Negative energy is not yet something we can measure scientifically, but we all know what it feels like when it is around. Negative energy can come from negative people, your surroundings, or from your psyche. It is able to leave us exhausted physically and mentally. Negative energy is able to perpetuate itself so learning to deal with it is important for both our health and happiness. Knowing that there are different sources of negative energy means there are also different feelings associated. The three typical sources are shared below.
- Negative People – Most of us have experienced feeling positive or negative energy from someone. We are good at reading this energy trough both verbal and nonverbal cues even when nothing specific is shared.
- Negative Environments – Many people have entered some environment and immediately felt uncomfortable or the opposite. At times this is what you associate with a certain location, but there is also evidence that suggests the physical details of a place can impact mood. Clutter often leads to stress and can interfere with sleep.
- Negative Self-Talk – Self-talk is the flow of largely unspoken thoughts in your own head. Negative thoughts can be harmful to your well-being and physical health. Being a positive thinker does not mean ignoring problems, but better able to deal with them.
Signs of Negative Energy
If you have experienced negative energy in any form, you may have certain signs and symptoms. These may include:
- Critical – You may be critical of yourself and others out loud, this does little in the way of making you feel better
- Complaining – Complaining occurs when we express the negative self-talk that normally occurs in our head. This can become such a habit that you may not realize you are complaining. When you complain, you put negative energy out in the world.
- Suffering Health – Negative emotions create stress and stress impacts physical health negatively. Stress can create a hormone imbalances, impair the immune system, and drain positive chemicals as well as effect the heart and digestive system.
- Sleeplessness – Repeated negative thoughts are known to create poor sleep quality. This creates a vicious cycle in which no sleep increases negativity and then that causes sleeplessness.
To deal with this negative energy there are a few things you can do. Below are four steps to reduce the negative energy existing in the environment, yourself, or others.
- People – You are better off associating with positive people which may mean reorganizing your social circle. It may not be possible to remove all negative people, but you can still find ways to create positivity in their presence. One way is to imagine an aura of positivity that surrounds you as a shield or use humor to keep things light.
- Environment – Keep your environment decluttered at home and work to keep negative energy at bay. Hold on to only things that are loved or useful. When tempted to buy more stuff, remind yourself things do not bring happiness.
- Yourself – Ridding yourself of negative energy is important. To do this, make sure to get regular exercise, eat healthy, and spend time in nature. You may also find value in mindfulness or meditation to help yourself improve and be more positive.