I recently asked my Facebook friends about how they deal with negative energy. We all deal with negative energy in our lives on a daily basis. Northern Virginia is a stressful area and well, we all have short fuses at times. Sometimes it comes from the person who beeps at you as soon as the light turns green… or it could come via the person three carts behind you in line at the grocery store who rushes to the new lane opening ahead of you.  

Although it can be one big incident that happens and really gets under your skin, a lot of the time it’s just a bunch of little things that build up over the course of a day. 

The variety of answers I got on Facebook was pretty amazing. We all live in the same area, but we are so different! I want to show you all the various ways you can deal with negative energy in your life, thanks to my friends. 

Spiritual 

The majority of my friends had spiritual replies, but not necessarily spiritual in the religious sense. There were a lot of people who prayed. They prayed for the person who hurt them, they prayed the Serenity Prayer, and they prayed the Rosary. Some meditated either alone, with the help of a guide, or transcendentally. One friend does a Full Moon Ritual to release negativity. There was talk of techniques to keep you grounded, chanting Sanskrit mantras, and repeating “God is good” over and over.  

Mindset 

A lot of my friends believe that negativity is more of a mindset and not something that can affect you unwillingly. “Don’t allow negative people to reside in your mental real estate.” You’ve got to detach yourself from negative situations and move on. Part of being in a positive mindset means you have to surround yourself with positive people. Some people recommended spending time on yourself to get back into balance, or creating something beautiful to change your focus. Others said that self-validation, positive thinking, and positive visualization were key to keeping negativity out. 

Action 

I know a lot of movers and shakers, so it’s not surprising that a lot of my friends took action to feel better. Some burned sage, practiced aromatherapy, or used essential oils. I saw recommendations for tai chi chuan, walking, hiking, getting back to nature, standing barefoot in the grass, running, swimming, motorcycling, kickboxing, and kundalini yoga. Of course, all of that can be done with or without music or an audio book playing in the background. Many people recommended reiki, an Epsom salt bath, breathing, screaming, punching a pillow, or napping. Some decluttered, kept a journal (or wrote and then burned the pages), laughed, smiled, or cried. Spending time with kids or love ones made the list, of course. One friend keeps a rubber band on her wrist to snap herself into focusing on something else when she finds herself lingering on negative thoughts. She also recommended setting an alarm on your phone to remember to focus on good things, which I think is an awesome idea.  

Eat and Drink 

Stress makes a lot of us eat – or not eat. It’s funny like that. People recommended wine, desserts, and even coffee to make you relax. I definitely agree that what we put into our bodies has a big impact on how we feel. Sometimes a little chocolate really can make you happy. 

There were so many recommendations that I’ve just covered the basics here. I think it’s so fascinating that the answers ranged from one end of the spectrum to the other. It’s a little sad that there’s so much negativity out there that we have to come up with these coping techniques, but it’s just part of life. What makes us so great is that we all find ways to get through it the best that we can. 

The next time someone cuts you off on the toll road or talks really loudly in the cubicle next to you, try a couple of these ideas. I think you’ll find something that might help.