What do the holidays look like for you? Does your holidays season look similar to a scene out of Four Christmases? Rushing around family to family, dealing with crazy in-laws and dodging awkward conversations? Or perhaps it is more like Jingle All The Way, where you are stressed AF searching for the BEST GIFT POSSIBLE for your loved ones. Either way, the holidays can be stressful, tiring and leave you feeling like Scrooge if you don’t protect your energy.
Personally, I am really big into protecting your energy. I firmly believe that you can get through the holidays in one piece, holding onto your sanity, and even enjoy it. So I connected with a few energy gurus to help break down some tips for protecting your energy during the holidays this year.
1, Be aware of how you feel around certain people
Haley Cole, creator of Protect Your Energy course, says the first step to protecting your energy is to be hyper-aware of how you feel when around certain people.
“People can subconsciously attach cords to us,” she explains. “A cord is kind of like an energetic syphon that can drain you of energy. It isn’t their fault (they don’t know they are doing it), so don’t get mad at them, but it is something to be aware of.”
And how do you know if someone is draining your energy?
“Take note of how you felt before you started talking to them,” Cole advises. “Let’s say you were calm, in a good mood, and/or in a positive headspace before getting into a conversation with them. Then, a couple of minutes into the conversation, you start to feel anxious, tired, drained, or even angry. This is an indication that they are probably taking some of their energy. They feel your high vibrations that they don’t necessarily have or know how to get in that moment. As a result, they subconsciously take some of yours.”
Awareness is the first step in overcoming low energy.
2. Visualization
Yoga teacher Paige Pichler encourages you to protect your energy via visualization.
“For me, protecting my energy often involves visualization,” she says. “I visualize myself sinking into the ground, feeling weighted and stable. Then, I imagine a beautiful light pouring through my crown and into my body, then I push that light out two inches from my skin. This is more reclaiming your own energy and keeping it clear by imagining your own light taking up your space. I also imagine a white bubble of light surrounding me and energies bouncing off of it. These may seem really far fetched, but visualization does wonders for your energy.”
3. Curious communication
Less talking, more listening may be the key to surviving the holidays. As energy guru Emily K. Thomas describes it, “Deliberately decide to fully listen and communicate with those you talk to this season. Look them in the eyes, offer them your full attention. The gift of listening is so underestimated and pure and your relationship with those you do this with can massively improve, give it a try!”
4. Invest in yourself prior to all family gatherings
This is probably my favorite tip of all. Thomas really nails it when she advises you to take care of you so you can 100 percent show up for your family.
“Instead of overextending yourself with material items, invest in yourself and your future. That might look like getting more rest, meditating, holding a commitment to yourself, honoring a longtime dream, or even hiring a mentor/ coach!” Thomas exclaims.”Here’s the thing: when you show up for yourself, you’re actually doing a profound service for those around you as well. When you elevate yourself, others become elevated as a result.”
Holistic health coach Laurie Trefaller also agrees in investing in yourself and that keeping up with your practices of meditation, breath work, and/or exercise is really important during the holidays.
“This doesn’t have to be your usual full routine, but making sure to set aside 5-10 minutes minimum everyday to recalibrate, set an intention, and bring your focus back to yourself,” she explains.
5. Set clear boundaries
Trefaller also highly endorses setting clear boundaries.
“This is so important, allowing yourself to say no, or say yes, or tell your family and friends you need to step away for an hour to do something for yourself. This also includes boundaries of topics you are unwilling to discuss” Trefaller says. “Lots of times, families think they are entitled to know everything about others in their families and impart their own opinions and ‘advice.’ You are allowed to take time for yourself, you are allowed to say what topics are off limits to discuss.”
6. Excuse yourself
In moments of high stress, Pichler also encourages you to simply excuse yourself.
“If the energy is really not right for me, I excuse myself,” she admits. “I don’t make a big scene, but I’ll go to the bathroom and take a few deep breaths, put my hands on my heart and then do the visualization technique. If it continues to feel extremely uncomfortable, I say I have to leave and give myself space to process.”
7. Relax with an epsom salt bath
And lastly, if you feel a bit drained after a holiday gathering, be sure to take an epsom salt bath. Pichler says this is her go to.
“Like you learn in high school biology, ‘salt sucks.’ That means when you take an epsom salt bath, it literally pulls the energy that isn’t yours out of your energetic field. Leaving you relaxed and cleansed, epsom salt baths are an empath’s best friend,” she tells us.
