When negative
energy surrounds you, what do you do?
Having a shitty day? I am easily affected by bad weather, bad news and
bad moods. Some days I swear the planets are lined up against me (Mercury
retrograde anyone?). But I refuse to be own worst enemy. Especially with the fading
light in fall, and the coming winter in the Northern Hemisphere, I need help to
counter that bad soul-sucking negativity and fight my tendency to wallow in downright
depressing thoughts.
Here are 8 powerful game changers that really work for me:
Stop: stop listening to the hate messages, whether
from outside you or inside your own mind. Step Back. Remove yourself from the victim/target
mode.
Feel: drop down into your solar plexus, put your
hands on your belly. Now do a body scan, letting your attention go from the top
of your head down to your feet, and breathe through any tension or tightness
you find. Purposely send breath to those tight, frightened spaces. Either do a
sitting forward bend, or roll over into standing rag doll, and just breathe long,
deep breaths for a minute. Let your feelings bubble up and don’t be afraid to
feel what you feel. You will survive!
Listen in: how do you feel now? Write down what is
coming up for you – tears, anger, fears, relief? Let it out on paper.
Change the inner tape: notice the old messages
you are hearing and where they come from. Is that your mother’s voice
haranguing you? Your oldest brother, your Grade 10 English teacher telling you
you’re not good enough? Too fat, too lazy, too loud, too whatever? See next point for rewriting the script.
Enlist help of Inner Coach or Best Friend for support: rewrite the script with the help of an
Inner Coach that you imagine (a friendly, encouraging voice) or call up a real
best friend. Counter every negative statement with a positive one. Critic: You never
listen, you talk too much. Inner coach: When you are interested you listen
closely.
Playlist: play some uplifting music. Music helps me
shift into softness, self-compassion and wellness. Find your Lift me Up songs
and play them, in your Iphone, on your stereo, on Spotify. Strong, Beautiful Woman
by is a great example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBI5B7DuVl0
I find Deva Premal’s yoga music very soothing too.
Move your
body: if you still feel
lousy, get up and shake it off, literally, shake your body all over for 5
minutes or go for a brisk walk. A change of pace, change of air, and physical
movement will help bring you out of that blue funk.
Enlist the help
of Mama Nature : sit at the roots of a
tree and breathe your bad feelings down into the ground, into the tree, and
breathe in the green healing energy of that Mama tree. Release, release,
release and make room for new healing energy. It’s as close as the ground you walk
on, the air you breathe. Do like a tree and breathe out the bad stuff.
Get Creative: pull out the crayons, felt tip pens, doodle
or draw a mandala. (Just for the fun of it, release the perfectionista within and
don’t judge the outcome, just enjoy the process). Move pen on paper and let the
Joy of Colour lift your spirits. If that feels too daunting, browse some magazines, cut out some bright, colourful
images, and make a collage. You can do this! 15 minutes, tops.
I hope these tips help you move that negative energy out, and some positive uplifting energy in! I know it works for me.
xxx
Jenn
