The holiday season can be overwhelming and overstimulating. With our regular routines not in place, our children out of school, our healthy diets put on hold, while we are dealing with the hecticness of travelling or tourists, holiday parties and family gatherings, it is easy for things to start to feel emotionally flooded.
And for empaths, introverts, highly sensitive people, and those who typically spend a lot of time alone, this flood of stimulation might feel like a tsunami. And while spending the season alone on an island may not be an option, there are ways you can guard your energy even in the most frenzied times.
Try these things to guard your energy:
Know your energy drainers and energy limits. Even good things can be taxing on our energy. Make time to reflect on what gives you energy, what takes energy, and what drains energy. Do energy check-ins and with yourself often throughout your days.
Before you go to events, it would be important to check in with yourself and take note of how much energy you have for the event, and if there is any way you can refuel before you go. If not, then you can set a time limit for how long you will attend and who are the people you will limit interactions with.
Cultivate the image of your energy shield. This can be an energetic barrier in the form of a golden light, a zip up jacket, an armour or a shield. Use the image that works for you and visualise yourself wearing shielding up your personal energetic sphere before you enter a space where you know you will be energetically taxed.
Hydrate. Things like travel and unhealthy foods and drinks can dehydrate us over the holiday season. Dehydration can result in us feeling more agitated, tired, and literally and energetically drained. The more hydrated you are, the more calm and grounded you will feel.
The earth’s energy
Soak in the earth’s energy before the encounter. From taking an Epsom salt bath, or walking barefoot on the grass or the beach, to soaking your feet in seawater, use the earth to neutralise negative energy and give you positive energy. Visualise and ask the earth to absorb all that is negative and charge you with all that is life-giving.
Visualise grounding cords coming from underneath your feet. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, visualise a soothing white light that goes from the top of your head all the way through to the bottom of your feet. From the bottom of the feet, there are grounding cords that go deep into the earth’s living, giving realm. Remind yourself you are supported and you belong. This is a great exercise when you are feeling anxious and overwhelmed.
Retreat to a quiet, dark place for a few minutes. This can be in a car, a quiet room, or a bathroom. The goal is to limit sensory input to calm your nervous system down so it can reset itself. The stiller you are on the outside, the quieter it will feel on the inside.
Invest in a noise cancellation headset. If you are in noisy places like grocery stores, hair salons, malls, or airports, wear a noise cancellation headset or ear pods. You do not have to listen to any music, just blocking out the noise will be soothing for the system.
Take slow and deep breaths. If you master your breath you can master any circumstance. Try breathing in for 4 and out for 4, or the 4-7-8 breathing. Taking slow controlled breaths slows down your heart rate, creates heart-brain coherence, and a state of calm in the body, which helps you focus and concentrate under any circumstance.
Use essential oils/crystals. Carry a bottle of calming essential oil with you and smell it when you feel stressed to soothe your nervous system and relax the nerves. Also, consider wearing a bracelet or a necklace with crystals. By doing this, you are not only having a visual reminder of remaining calm and grounded but also each crystal holds a different vibration that can affect us in different ways. For grounding, hematite or black tourmaline will be good options.
While these ways of guarding your energy will help during the holiday season, do not feel they are only for this time. You may use these tips throughout the year.
Dr. Saliha Afridi is a noted a clinical psychologist and Founder of The LightHouse Arabia
