5 Signs You’re Absorbing Other People’s Energy (and What to Do About It)

If you’re a high-functioning adult who feels like you’ve hit an invisible wall or someone in a helping profession trying to keep your own cup full, we need to talk about energy.

You’ve probably tried traditional therapy and a shelf full of self-help books, but you’re still not quite progressing past that feeling of being stuck in patterns that aren't serving you. What if the issue isn't what you're doing, but whose energy you're carrying?

Exploring your own consciousness and energy should feel as routine as brushing your teeth. It shouldn’t be scary, distant, or overly spiritual. It should be practical and accessible, bridging the space between the spiritual and everyday worlds.

Let’s be honest, life is absurd. Sometimes, dealing with your own energy is hard enough without taking on the entire team’s or your kid's emotions. If you constantly feel bogged down, here are five telltale signs that you might be absorbing energy that isn't yours — and what you can do to get unstuck.

The Signs: Are You Carrying Someone Else’s Energy?

1. Your Mood Changes on a Dime After Interacting with Someone

One minute you're feeling great, centered, and ready to tackle the day. The next, after a five-minute conversation with a coworker or neighbor, you’re suddenly irritable or teary for no clear reason. This is often a sign that you’ve picked up their energetic vibe — and not the good kind. You've been pulled off-center and need help getting grounded and centered again. This is about learning to align with your authentic motivations rather than what you feel you "should" do.

2. You’re Exhausted, But You Didn’t Do Anything Physically Taxing

You slept eight hours, drank water, skipped the sugar, and still feel completely drained. For those struggling with energy management, this is a common experience. When you’re absorbing other people’s emotional output, you’re essentially running a marathon for them, too. The goal is to feel lighter and more available to yourself, not heavier and more depleted.

3. Anxiety Spikes When You Know Everything is Logically Fine

One of the biggest pain points for my clients is anxiety. If your baseline anxiety levels suddenly skyrocket after leaving a crowded space or talking on the phone with a friend who is venting, that’s a huge clue. Your body is reacting to the emotional static you just absorbed. Your system is telling you that you need a new way to think about your problems and life.

Side note: Anxiety is a sign that your energy is too far forward in time and space. You are trying to predict the future and respond to it in the present. This never works. Everything must be dealt with as it comes.

4. You Feel Like You "Missed the Handbook on How Life is Supposed to Work."

This is a specific feeling many sensitives and highly functioning people share. When you're constantly trying to parse and manage other people's unspoken emotions, it feels like the rules of engagement are always changing. You end up with self-esteem issues and feeling like an outsider because you’re trying to navigate the world based on external energy signals instead of your own inner compass.

5. You Can’t Focus on or Center Yourself

If you find yourself bouncing off the walls, mentally scattered, or unable to make a simple decision, you might be ungrounded because you’re carrying disparate energies. Getting grounded and centered is crucial, especially during emotional upheaval. You need clear, simple tools to help you return to your core so you can move forward with momentum.

What to Do About It: Practical Steps to Take Back Your Energy

We aren't interested in spiritual bypassing; we want you to face the truth and alchemize it. Even the stuff that really sucks doesn't make you a victim. It's all an opportunity to grow and expand.

Here are three practical, down-to-earth steps to clear absorbed energy and gain momentum:

1. Get Grounded Now

Forget the woo-woo rituals. We need real-world applicability. Practice simple, physical centering:

• Breathe: Take three deep breaths and push your energy down into your feet.

• Move: Shake it off, literally. Move your body to release the stagnant energy.

• Visualize: Imagine a protective gold boundary around you, arm’s length in all directions. Add a little layer of color to the outside of the gold (like a soap bubble). This is a simple as using your imagination.

2. See the Absorption as Opportunity, Not Failure

It’s easy to feel defeated when you keep picking up bad vibes but we encourage empowerment over victimhood. Your sensitivity is a gift; it just needs calibration. View everything — pain, struggle, difficult childhoods — all of it, as opportunities to grow.

Instead of judging yourself for absorbing the energy, ask: What boundary did this show me I need to set?

This non-judgmental approach helps you accelerate your progress. Assert your boundaries, don’t defend or passively ask for them to be met. (This can be as simple as asserting them inside yourself.) Your presence will change, and people will respond to that change.

3. Know When to Call in the Accelerator

If you’ve tried all the self-help books and still feel stuck, you need something that gives you a little boost. Sometimes, you need a non-judgmental expert who can clearly see what is stuck and provide that grounded, accessible bridge between the spiritual realm and everyday life. That's what I do. I help you explore consciousness in practical ways so you can move forward with momentum.

I'm here when you need me, when you're ready.

Go be amazing!

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