I have the tendency to be extroverted.

I get my energy from being around people—making connections and building relationships.

Yet, I’m also sensitive to other people’s energy—when I’m in big crowds I can feel overwhelmed and leave—feeling drained of energy.

During my teaching career, the extrovert in me happy!

As a middle school and high school teacher, it was important for me to build connections with staff and students as well as parents. Many of these relationships fed my energy and helped me feel like what my job was important and I was making a difference in the world.

There were many days when I left school feeling elated and fulfilled but a little tired.

There were also days on the flip side—I would, more often than not, find myself feeling depleted of all my emotional energy after a long day.

With the many different energies found at school, it was sometimes a juggle to navigate through the day without inadvertently taking on some of the energetic inertia floating around.

This feeling of depletion affected how or whether I was able to connect with my partner and affected my mothering.

I realized that although there were many parts of teaching that I loved, there was also a part of the job that was taking a toll on me energetically.

Before I became a mother, I used summer vacation as a way to rebuild all my depleted reserves. I would cut myself off and almost hibernate.

This of course became nearly impossible when I returned to teaching after starting our family. Now, during the summer—when I used to be able to replenish my energetic reserves—I now had to push through the fog of my depleted energy to try to be available for my children.

No longer having my much needed recuperation time meant that my health started to suffer. I also found that I wasn’t the mother I wanted to be—my priorities in life had gotten off balance—and so had I.

“Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” ~ Denis Waitley

I realized that I needed to reassert the all important balance in my life that I had lost.

So, what did I do?

I recruited the help of some very wise women.

Ways I started to rebuild the infrastructure of my energetic self.

#1. Do energetic clearings.

The level of clearing I’d need would depending on the day.

When it was a very draining day, I would take a citrus bath of: sliced lemons, sea salt and baking soda. All three ingredients help to release unwanted energy that I had inadvertently absorbed. After my bath, as I dried off, I would imagine this unwanted energy being wiped off me. I would then remove it from my house and let the earth for absorb it for healing.

#2. Set an energetic buffer.

I didn’t always realize that I was taking on other people’s energy, so each morning (often on my drive to work) I would visualize being surrounded by an energetic buffer of white light.

How broad or thick the buffer was would depend on the day. I trusted that the buffer I set would serve me well.

#3. Being the prow of a boat.

Now that I had my buffer, I wanted to make sure that it was effective.

When I was encountering someone who’s energy was radiating off of them, instead of allowing this energy to move through me (as I once did), I would now imagine the my buffer was like the prow of a boat and it was cutting through the energy flow (just like a boat cuts through the water).

My prow would then move the energy around me, so no I no longer absorbed it.

#4. Clearing with Selenite.

As a gift, my sister gave me a beautiful Selenite wand.

Selenite is known to have properties that help to clear us energetically.

There were days when I didn’t have time to take a citrus bath but a quick intentional swipe of the wand from head to toe helped.

#5. Starting a daily meditation ritual.

It didn’t have to meditate for long—some day’s I only had time for five minutes, but even that could help.

I would light some incense, sit in front of my altar where I had placed small things that held importance to me, my family and also spiritually.

I would ground myself, open my seventh chakra and allow any clearing that needed to occur, or receive guidance from Divine Source.

My mind would quiet and just allow me to be.

“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh

What did I start noticing when I used these techniques of clearing and protecting?

I didn’t feel as overwhelmed.

I was more aware of my own energy and how it felt within me.

I began trusting my intuition and the messages I received.

I started to feel a rebalancing occurring in my life, my career, my home, my family, my relationships.

I distanced myself from relationships that weren’t constructive, or were one-sided.

I began building authentic relationships that were balanced and fed us both.

I had more energy, and more interested in improving not only my energetic, but also my physical health.

I know I’m not alone with this struggle of finding or regaining a balance to life. With our world today and all the demands we place on ourselves it is easy to lose sight of the importance of balance.

What are you doing to help find balance in your life?

Pay attention to who you surround yourself with—the relationships you have with family/friends.

Who’s energy are you carrying around?

What are you doing to release it?

How are you nurturing your own energetic self?

Simple, yet significant steps, to take in regaining balance in your life.

Pick one or two of the techniques I’ve listed that resonate with you and try them out for a week. Pay attention to any shifts in your life—subtle or profound—any shift in your perspective, your relationships, your health, your emotional state.

That is where you’ll see the rebalancing begin to take hold.

Wishing you all Peace and Blessings!!

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Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: flickr