What do you do when you’ve finished something difficult, but the energy from it stays with you?
Maybe you’ve had a draining day at work, a difficult social interaction, written a stressful test, or spent time with someone whose energy affected you. The interaction is technically over, but it’s still stuck in your mind. You take it home with you, continue thinking about it, and it can affect the rest of your evening.
This is Video 9 and the final video in my Positive Energy Protection series. In the last few videos, we’ve explored the practical things you can do before, during and after interactions to keep your energy strong and help prevent yourself from taking on negative energy from other people and circumstances.
In this final video, we’re focusing on what happens afterwards: how to complete an interaction, let go of the energy connected with it, and prepare yourself for whatever comes next.
Complete the Interaction Before Moving On
One example I’ve used throughout this series is myself as a therapist.
Before I see a client, I prepare myself for that particular person. I go through their notes, prepare my energy and set the intention for our time together. This helps me connect with that person rather than continuing to carry the energy of the person I saw before them.
During the session, if I notice myself becoming distracted or having difficulty staying focused, I mindfully check in with myself and come back to my breathing.
Then, when the session is finished, I consciously complete it.
I finish my notes, close the folder and put it away. If it’s my final session of the day, I imagine taking off the role of the therapist and hanging it on a hook.
It’s a simple way of saying to myself: that is complete. Now I’m moving into something else.
Take Off the Role and Hang It on the Hook
Another example I’ve used is imagining yourself as an actor.
Before going on stage, you put on the costume for the character you’re going to play. You step onto the stage, set your intention and play the role.
During the performance, you may get worried or distracted. Something might happen that pulls your attention away. You breathe, bring yourself back into the present moment and keep going one step at a time.
But when the play is over, you don’t wear the costume home.
You take it off and hang it on the hook.
If you continue wearing that role afterwards, you’re still carrying everything associated with it. You can’t fully be yourself in the next part of your day because you’re still partly connected with the person you were on stage.
The same thing can happen with work, school, social situations and difficult interactions.
When the experience is complete, take off the role and hang it on the hook.
Take a Few Moments to Let the Experience Go
You might do this sitting in your car after work, sitting on a bench on the way home, or after you arrive home but before moving into the rest of your evening.
Take a few breaths.
Briefly go through what happened.
Did it feel good? Did things flow well? How do you feel about it?
If there’s something you want to do differently next time, acknowledge it. You don’t have to keep thinking about it for the rest of the evening.
You can simply say to yourself, “Okay, I’m going to do that differently next time.”
Then recognize that this part of your day is complete.
You’re moving into something new now, and you don’t need to bring everything from the previous experience with you.
Clear the Energy You’ve Taken On
Once you’ve completed the interaction, come back to the energy-clearing process we explored earlier in the series.
Breathe.
Imagine a shower of light moving through you. You might even connect it with the feeling of standing under an actual shower and feeling the water moving down over your body.
Imagine that light moving through you and cleansing away the energy you no longer want to carry.
If you feel that you’ve taken on energy from somebody else, make the conscious choice to let it go.
One visualization I use is to imagine bubbles floating in the air. Perhaps two bubbles are stuck together, and then they gently separate and float away in different directions.
Imagine your energy disconnecting from the person or circumstance that is still on your mind.
Let their energy move away from you.
Then begin building your own energy back up again. Imagine yourself filling with energy and surrounding yourself with light.
Set the Stage for What Comes Next
Now you can begin the process again.
Maybe you’ve finished work and you’re going home. Perhaps you’ve finished one social interaction and you’re moving into another part of your day.
Ask yourself: What am I doing next?
Set the stage for that.
Prepare yourself and set an intention for what you’re moving into.
This creates a natural cycle that you can use throughout your day:
•Prepare yourself before an interaction
•Stay present and aware during it
•Complete the interaction afterwards
•Clear away energy you don’t want to carry
•Rebuild your own energy
•Set an intention for what comes next
With practice, this process can become very quick and natural.
Empty the Backpack
Another way of looking at this is to imagine that you’re carrying a backpack throughout your day.
If you never let anything go, you keep putting the energy from every experience into that backpack.
Something difficult happened at work — into the backpack.
Someone said something that upset you — into the backpack.
You became anxious or overwhelmed — into the backpack.
Eventually, the backpack becomes very heavy. Your mind is still filled with everything that happened earlier, making it difficult to be clear and present with where you are right now.
So when something is complete, empty the backpack.
You can think of it like returning from a vacation. Instead of throwing your luggage on the floor and leaving everything there, you complete the trip.
You remember the experience, perhaps feel grateful for it, unpack your bags and put everything away.
Then you can recognize: I’m home now.
That feels really good.
Everything is complete.
Explore the Full Positive Energy Protection Series
This is the final video in the Positive Energy Protection series, but if you’re discovering the series here, I recommend starting from the beginning.
The complete series explores why you may feel affected or drained by other people’s energy and provides practical ways to become more aware of what’s happening, strengthen your own energy, prepare yourself before interactions, stay present while they’re happening, and consciously let them go afterwards.
Free 1-Hour Video Consultation
If you regularly feel overwhelmed or drained by interactions with other people, or find that you continue carrying the stress and emotional energy of work, relationships or social situations long after they’re over, I offer a free 1-hour video consultation. We can talk about what you’re experiencing and how it affects your life, explore possible root causes and patterns, discuss your goals for healing and change, and look at my therapy process to see whether working together feels like the right fit.
FREE Self-Help Mindfulness Series
A big part of protecting your energy is becoming present enough to notice when something is affecting you.
The more present you become, the easier it can be to recognize when your energy is being affected and consciously do something about it in that moment.
My FREE Self-Help Mindfulness Series provides practical awareness tools that can help you:
•Notice when another person or situation begins affecting your energy
•Recognize when you’re carrying stress from an earlier interaction
•Come back to your breathing and body
•Become more present instead of staying caught in what happened
•Let difficult feelings move through rather than continuing to carry them
•Become clearer about what belongs to you and what you’re ready to let go of
•Set an intention for what you want to move into next
There is no sign-up required.
Your point of power is in the present moment.
The more present you are, the more able you are to notice when your energy is being affected and respond consciously.
Counselling Hypnotherapy
Sometimes difficulty letting go after interactions connects with deeper emotional patterns, stress responses or subconscious habits. You may understand consciously that an experience is finished, yet still find yourself replaying it, feeling it in your body or carrying it into the rest of your day.
Counselling and hypnotherapy can provide an opportunity to explore these deeper patterns and develop greater awareness of the thoughts, feelings and responses that keep you connected with experiences after they’re over.
Counselling Victoria:
Hypnotherapy Victoria:
Protecting your energy isn’t only about what you do before or during difficult interactions. Learning how to consciously complete them is just as important.
Take a breath. Acknowledge what happened. Take off the role and hang it on the hook. Empty the backpack. Clear your energy and reconnect with yourself.
Then set the stage for what comes next.
Arne Pedersen
