Surviving Negative Energy - Is negative energy holding you hostage? By Corine Gatti

 

You feel drained and something is amiss in the environment

and in the atmosphere. You might even recall a time when someone or a particular environment felt negative. Some people can pick up on other people's energies whether they're good or bad. The negative effects of this can crush your vibrancy. "When negative energy attaches to you it can drain your energy, causing you to feel depressed or anxious, and increase your doubts and worries," author Dawn Demers wrote. Negative people and their unfavorable energy will prevent us from moving on and making positive resolutions. Why is this? Negative and positive energy is like oil and water and they bounce off of each other. The reason for this is positive people are drawn to positive energy--negative people are drawn to negative energy, they can't live in harmony with each other. We can't avoid the daily drama in life and it's negative impact, but at the end of the day, it is how we deal with the negative energy that will buffer the attacks. Here is how you can adequately deal with negative energy.

It starts with you.

We hate to start things off like this, but you need to get rid of your own gloom if you want freedom. This means anger, jealousy, bitterness and other dark feelings need to be put to bed. The Dalai Lama shared that we need to begin with ourselves to get rid of negativity. "When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.”

Resist giving into anger.

People who are prone to make you cross are the ones that you need to stay away from as they only feed your abrogating emotions. In order to move away from anger, you can't take part in it as doing so will enhance the negativity. This also includes watching the news or absorbing the negativity on social media about people and things. We only have so much good energy to go around so why deplete it by being around negative people? What we always have to remember is that some people fill us with good energy, while others drain our energy supplies, elitedaily.com reported. "They show up in the form of colleagues, our friends or even close family. Someone who drains your energy uses your energy to survive." Some people always have an issue with something. Usually, you can brush off the negative chatter, but when you're feeling the void of mental strength, warding off hostile people is an arduous task. Try modifying the subject as this normally works. If not, bow out of their presence.

Filter your thoughts.

It all starts with one thought and then it snowballs for the good or for the bad. Change up your thought life by going shopping for a healthy distraction. If you’re accepting thoughts you are a failure or receive negative words from people you trust, nip that fear in the bud. Cast down anything that will take your emotions into a dark place. Think about something else that requires concentration like a book or imagine yourself at the beach. "It may seem temporary, but if you reinforce these patterns enough, it can improve your mood and your decision-making abilities. You can actually train your brain to go in a different direction when these thoughts come up," psychologist and author Guy Winch explained. When you do this, it will help you switch gears and give you a healthy distraction.

Build your self-esteem.

When you are confident, you can deal with the negative energy better when you encounter it. Being comfortable in who you are will help fight irritation, jealousy or bitterness compared to someone who has a low-self esteem. Having a healthy self-esteem will come in handy when people say unkind things to you and try to hurt you because their actions won't be as damaging. Make up a list of all your values and keep it handy when you are feeling down as this will further shield you from negative energy. Also, you can focus on the things you can change and start appreciating the blessings in your life to help add to your confidence!

Avoid gossip.

Outside of anger, nothing is more damaging than gossip. Gossip not only hurts another person, but it can damage you. Gossip is 2.7 times more likely to be negative than positive according to a study done by the Georgia Institute of Technology. Gossip is another arm that is infused with negative energy, which can cause friendships, businesses and marriages to end. Ephesians 4:29 warned to not let anything unwholesome to proceed from your mouth. "But only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."

The most optimistic people can become negative because we all are human. But if you want to win the war and survive negative energy, the best bet is to always be prepared and primed.

Corine Gatti-Santillo is a freelance digital journalist, editor, and content producer. She is also the The Christian Post Voices Editor. She is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com.