Is there someone in your life who drains you emotionally? Do you dread being around this person? Do you kick their call to voicemail when the caller ID shows their name? Do you have to have a drink before you see this person? 😉 That’s an energy vampire; someone who sucks your positive energy away from you, leaving you feeling worse than before your interaction. These vamps lower your vibration so where once you were feeling happy and joyful, after your interaction with them you feel ashamed, guilty, angry, sad, annoyed or frustrated. Don’t tolerate energy vampires in your life if you can help it. Here is how to spot those nasty vamps and how to get rid of them. Say hasta la bye bye vampo!
First let’s make a list of the people in your life so we can identify the fangsters. Start with the people you interact with on a daily basis, then a weekly basis, then on occasion, and so forth. Next to those names you’ll have three columns. First column reads “uplifts me.” Second column reads, “neutral.” And the third column reads, “drains me.” Then get busy putting check marks in the appropriate column for each person on your list. If you’re having trouble figuring out which column they belong in, think about your last interaction with them and ask yourself if you felt better, the same or worse after that interaction.
Once your list is done take a long hard look at it and see who you’re hanging out with. Any vamps? Yes? Let’s see about neutralizing their power. I know what you’re going to say… “But some of these vamps are my friends, my family, my BOSS! How am I supposed to just get rid of them?” You have three options on how to deal with an energy vampire, including how to handle it when escape seems impossible.
First, figure out if you could cut the person out of your life. If it’s a friend, write him a letter letting him know you simply can’t be friends with him anymore as you no longer like the person you become when you’re with him. It’s hard, yeah, but keeping these people in your life is going to drain you dry. It’s not worth it. Once you kick them out of your life, new more upbeat friends will fill the gap. If it’s a boss, find another job with someone you’d prefer working with. I know, this may take time. So take the time. It’s your life, your power, make a change! If the vamp is a relative, begin curtailing your contact with them. If the relationship is seriously abusive consider cutting them out of your life completely. There’s no law that says you have to be friends with your family.
Second, if you can’t cut them out of your life you’ve got to learn to shield against their attacks. Never go into an interaction with the vampire until your shields are up and your emotional armor is on. How do you do this? First, acknowledge what’s about to happen. “I’m going to my mom’s house, she’s going to complain about how short my hair is.” Or “My boss is going to denigrate me in front of my staff at today’s meeting. He always does.” Then, prepare your response ahead of time. “If my mom complains about my hair, I won’t defend my choice. I’ll just let her talk herself out or change the subject.” “If my boss complains about my performance I’ll just make a joke and deflect the negative energy.” This is also called, “Don’t let anyone get under my skin.” Do not sink to their level. Let their attack hit your shield and bounce off. Do not let them make you emotionally bleed.
Third, try to uplift the vampire to a higher vibration. Also known as “sprinkling some fairy dust on their heads so they stop being schmucks.” 😉 This is difficult, but it can be done. The next time an energy vampire attacks you, try responding with love, kindness, compassion or empathy. They hate that; takes the wind right out of their sails. “Mom, you know I still love you even when you complain about my appearance, right?” Or “Mom, it seems like when you complain about my hair you want me to feel bad about how I make decisions in life. Is that your intent? To make me feel bad?” Sometimes holding up a mirror to the vamp is enough to conquer them. If it’s your boss, you could take him aside and say, “It seems as if during our staff meetings you often say something denigrating about me in front of everyone. I’ll tell ya, that doesn’t feel too good, and I was wondering if you were going to continue doing that or not?” If your friend is bringing you down and you haven’t cut her loose, say, “Girlfriend, blaming others for the problems in your life isn’t going to solve them. Why don’t you sit down with me one day and let’s have a long talk about how we might actually pull your life together and get you to a happier place. I really care about you and I’d rather see you happy than complaining all the time. What do you say?”
Energy vampires only have power if you give them power. If you can’t stand up to a vampire, if you can’t cut their energy out of your life, or if you can’t uplift them to a new place, you’re going to suffer greatly under the onslaught of their darkness. You’ll find your own self esteem falling, you’ll stop feeling empowered in areas where you used to feel great, and eventually you’ll be a puddle of emotional jelly and everyone will step on you. If you need help staving off the advances of an energy vampire, ask a high vibration friend to help you. Set up an intervention on the vamp. Be honest and clear about what they do to others, maybe they don’t realize it.
Work on your list until at least 90% of the people on it are in the uplift or neutral column. Don’t suffer the energy vampires. You’re not obligated to be their punching bag. You can’t rescue someone who is drowning by jumping into the water with them. They’ll just pull you down too. Throw them a life preserver, encourage them to grab it, offer to pull them to shore, but do not let them pull you down.
And whatever you do, don’t feed them after midnight. 😉
