Are you giving off negative energy without knowing it?
If everyone’s a bit off with you (including your pet) it might be time to rebalance for good vibes only
Text: Jo
Research confirms that human beings are like sponges: we absorb the positive and negative energy around us which in turn feeds our emotional states. We’re naturally drawn to people who give off positivity, but we can also tune into those projecting a gloomy aura which can make us feel unbalanced. But what if you’re the one giving out the negative vibes to others without realising it? Can that even be possible?
According to psychologists, it can. While we all like to consider ourselves self-aware kind of people, we do have a tendency to lean towards a negative bias, and we can often be the last person to recognise it. This is because negative energy manifests within us in many different ways.
“Our optimum physiological state is when our emotional, physical and mental capacities are all aligned,” explains Elaine Yang, certified reiki teacher at Reiki Glow Singapore. “However, we deal with many different stressors daily — from environmental to situational — that cause our body to be thrown off its natural course.”
Good energy boosts our feelings of wellbeing; it reduces anxiety and improves our levels of communication. According to Elaine, when we’re unbalanced our body gives us signs that we need to take a step back, practice more self-care and mindfulness, and look at what could be holding us back from what life has to offer.
“As humans we experience many emotions and states of being,” she explains. “We’re conditioned over time to resist what is deemed ‘unpleasant’ or ‘negative’ but the resistance is what creates a negative experience; what you resist persists.” The great thing is that once you start facing your pessimism, healing happens. Continues Elaine, “When you avoid changes in your natural balance it creates harmful health stressors — your body remains in fight and flight mode, hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are constantly released, and you cannot rest and heal properly.”
While the body has an innate intelligence to heal itself, when we’re dealing with stressors it doesn’t do it very well. Through her work, Elaine uses Reiki to look at what’s taking someone away from their healthy energy balance, and then addresses it.
Reiki, which translates to Universal Life Energy, works in two ways: it supports the body in healing itself and brings more awareness and the capacity to address what’s taking us away from our natural state in the first place. “Reiki encourages a deeper self-inquiry. It helps us to face our hidden fears, or limitations and beliefs that may be the root cause of our negative behaviours,” she says.
If you’re holding onto negative energy it can impact your relationships, self-worth and overall life satisfaction, so it's important to pay attention to how you feel and how others respond to you. Here are some signs that you may be giving out the wrong vibes and might need to gain realignment.
You’re tired all the time
Being pessimistic is exhausting — even more so when you’re unaware you’re doing it. “Holding on to negativity in beliefs, thoughts, or simply how you approach life puts a lot of physical stress on the body,” says Elaine. “It can lead to tiredness, stress, anger and even depression." That is, until you start to look inwards.
You’re messy
If your life is super-messy, but you can’t muster up the motivation to get to grips with it, tune into your juju. People with negative energy have a lot of mind-clutter and inner-dialogue to deal with. This can often be reflected in their life, and indicates that perhaps they need to face some issues.
Your stories suck
When someone's sharing a glum story, it's common that others will change the subject as a way of protecting themselves from pessimism. If people don’t pick up on your conversation, avoid contact or physically turn away when you’re talking, these are all strong signs.
You can’t get what you want
When you’re off-balance, you could be energetically repelling the things you desire, such as a promotion, love or happiness. “When you can acknowledge and honour what you’re experiencing without judgment, a shift happens; you start to see beyond your behaviour and learn what’s creating it in the first place,” says Elaine.
You fall out with everyone …
The occasional tiff is okay, but if you’re constantly getting into an argument, or putting people’s backs up, there may be some bad stuff such as anger or resentment under the surface.
… including your pet
“Pets are super sensitive to our energy and they can respond quite differently,” says Elaine. “They may run away from us or try to comfort us. If you notice your pet acting differently around you, and you’re already aware you’re not feeling too great, it may be time to check in.”
Are you okay, hun?
If folks are constantly wondering if you're okay — even when you're in a perfectly good mood — consider why they might be asking. It might be that the way you're holding yourself, or the way you're communicating, is projecting negative undertones.
Elaine Yang has been teaching Reiki since 2012, and sees clients for personal Reiki healing sessions as well. She is also a sound healing practitioner with crystal singing bowls and offers in-person and virtual sound healing experiences. Elaine also creates bespoke healing crystal bracelets as a service. Discover more about her work on Facebook and Instagram.
