Perhaps it's every now and then, or maybe it feels like it's happening all the time, but we all go through periods in life that feel particularly negative. It can feel as though everything you attract, be it people or situations, carries with it what you might describe as bad luck energy. But learning how to clear your energy is something you can practice in a way that might really effect positive change in your life. There are little habits and shifts in perspective you can work into your everyday routine that can really result in more positive circumstances.
According to Jennifer Longmore, B.A.S.W, M.Ed, a spiritual life coach and CEO of Soul Journeys, part of the negativity that can build up in your life comes from tolerating circumstances or relationships that you don't actually like, or that, plain and simple, don't serve you. Longmore says these things don't necessarily have to warrant "a fire extinguisher," so to speak, but still, they're kind of like a metaphorical wet blanket for your well-being: "Like the friend that calls us to dump all their problems, and then magically they have to go every time it's our turn to share," the spiritual life coach tells Elite Daily. "One day we wake up and realize this doesn’t work for us anymore, but we don't understand why we engage in those patterns or relationships."
And sometimes, she says, these things happen simply because you're ust a pretty darn good friend and listener — you can't help yourself. In fact, Longmore says, the better listener you are, or even the more open you are in general, oftentimes, the more you can tolerate or be available for situations that might use up your energy. "We don't realize we have permission to set standards," Longmore tells Elite Daily. "We don’t realize that we have the right to really envision our ideal lifestyle."
But you definitely do. And an ideal lifestyle, BTW, does not have to mean six figures and an envy-inducing social media feed. It can mean fulfilling relationships, creative enjoyment, and peace of mind. Really, it can mean whatever the heck you want it to mean. But if you feel stuck in a rut of negative energy right now, here's how to climb your way out, according to Longmore.
Write out a list of things you'd want in your ideal life, says Longmore. She suggests asking yourself: "If I truly had everything I wanted, what would that be, and what would that look like?"
Then, Longmore tells Elite Daily, "start to think, based upon you current reality, what matches, and what is completely off?" You have to make a conscious effort to focus on the positives, the spiritual life coach says, but that doesn't mean you can't stop to notice what could use some improvement on your part, too.
Longmore suggests starting each day with a glass of water with lemon, something that is cleansing and refreshing. Additionally, she says, fill your diet with vibrant color, meaning lots of fruits and veggies.
Simply put, these foods can help add some color to your spirit: "Eating vibrant things helps us to feel vibrant," Longmore tells Elite Daily. "If we're eating a lot of pastries and processed stuff, we feel beige."
She adds, with a bit of a laugh, that many of us tend to complain more when we eat stuff that doesn't make us feel good, and you know what complaining tends to attract? Other complainers.
This doesn't mean a spring cleaning is in order every day. It just means being aware of your environment and keeping it from being taken over by too much clutter. Even taking just a few minutes to clean that pile of mail or put your makeup in the drawer, Longmore says, can help give you a sense of accomplishment and clarity.
"Schedule time for cleaning," she tells Elite Daily. And if not a little time each day, than at least each week.
I know you might not want to hear it, but sometimes, for the sake of your well-being, you just have to take some self-imposed social media breaks — no ifs, ands, or buts. And while you're at it, Longmore suggests, making some boundaries around technology in general is a really great idea. "If we decide we want a peaceful day, we are less inclined to be on computers and screens all day," the spiritual life coach tells Elite Daily. "On social media, we open ourselves for envy and comparing, and letting all that energy in."
Remember, you're typically getting only a highlight reel of people's lives on social media, and as a result, you're judging your own lifestyle and comparing it to something that's just not genuine or real. There's no need to cut yourself off from social media completely, but know your limits, and recognize when it's bringing you more negative than positive energy.
"Bring new people into your life; bring back that vibrancy," Longmore tells Elite Daily. "The quickest way to get out of a funk is to be in a place of awe and wonder."
And that can easily be accomplished by trying and learning new things, whether it involves going to a meet-up, taking a class, going on a road trip, or even starting small by learning a new word every day.
"I never know what kinds of adventures will come my way if I am able to stay in a place of wonder, and I'm open to new things," Longmore says. "But if I’m always thinking things like, 'I’m going to spend too much money on gas if I go on a road trip,' there’s no fun in that. We suck the air out of the room."
So who's ready to hop in the car?
