How to Block Others’ Negative Energy

In today’s society, we are constantly surrounded by negativity. The news runs horror story after horror story. Social media is a feeding ground for anger. Advertisements make people believe they are of singular importance. This environment makes it difficult to maintain serenity and positive energy!

But if you practise the following principles, you will be better equipped to block others’ negative energy and protect your peace.

1. Establish Boundaries

The first step you need to take in order to manage negative energy is to practise establishing boundaries. The “misery loves company” dynamic is real. People with negative energy seek to feed off of those with positivity to make themselves feel better. It is important for you to create established boundaries with these people to protect your serenity.

Don’t let yourself become a punching bag for people’s negativity. Remember that there is a BIG difference between listening and absorbing. When you listen, you are lending a helping ear and actively trying to show others the silver lining. Absorbing occurs when you let the negativity control you by contributing.

For example, if your co-worker is constantly complaining about how much they hate their job, don’t participate by confirming their negative outlook. Instead, try to help them change their energy by asking, “What are you going to do about it?” It is impossible to completely avoid negative people in your daily life, but it doesn’t mean you can’t protect yourself from them.

Setting these boundaries with kindness prevents people becoming your “emotional vampires” and leaves you with enough energy to take care of yourself.

2. Don’t React — Respond

When a situation ignites something in you, make an effort to respond with mindfulness instead of just reacting. Most of our day involves our intake and response to people around us. If you learn to respond to negativity rather than to react, you can create space for the protection of your positive energy.

There is a reason why people say that hindsight is 20/20. Reaction is our initial emotional response to an event that is mostly based on fear and insecurities. These initial emotions are instinctive and arise because of the ego’s need to protect itself. Usually, it is not the best way to protect your peace.

Responding allows us to remove ego from the situation. If you take some time (even just a second) to evaluate the situation, you will be more prepared to respond with positivity. If your spouse does something that makes you angry, take a second to examine why you feel this way. If your parents communicate aggressively, breathe and evaluate how to be a good example for them.

Pausing lets us take in and assess the situation. It is impossible to completely avoid negativity in your daily life but practising responding instead of reacting will allow you to block negativity, respond with grace, and make the situation better overall.

3. Practise Visualisation

One easy method of protecting your positive energy is to practise visualisation techniques. Scientists have found the human brain processes imaginary and real experiences the same way. The same parts of our brain that activate when we physically take an action are also stimulated when we imagine taking this action.

For example, golf legend Jack Nicklaus attributed his consistency to his practise of picturing taking every shot before he swung at the ball. He would imagine his shot from start to finish: from how he wanted his clubface to strike the ball to exactly where he wanted the ball to land.

Try practicing this skill in your daily life. Before you leave in the morning, picture yourself going through your day with a forcefield of positive energy protecting you. You will be amazed at how you can train your brain!

4. Be Solution Oriented

Being positive means being proactive. When you are forced to be surrounded by negativity, don’t obsess over how frustrating or draining these people are to you. If you fixate on how much the negative energy is interfering with your serenity, you will enter a downward spiral that invites negative energy in.

Instead, try to focus on how you can better handle your situation. Changing simple behaviours will help you protect yourself. Respond to your overbearing boss with a smile instead of annoyance. Give your child a hug if they’re having a temper tantrum instead of yelling at them. Practise changing your response to negative experiences.

Responding with positive a behaviour puts you back in charge of your situation. The positive energy generated from your kindness instead of aggravation will act as a barrier to the negativity around you and remove the stress in your daily interaction.

5. Be Selective with Popular Culture and Media

In today’s pop culture, the society is obsessed with material things and drama. If you turn on any news channel you will be fed negative dramatization of headlines. Successful television shows are centred around others’ chaos. Advertisements feed you self-centred messages. It is easy to go through your day and receive these vibes subconsciously.

While your can’t remove these influences from your life completely, you can protect yourself from them. Start to notice what messages you are giving attention to. Are they in favour for your positivity? Simple changes like removing yourself from social media or cutting the cord with cable TV will allow you to have more control over what you feed your brain. Also, think of all the time you could gain to work on yourself if you weren’t scrolling through facebook feeds!

6. Let Go of What People Think of You

Do you find yourself constantly analysing people’s reactions to things? Do you obsess over how others receive you? This constant, questioning inner monologue will only invite negativity in. To block this bad energy, you have to learn how to let go.

Maintaining “emotional detachment” from what is going on in others’ minds will help you block negative energy. Detaching from your emotions doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feel anything anymore. Instead, this practise allows you to peacefully accept the present situation. Don’t let your energy get bogged down in projections of insecurity. Instead, learn to be an active listener to your emotions.

