Every day is an opportunity to stay centered and connected to the loving presence that you are.  But sometimes when we are going about our day or simply living our life, we encounter individuals or even family members who don’t have the same energy levels as we do, or they are completely unconscious or downright negative, anxious, fearful, or rude.   Learning to protect your own energy levels so you are still continuing to bring peace and joy to the world is key.

When someone with heightened positive energy levels is around someone who isn’t aware of how their own energy could be contaminating others around them, the one who is highly sensitive and operating at a higher level or energy can become affected and if they are not careful can allow how other people are thinking, speaking, and feeling to affect them personally.  They may even find themselves feeling anxious, fearful, worried, or even angry and frustrated.

But here is where presence and staying connecting will be your greatest super power, for nothing outside of yourself, and no other individual can ever make you feel inferior or bad without your own consent.  Staying present and staying true to who you are will be what protects you the most while in these situations.

Sometimes we can’t avoid spending time with people, or family members, especially around the holidays.  Some people have parents that they have absolutely no connection with because they are always so negative or are constantly complaining about their problems, so here is where you’re going to learn how to shield and protect yourself from negative energy that comes your way.

1.  Mentally prepare yourself for what’s to come and visualize the success you want.  If you’re about to engage with certain individuals or certain family members who drain your energy and leave you feeling exhausted and you can’t avoid the situation, then mental preparation is key.  Get yourself ready and feeling your absolute best and then say a pray in advance.  Use your energy to go before you and say a prayer to help you remain focused on the desired outcome.  Understand that you cannot change people, but you can change your energy levels, and you can change how you see the encounter.  My prayer usually goes something like this.   “Dear God, I ask you go to before me and make this encounter as smooth and as easy as possible.  I ask you to fill this space with love and that you guide my actions and words so that I remain centered and calm.  Thank you in advance for making this as enjoyable as possible, and for making it a short and sweet encounter.  Amen.”  If there are other individuals involved who I love dearly or I am feeling a little apprehensive about any situation, then I will ask for protection and give thanks for that too. 

2. Be yourself and be real.  Fake people can’t handle real energy for love is foreign to them.  Just because someone is negative or a has low, negative energy levels it doesn’t mean you have to come down to their level and allow it to affect you.  You continue being your kind, happy, positive, loving, abundant, honest, and peaceful self.  Be prepared though, as chances are they will see you as a threat or see you as “too much”, or “too happy”… or weird, or stupid, or ungrateful, or different… or whatever else they may think.  Remember that rejection is often God’s way of protecting you from people who aren’t good for you.  You need to be around the right kind of people if you want to grow, excel and thrive.  Remember that.  This doesn’t mean you are unkind or hard hearted.  It just means that what you focus on comes into your life so you need to focus your energy to the things you want to come into your life.

3.  Don’t worry about what other people think of you.  Sometimes when people are operating at a higher energy level, they can dumb themselves down or make themselves feel small just to blend in or to make others feel more comfortable.  This is because for most of their life they have been looked down upon for wanting more for their life or they could have been environments where others talked badly about successful people.  They have been judged, criticized, or condemned, or have been made to feel less than, simply because they have been surrounded by emotionally immature people and those who are not connected to a deeper presence from within.  Do not worry about what other people think of you and don’t dumb yourself down for anyone.  You continue to show up as yourself and be who you are.  Not doing so would be a direct attack on the one who created you.  The right people will come into your life and the wrong ones will leave.  It’s as simple as that.

4.  Take a break and excuse yourself if necessary.  If you’ve ever been to a party or have had people around you who are draining, then excuse yourself and go hide in the bathroom for a while.  I have done this many times in my life, and I simply go to the bathroom, collect myself, breathe, and mentally prepare myself for round 2.  Sometimes we can’t get out of certain situations, especially if we are dealing with family members or other people that we must see, so if ever you feel yourself feeling drained or weakened, simply excuse yourself.

5.  Remain quiet and calm or try to shift the energy or change the topic.  You can let other people talk while you simply listen.  Don’t partake in drama, gossip, or talking bad about anything or anyone.  Remain quiet, and calm and if your presence directs you to speak, do so but you will find the most inner peace within yourself.  If given the opportunity to shift the energy or talk about something more fun, lighthearted, and positive do so.  Misery loves company remember so if you can’t leave the company you are in, try to shift the energy to something more uplifting.

6.  Ask them questions.  Emotionally immature people are usually self-centered and love talking about themselves, other people, and all their problems.  Don’t ever expect them to ask you about your life or your day because anything amazing that is going on with you will just be seen as competition, or a threat and they don’t believe that life can be drama free, great and peaceful.  So don’t expect much out of the interaction and don’t expect a compliment or any genuine interest in your life.  Instead ask them questions that they can answer and leave yourself out of the equation.

