Maybe it’s from the current midterm season, or maybe it’s just that time of the year where we have too much dead weight on our shoulders from the infinite new year goals we set a month ago.
Recently, I’ve felt very overwhelmed in all areas of my life: school, work, friendships, (nonexistent) dating life, and self-health, to the point where if I did not remove this toxic energy, I would have been endangering my physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
I think there are two kinds of energies that we surround ourselves with: positive and negative. Positive energy motivates us to achieve our goals; negative energy becomes toxic, deterring us from achieving our greatest potential.
Sometimes we are so busy with trying to balance all these areas of our lives that we lose focus of things that are affecting our everyday behaviour. I’ve been so busy trying to coordinate and grasp everything that I started forgetting what my body really needed: to take better care of itself before everything else.
You don’t need to waste time and energy on something that wouldn’t reciprocate that energy back to you. You should get what you put out into the world, and when that doesn’t happen, remove yourself from the situation and exert your energy into something better, something that cares about you just as much, if not more.
Here are some things that I started doing, partially to remove the excess stress that I didn’t need, and to be kinder to myself.
Take a Break From Social Media
We are so connected to these digital devices. I cannot go out without my phone (I don’t think that’s ever happened yet). I understand that it’s an important tool for communication, but do we really need to check our notifications every single moment? When we’re out with friends? Eating with our parents? During a lecture? Walking our dogs (I don’t have one luckily)?
A couple weeks ago I decided to delete all of my social media apps for a week and it was the most refreshing thing I could have done. The Facebook messages can wait; your personal health cannot.
Wander Like a Tourist
My friend introduced me to this idea: to wander around a city without any destination in mind and no maps. Obviously, choose a place that is relatively safe for your personal safety, but sometimes just wandering around a city helps with de-stressing your mind and body very efficiently. Last summer, I went around with my friend on a Photowalk, and coincidentally, we came across this beautiful rainbow mural. Sometimes the best things come from spontaneous adventures.
Get Moving
One of the most effective ways to remove energy from your body is to exert it out in some way, and in this case, through physical activity. Maybe you’re having a really bad day from school, work, or life in general. Scientific studies have proven that through physical activity, our mental health is improved too through the release of endorphins that make us happy. Turn that negative energy into positive energy.
Be One With the Force by Meditating
Energy is a power that our bodies experience through feelings, which mostly has to do with our minds. Sometimes the best you can do is to not let that toxic energy into your body, to not let it affect you or your daily behaviour. By doing meditation, your body has a higher frequency, as if like a magnet, for positive energy, which then produces positive experiences in your life. Protect yourself from negative energies while trying these meditation exercises.
Just Say No
Okay, little Mr. / Ms. Social Butterfly. I know it’s great to go out and be with your besties, try the local bar/club, or just being so popular that everyone wants to hang out with you. However, it’s really important to have enough time for yourself. Say no when you don’t feel like going out on that cold Saturday night, especially when it’s with people you don’t really like anyways but don’t want to hurt their feelings.
Sometimes you have to care about yourself first before you can care about others. Overexhausting yourself is a form of toxic energy that you are maintaining in your body. It’s doing harm to your body whether you’re too busy to notice or not. To be honest, one day out of the whole week isn’t a lot. Make it a “Me Day,“ you deserve it!
We need stress in our lives to function because a world where everyone is happy and carefree cannot exist. However, too much negative energy, to the point where it becomes toxic to our bodies, is not healthy for us. We deserve the best and having that toxic energy remaining in our bodies simply isn’t.