protect your energy is crucial to ensure you don’t give and give and give until you give up.
Before we get to specific techniques you can use to protect your energy, we first need to establish our weekly energy map.
What drains and replenishes your energy?
Are there specific environments or events that sap your energy and others that light you up? What about particular people or groups? Are there times of the day or week when you have more or less energy? How about sounds and smells?
Tip: Keep an energy diary for a couple of weeks. Every evening, write down what you have noticed has left you feeling low in energy and what has boosted your energy.
I find rooms with no windows, crowds and travelling draining and that being in nature, meditation and singing energy boosting.
Techniques to protect your energy
Build in rest times – there may be activities you enjoy, but you know they will leave you feeling drained. Common examples are attending large group gatherings, travelling and exercise. Make sure that you build in the rest time you need afterwards so you are not trying to run on an empty tank.
Avoid or minimise time spent with energy ‘vampires’ – once you have identified who seems to sap your energy, you might simply choose to spend less time with them, or not see them at all. Why spend time with someone who leaves you feeling drained? Where this option isn’t possible, for example it’s the colleague you sit next to at work, the next tip will help.
Assert loving boundaries with others – learn to say ‘No’ more often. Manage others’ expectations – decide what time you will spend with someone, be clear about it and stick to it. When dealing with drama queens (that person that always has problems they want to tell you about), you might choose not to ask them how they are! Protect your space too – for example, you get to decide who to let into your home, for how long and what behaviour is acceptable.
Shielding – this is a visualisation technique that you can use in situations that you expect to be difficult. Slow down and take several slow deep breaths. Visualise a bright white shield that surrounds your entire body. This shield will only let in that which is positive and loving. It blocks anything negative, stressful or toxic.
Grounding – reconnecting with the earth helps us feel safe and relieves any pressure we might be feeling. If you are able to, walking barefoot in nature is a great way to do this. If you can’t do that, you could keep a really nice stone that you can hold to ground yourself. A short grounding meditation also works effectively.
Work on your own issues – our energy gets absorbed in our own unresolved issues. So when someone presses your emotional ‘buttons’ and you feel angry, scared, sad or anxious, take a step back, slow down and take the time to reflect on what is going on for you. It may be that your self-esteem needs some attention. Working on your own healing means less things will trigger you in the future and absorb your energy.
Dream about your ideal life – now you know what drains and what boosts your energy, you can imagine what your life would look like if you maximised all the things that give you energy and took away all the things that drained your energy. How amazing would that be?! Once you have the vision of your ideal life, you can then begin to take steps towards it.
Quick wins
Developing an understanding of what drains and what boosts your energy and applying some of these techniques will help you protect your energy in different situations.
In addition, think about what you could do to bring more positive energy into your life. And what one thing could you do to reduce the negative energy in your life this week?
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