6 Tips and Tricks for Maintaining Your Energy this Holiday Season!
Have you ever had the experience of being at a great holiday party, then someone walks into the room, maybe your great aunt Jane twice removed, and the life of the party gets sucked down the drain? Or after you get home from shopping at the mall for Christmas presents you feel bonked and can’t get off the couch for hours? Who hasn’t, right? What if I said that these situations can be prevented or minimized just with a few mindful practices? And that they are easy to learn! Here are six of my favorite mindful tips and tricks to maintaining your energy system, even around family or shopping malls.
1.) Plugging In: Our energy system is a high powered electrical system. Just like the electricity we use to light up our Christmas tree, we use energy to light up our subtle body energy system. This energy, often referred to as white light, is how we visualize this energy. The difference is how we plug in; I certainly haven’t see any electrical cords coming out of my body, have you? No… We can plug in by bringing our awareness to the present moment and imagining that our energy system is receiving this white light. I like to visualize that my first chakra is connected the Earth, and her white light comes up into my heart. Then I imagine that my crown chakra is connected to the Sky and his white light comes down into my heart. As long as we stay connected infinite energy is available to us, even at malls and family gatherings.
2.) Filling the sponge: I would say that 20% of the population are highly empathic. Chances are that you are an empath because you are reading this. What this means is that you are a big sponge sucking up other peoples’ stuff, particularly emotions. If grandpa is sad and sits beside you, your energy system will be responsive to him and absorb his sadness. He might walk away feeling ten times better, but where does that leave you? Sad. If you have a houseful or mall-full of people that you are absorbing its going to leave you overwhelmed, agitated, and/or exhausted. First, imagine that you are wringing out that sponge, and getting rid of everyone else’s stuff. Then, imagine that your sponge is completely saturated with white light, so that your sponge is full to the brink of not being able to absorb anything else. Have you ever tried to wipe a spill on the counter with a wet sponge? It just smears it around rather than pick it up. That is the goal of our energy system, so full of love and light it can’t absorb other peoples’ stuff.
3.) Washing off: Maybe you forgot to plug in your energy system, or to saturate your sponge, or maybe you are already full of other peoples stuff. Here is a visualization to releasing it and getting back to being yourself. Imagine that everything you are carrying in your body that is not yours, such as emotions or trauma, it’s like an orange wax. It’s inert and neutral. Maybe it shows up in a few drips here, a couple clumps there, or a big blob over there. Go have a bath or a shower! When you are in the hot water, and imagine that all of the heat from the water is melting all of orange gooey wax, dissolving it, and then the water carries it away and washes down the drain. Then the energy from the water fills the empty spots where the wax was with lots of love and light. The wonderful part of this exercise is that you don’t have to explain it to others or make excuses to bathe yourself. It is commonly accepted by most everyone that we shower every day, and it’s easy to add this intention of washing other peoples’ stuff off of you to your normal everyday ritual.
4.) Speaking from your heart: Its not uncommon, especially during the holidays, that we get put in trying situations with ample triggers. Speaking from our brain can be just as harmful to our energy system as biting our tongue. So how do we speak from our heart when our family is pushing buttons or people are raging in traffic. First we make sure that we are plugged in to the present moment and feeding our energy system so our heart stays open. Then, before we speak or react to a situation, we check in with our true self: “Is this how I am really feeling.” If so, then share from your heart. If not, then listen to your body to discover what you are truly feeling. Just remember, our thoughts are not where our true emotions live; thoughts are a regurgitation of all of our life experiences that have been blended up. Our true feelings are what our consciousness decides to do when we witness these thoughts.
5.) Creating personal space: It can be overwhelming sharing your house with relatives. Believe me, I know. Empaths are very sensitive people and somehow family can trigger us more than anything else. The trick to maintaining your energy system, and even thriving, when your family is in town, is to set your personal space. If you are lucky enough to have a bedroom or study to yourself then you can set boundaries with your family that this room is only yours. It is your sacred place. And excuse yourself to that room whenever you need to degauss or hit the reset button. If you do not have a room like that, maybe your personal space is in your car in the driveway.
6.) Excusing yourself: Very few people are able to be plugged in or in the flow at all times. After all, we are human and have limits to our physical bodies. So, when you notice that you are starting to reach the threshold of what you can handle emotionally, excuse yourself from the room. The most common reason to excuse yourself is to go to the bathroom. Even two minutes in the restroom can be enough time to reset your mood. To maximize this time, here are a few tips to bring your awareness to the present moment and relax your energy system: take ten deep breathes in through your nose and out through you mouth, stomp your feet or clap your hands, or wash your hands in cold water. If you need more than a couple minutes to recharge excuse yourself to sit on the porch or take the dog for a walk.
In conclusion, the holidays can be trying times for anybody and everybody. As easy as it would be to blame our frustrations on our family members or strangers at the mall, it is up to us to own the responsibility of our own energy system. We can maintain our energy by regular use of some of the techniques above so that we can thrive this holiday season.
If at any point you feel stuck or overwhelmed, reach out to me. Even a few minute phone call, or a couple text messages, I can help you reset and refill. This is what I love to do and I live for. I am here for you too!