7.  Try to see the positive and try to see the best in people.  Be on the lookout for your mind to start dialing in on what’s wrong, or what’s negative.  But you’re better than that, for you are someone who always sees the good in people and in situations.  Let me be very clear, that this does not excuse disrespect, violence, abuse, unsafe environments or toxic behaviours, and by all means speak up when necessary and remove yourself immediately if you feel unsafe but understand that anyone who is negative is disconnected from a source of true love and inner harmony.  Their mind and thoughts have taken over, and they really aren’t even there, so trying to get through to someone is just a waste of your time and energy.  Deep down inside they have good qualities that you might be able to focus on instead.  Just stay present, and consciously choose to find the joy in something.  You might choose to spend time with the younger kids, pets or someone else instead and that’s okay, but what matters most is that you remain uplifted and positive regardless of what’s going on around you.

8.  Fill yourself back up and do not judge.  You may find that once the negative and draining people are gone you feel the need to move your body, or just go sit in a mediation and be alone with yourself.  Give yourself that gift of time and space.  Process what you need to process and then let it all go.  If someone said something to you that made you feel bad or that was completely inappropriate understand that unconscious people are simply projecting their fears onto others and it’s likely what’s going on in their own life, so you can let it go and keep on being your best self.  Do not waste any more of your time speaking about the situation or judging anything or talking about what so-and-so did or said.  What you give out comes right back to you, so continue to operate out of love, good energy, self-worth, abundance, and positivity!  Some things and some people are not worth any more of your time or energy.

9.  Create more boundaries.  It’s okay to say no next time.  It’s okay to decline an invitation and stay true to what you want for yourself and your family.  It’s okay to put your own needs and your own mental well-being first.  It’s okay to stand up for yourself and speak your truth.  Also know that if you don’t feel like doing something, or going somewhere or seeing someone you can say no without lying or coming up with an excuse not to go.  You can be honest instead, even if that hurts other people’s feelings, for you are not responsible for how other people react to you or your solid boundaries.  Always consult your own presence within first before agreeing to do anything.  You get to choose.

10.  You don’t need to help or fix anything.  Sometimes people need to sit with their problems and their own inner dysfunction and mess without anyone coming to their rescue.  Your presence is enough, and you don’t need to help, fix or solve anyone’s problems.   In fact, if you keep attracting emotionally unavailable people who like to dump all of their problems onto you, you might want to ask yourself why you keep attracting such people into your life and what you need to heal within yourself first.  If you do give your time to others or lend an ear, you simply need to hold space for people.  It’s not your job to fix problems or fix people.  If they ask for help, or ask for your opinion, then by all means help if you’re in an emotional solid place to do so or give your opinion, but that’s entirely up to you.  Sometimes a no comment, or a no response is the best course of action for both parties involved. 

11.  Give thanks.  Be thankful for everything and everyone in your life because it’s all needed.  Give thanks especially to yourself for how strong you are, and how amazing you are, for that strength doesn’t just come from you, it comes from God, you highest self, your deeper I, the Universe, Source to whatever you choose to call it.  You have a deep connection to something bigger than yourself and that connection won’t ever let you down.  People might let you down or bring you down, but that presence won’t ever let you down, for its only job is to help you rise and stay in alignment and connected to who you really are.

12.  Higher Standards and Expectations.  Sometimes when people have been in toxic and emotionally draining environments for too long, they can stop expecting good things.  They don’t believe that there are people out there who are kind, excellent, loving and who are genuinely interested in them, so they don’t bother.  They might even isolate themselves or think that something is wrong with them, when in fact they just have a higher energy level and a deeper level of presence and connection than most people.  You should always have high standards and expectations for who you allow into your life and who has access to your time and energy.  Relationships should be mutually satisfying, and not just one sided.  So, if you can, avoid energy drainers and energy vampires as much as possible and invest your time wisely with the people who do deserve to have you and your beautiful spirit in their life.  Do an audit and see who gets to come with you into this new season and new year. 

Recommended Life Transformation Programs:

Life Worth Living Challenge - Live Your Life Happy, Healthy and Free.

Women of Worth Network - Monthly Newsletter

Yin Yoga - Soul Perfection Master Class

Additional Reads:

Wake Up and Live - 101 Days of Deep Inner Work to Transform Your Life

Rise and Shine - 101 Days to a Happier You

Taking Your Personal Power Back - 101 Days of Relentless Action Forward

High Level Leadership - 101 Days of Rising Happy, Healthy, and Free to Serve a Greater Good