Avoid energy vampires

My writing spot for this week is very different from the peace I enjoyed in St. James’ Park last week.

I am in a totally different part of London, sitting in a noisy, bustling coffee shop, lamenting the fact that they don’t have filter coffee.

Coffee shops are one of my favourite places to write and I am in good company. J.K. Rowling created her Harry Potter masterpiece in coffee shops in Scotland.

I think it is the energy they contain that makes them such a good environment for writers. Regardless of whether it is the morning rush or an afternoon lull, their energy is electric.

According to dictionary.com, energy of this type is defined as the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.

Energy within you can be positively or negatively charged.

You may not give your personal energy a lot of thought, but it is important to be aware of if you want to create a life and relationships that you love. You can do this by consciously checking in with how you feel, several times a day.

Your energy comes from a variety of sources including your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The healthier your lifestyle the more likely you are to have good energy. Having good social connections and personal relationships will also contribute to the quality of your energy.

These things are all within your control. You choose how you want to feel. If you are suffering from lack of energy, go for a walk in nature, improve your diet, exercise more, or nurture your relationships.

Unfortunately, you are not an island. When you interact with others, you are susceptible to absorbing their energy.

Energy transfers between people who are in close proximity.

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt uneasy? This is energy at work. You can feel the collective feelings of the people within.

Surround yourself with dissatisfied co-workers and you will soon feel dissatisfied.

Spend the evening with complaining friends and your life will quickly look much less satisfying. Talk to your cousin who is depressed and before long you will feel drained.

As a person who suffers from depression, I am not suggesting you should cut these people out of your life, but have some strategies to help you avoid being drained.

Boost your energy

Before you spend time with people who carry negative energy, make sure you are in prime energetic condition. Go for a walk, meditate, or watch a feel-good movie.

Overwhelm their energy with yours

By ensuring you are feeling positive, you can spread your vibe to them instead of simply absorbing theirs. If you are aware of what is happening, you can consciously work toward making this happen.

Limit the amount of time you spend around people with negative energy.

Look for signs that you are beginning to feel less energized, and take that as an indication that it is time for you to leave. If it is a family member, little and often may be better than occasionally spending a great deal of time together.

Take reinforcements with you

If you are meeting someone who has a tendency to be negative, including a colleague or friend who radiates positive energy can combine with yours to make the experience less draining. This is a variation on the overwhelming their energy with yours theme.

Know when to cut ties

If you have family members who bear a strong energetic similarity to Eeyore, you may not want to cut them out of your life, but friends who you dread spending time with, or work colleagues that leave you frustrated and low may not be the best choice of people to spend time with.

Working with people you love to be around is one of the biggest bonuses of any job, and it may be time to rethink your work situation.

Not all friends will be in your life forever and though it is a tough thing to do, making the decision to spend less or no time with people who are constantly complaining or criticizing may be the kindest thing you can do for yourself.

Cleanse your energy

When you finish your time around low energy people, consciously take time to cleanse the negative by doing something you know helps you regain your healthy levels.

Become more mindful of your energy. Check in with it regularly throughout the day. If it is lagging, do something to lift it. Don’t wait until you hit rock bottom.

his is what tends to happen when you are unconscious of your energy and how it is affected by others.

We all know someone who attracts people the minute they walk into a room. They may be a stranger, but you feel pulled to be in their physical space. This is usually because the energy they carry is extremely positive.

Humans don’t want to feel low, or depressed. If you can raise your vibration by being in the company of someone who carries a vibrant aura, you are likely to find a reason to approach them.

These people attract others who want a piece of their energy, because they know they will feel better when they leave their presence than they did when they first arrived.

Everyone has the right to choose what they want their energy charge to be like, but it is equally important to remember that your energy can be affected by the energy you come into contact with.

Choose to carry positive energy as much as possible and then find other people with the same vibration. Not only will you boost your own energy, you will help them increase theirs.

The type of energy you exude is largely within your control. You can choose whether to glow with positivity, or be like Charlie Brown’s friend Pig Pen and carry a cloud of negativity with you.

Like most things in life, you may not be able to choose your circumstances, but you can choose how to view them and how to respond.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.