The label “energy vampire” sounds a little bit dramatic, doesn’t it? After all, vampires are creatures who suck our blood, so to think that many of us have a version of a vampire in our lives is unsettling. But when you start paying attention, you’ll realize that you probably have at least one or two energy vampires in your life — and that protection against them is key.
So, what can you do to protect yourself against people who are zapping you of energy? Whether they're at work, in your circle of friends, extended family, or even immediate family, here’s everything you need to know.
First things first: What is an energy vampire, anyway?
An energy vampire is exactly what it sounds like: A person in your life who drains you of energy. While energy vampires don’t necessarily have bad intentions, their actions and the things they say tend to be very draining. After spending time with an energy vampire, you may feel exhausted and in need of a very long nap.
An energy vampire can be someone who constantly complains about their lives, making sure you know that they’re the victim in every scenario. An energy vampire can also be someone who has to dominate every conversation; or someone who absolutely needs to be the center of attention. An energy vampire can also be someone who thrives in a high drama situation, constantly exaggerating certain events in their lives so people pay attention to them.
Long story short, an energy vampire isn’t always easy to spot because they come in so many different forms. The main thing to pay attention to as you attempt to spot energy vampires in your life is how you feel when you spend time with them. If you feel tired, guilty, or anxious, you may be dealing with an energy vampire.
How to protect yourself against energy vampires
Now that you’ve identified the energy vampires in your life, what can you do to protect yourself against them? Start with these tips.
Utilize deep breathing and meditation
It would be great if you could remove energy vampires from your life completely, but that’s not always possible — especially if you’re dealing with a coworker or family member. Plus, there may be things you do like about the energy vampires you know. For example, they might really make you laugh sometimes, or you may occasionally enjoy listening to their high drama stories.
Whether you can’t remove an energy vampire from your life or you don’t want to, deep breathing and meditation can be excellent coping tools. Meditation can help you form a sort of protective barrier around yourself, keeping you in the present and stopping you from dwelling on the things you can’t control. So if you find yourself dealing with a whirlpool of negative emotions after spending time with an energy vampire, try a short meditation afterward. Or better yet, try meditation before you even see them — you may find that they’re no longer as capable of zapping your energy.
Meditation can be a useful tool in protecting yourself against energy vampires.
Set boundaries
It’s important to set boundaries with everyone, but especially with energy vampires. Consciously or not, energy vampires are constantly looking for people to unload on, and they thrive on zapping the energy of others. So set boundaries: If they want to see you often, try to limit it to every few weeks or even every month. If you have to see them every day (if they’re a colleague, for example), let them know you need to focus on work. If they don’t listen, put on headphones … even if you aren’t actually playing music.
Cleanse your space
Cleaning your home space can help you quickly shake off the vibes an energy vampire brought into your life — and this is especially important if they were actually in your space. Try burning a candle, opening a window if it’s warm enough, or burning palo santo or sage, both of which are known for their cleansing powers and ability to eliminate negative energy.
Create a physical barrier
While you can’t always physically remove yourself from the presence of an energy vampire, you can create subtle physical barriers that can help protect you. For example, buttoning up a sweater or jacket, wrapping a scarf around your neck, or even crossing your arms over your chest can help you protect yourself against someone who is attempting to zap your energy.
Use visualization
Your own energy is more powerful than you think, so use it to protect yourself. Try visualizing yourself encased a white, bright light (that’s your energy!) and use it to create a protective energetic bubble around yourself. This visualization exercise can be so powerful that an energy vampire will have a hard time penetrating this bubble, handing the power back to you.
No one wants an energy vampire in their lives, but sometimes there’s no avoiding them. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to survive — and even thrive — in the presence of an energy vampire.
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