Hey! Gimme Back My Energy!

Last weekend, Melissa and I were out doing errands, and we stopped at the local recycling center to drop off bottles and cans. It was first thing in the morning, and a lot of people arrived at once.

The man running the center was an energetic nightmare. He was barking orders at everyone, grabbing bottles out of my hand while shouting “here! Here!” pointing to where he wanted me to put them, and running around the place like a madman.

Being the sensitive, highly-empathic sponge that I am, my energy was immediately thrown out of my body. I could feel my insides get jittery, my body tense up, and my jaw clench as I tried to protect my soul from the intrusion.

My first reaction was to go into defense mode; to don my armor and get through it. Then I got pissy, venting to Melissa about what a jerk the guy was. Next, I went on to tell another worker there that the owner needs to chill out.

And then I finally realized what I was doing. I was giving my power away to this guy. Just because he’s freaking out doesn’t mean I have to. Ah, such is the challenge of an empath. I took a few deep breaths as we were finishing up and started to calm my body down. It was a challenge to say the least.

After we finished and got into our car, my body was still buzzing. I felt invaded. I asked Melissa to give me a few minutes of silence so I could pull my energy back into my body and get centered again.I share this exercise in the video below. Although I’ve written about it before, I think seeing a demonstration would be helpful. A shout-out of thanks to my bud, Danielle MacKinnon who taught it to me years ago.

As I used this technique after leaving the recycling center, I really struggled to ground myself. Like, a lot. Wow, I hadn’t been that thrown off in a long time. I couldn’t even imagine my energy body above my head. It felt like it was across town! But, as I mentioned in the video, some mindful, deep breaths can really get things moving again.

Consider doing this exercise:

• Before heading in for a job interview.
• After a car accident.
• In anticipation of spending time with people who push your buttons.
• Before a doctor’s appointment.
• As you anticipate an outcome.

Really, it’s a great tool to use anytime you’re feeling out of sorts.

I’d love to hear about your experience with this technique or other ways you manage your energy. Join the conversation by leaving a comment below!

Until next week, keep taking those small steps to Live Out Loud.