Studies show that people who live a positive, healthy life have objective self-awareness and they focus inward. Negativity arrives when you focus on external forces. To protect yourself from negativity, you have to learn how to observe your emotions but not let them impact your serenity.

When you let others’ opinion of you dictate your happiness, you lose power over your positive energy. By practising observing feelings, accepting them for what they are, and letting them go, your energy will become impenetrable.

7. Keep Your Living Space Clear

It is just as important to take care of your physical living space as it is to keep your energy clean. There is a reason why feng shui is so popular. If your home doesn’t provide you with a sense of safety and peace, you won’t have anywhere to recharge at the end of the day.

If your living situation is less than ideal, find one spot in your space that is only yours. Like a meditation room or a silent corner. It can even just be a chair you sit in to read in the morning. Maybe it’s the shower. Pick a designated spot in your home that triggers you to cleanse your energy. It does not have to be fancy — just functional!

8. Don’t Feed the Beast

Just because you are actively working on maintaining positivity, it does not mean that your negative energy will disappear completely. It is natural to feel low from time to time. You might catch yourself participating in the office gossip. Maybe you just need to vent about your job for a bit. Be mindful but don’t beat yourself up for it! No one expects you to be happy or lucky at all times.

However, make sure that you don’t “feed the beast” too much. If you need to vent, vent. Allow yourself for a little while in this space, just don’t unpack your bags and live there. Don’t let negativity overstay its welcome. When you are through, practise your emotional detachment and examine why you needed it that time. Turn your energy towards the light and choose to be proactive instead of dwelling in the darkness.

9. Protect Your Empathy

If you are an empathetic person, just going through daily life can be draining. You are acutely attuned to the energies and people around you. Even spending time with someone you love can take a toll on you because you absorb their emotions. Being empathetic is a spiritual gift. However, it is important to find ways to clear your attachments daily.

Try the practise of journaling before you go to sleep. Write down all of the negative and positive experiences you accumulated throughout the day. Use the physical act of writing your words down to help you detach from the feelings you took on. By letting go of any excess energy daily, you will be better equipped to serve others from a place of positivity.

10. Change Negative Thought Patterns

It is essential to focus on changing your own negative reactions if you want to properly protect your positivity. Automatic negative responses like negative thought patterns can drain our positive energy without us being aware. These patterns include thoughts that are: negative, redundant, repetitive, or automatic.

As you become aware of these types of responses, you will begin to notice how they invite negative energy in. These are thoughts that are formed from negative emotions and experiences like self-centred fear, obsession, or anger.

The more control you allow them to have, the more negativity you invite in. Because this process happens without our awareness, practicing mindful thinking will take away its power.

A simple emotion-check throughout the day will help you identify when and why you get caught up in negative thought patterns.

When your boss asks you to help with a task and you begin to obsess over their intentions, take a second to examine why. Then make a conscious decision to let it go. As you begin to change your negative thought patterns, you will begin to learn the power of your positive energy.

11. Meditate

Meditation is a cornerstone of good spiritual health and positive energy. If you picture monks in robes sitting in silence for years when you hear the word “meditation”, don’t be discouraged. A meditation practise does not have to involve incense and chants. Meditation only takes connecting your awareness to your inner light and your higher power.

A meditation practise can look different for everyone. You might find that activities like running or hobbies like knitting become your form of meditation. You can take the traditional route of sitting in stillness. As long as you are finding conscious contact with your positive energy and giving it room to grow, who cares what your “mediation” looks like? By connecting with your positive light daily, you will become more intune with the ebb and flow of your energies.

12. Take Time For Yourself

Self-care is essential to maintaining positive energy. There is nothing more attractive to negative energy than a flickering inner light. If you are staying spiritually fit, you will be in a better place to diffuse negative energy.

Practises like meditation or colouring helps in grounding and taking care of your inner energy. Make sure you set aside designated time for self-care. Listen to your body and your mind. Learn how to say no. Let go of expectations. The best offence is always defence. Block negative energy by making your positivity stronger.

13. Know What You Can Control

Positive energy comes from knowing what you can and cannot control. Constantly trying to “fix” people’s negativity or trying to get them to change their habits helps no one. You have no control over others’ thoughts, actions, or feelings. The only thing you can control is your own reaction and behaviour.

Even though you can’t control others’ negative behaviour, you can control how you react to them. When you let go of trying to control others, you gain the freedom of peace. Focusing on your own reactions to situations instead of obsessing over others’ behaviour leaves you with energy to channel into positive things.

It is hard to be the light in the darkness sometimes. When negative energy surrounds you, it tries to consume your happiness. You have to learn how to protect yourself. If you set boundaries, focus inward, and protect your positivity, you will bring light to those around you. Shine bright!