If You Haven’t Been Feeling Great Recently…
By Sarah McCrum
If you haven’t been feeling great recently you’re not alone. So many people I speak with have been finding it hard. It started a couple of weeks before Christmas. The energy was heavy and slow. People who are prone to depression felt it was coming back again. it lasted quite a while. You may have felt as if you had less energy than normal or you were lacking motivation or drive.
After new year I noticed it shifted to a different kind of energy. It’s a nervous feeling, like you constantly want something but you’re not sure what it is. It’s an energy of craving – the kind of energy that’s particularly tough for addictive personalities. Any little addictions (chocolate, shopping, Facebook) can get exaggerated with this energy.
So how can you deal with it?
It helps a great deal to realise that it’s not all about you. There’s nothing wrong with you and you’re not going to fall apart. It’s simply a passing energy that will move on at some stage – although it’s hung around a little longer than usual.
If you notice many people are having a hard time it’s useful to assume it’s about the energy, not just about the individuals. It takes the pressure off at a personal level and allows you to observe what’s happening. It becomes interesting rather than challenging.
Because I work with people I’m constantly hearing how they feel. I get to recognise the signs when lots of people are reporting related feelings (not always exactly the same, but there are patterns).
The best way I know to deal with challenging energy, whatever it feels like, is not to resist it. I allow myself to connect with that energy and really feel it. So if it feels dark and heavy I don’t try to be upbeat and light. I start by allowing my personal energy to drop down into a darker, heavier space.
If you do this, you discover that it feels very good. Dark and heavy is actually a nice feeling. It’s only when you feel you ought to be feeling something very different that it gets uncomfortable. We often try to resist feelings that we think are inappropriate for the moment.
This is especially strong in anyone who’s ever been depressed. There can be almost an aversion to any kind of energy that might possibly feel depressed. But if you allow yourself to feel it, there’s nothing to be afraid of.
The key here is your ability to relax and let go of control. If you have to control everything, including your mood, you will struggle whenever the energy doesn’t suit you. If you can allow yourself to be relaxed you can feel good in all kinds of energy. You let go of having such strong expectations about how you ought to be feeling. You also let go of having to control how you actually feel.
It’s a wonderful relief.
You can discover all the many shades and tones of the energy in your life – from dark to light, slow to fast, descending to ascending, cool to hot. And you can feel happy with any of them – just as long as you’re not resisting the way it is, or judging it, or trying to control it.
Sarah
Coach, Trainer, Speaker
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