Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Energy Vampires

I'm not talking about your DVR spiking up your electricity bill in the middle of the night.

I'm talking about those people that make you feel like you've gone through a meat grinder after a five-minute conversation. They bare their teeth and suck the energy right out of you with their negativity, or their narcissism, or their obliviousness. Or all three.

So what do you do? How do you cope? I mean, other than carrying around massive amounts of chocolate (because chocolate really does make everything better...until you step on the scale).

No, really- I want to know. How do you handle your energy vampires?

9 comments:

kah said...

I tear them apart and burn the pieces. Oh wait, no, that's what the Cullens do.

I read a book a couple years ago "Positive Energy" that has a whole chapter on this subject. It was even titled energy vampires. I haven't had enough flavored coffee yet to research it, but I'm pretty sure the advice was to stay away from them if possible. And if not, then imagine a protective light around you, do something to center and refocus afterwards, etc. I wish I could say that works for me but um...

I'm with the Cullens. ;)

Jill Kemerer said...

I get the BIG bag of M&M's--you know the one I'm talking about--and try to study them while they drone on about their MENSA level 5 year old. I wonder what makes them tick. It helps. Fun topic!

Danyelle L. said...

For me, it works best just to avoid them. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt and talk to them about it first, but if that doesn't work, I become scarce. There's just too much else out there. :D

Jody Hedlund said...

I try to keep an inner circle of real life friends that are encouraging, who are in the same stage of life as me, and who understand the challenges we face together. Then it makes it easier to deal with the people who don't understand or care about my life in the least!

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Oooh, chocolate. But it's still so early! Seriously, I know what you're talking about and have had this dilemma in my own life. I can't say I've yet figured out how to do it well enough to not feel drained by these "energy vampires" but it does help to stay positive and if I feel like it's getting to be too much, I keep my distance from these people for awhile.

B.J. Anderson said...

Lol, I call my husband and vent, which makes me an energy vampire to him, I'm sure. Oh well. It's the circle of life.

Eric said...

I just walk away. Quickly. I really can't stand these type of people, and I refuse to be leeched.

Jess said...

I'm an expert at being sucked in (or, I guess it would be on....) by the energy vamps. While avoidance is ideal, there are folks you just can't ignore -persons who perhaps have become permanent fixtures in your life. I try to remind myself that though the energy vamps are clearly unhappy in their world,I am not. Then I eat peanut butter. Lots and lots of peanut butter. :o)

Sarah Jensen said...

I'm with Jess. Well, not the peanut butter part, even though I like it, but I just remind myself that I'm happy and that they aren't going to get me down.

One thing I've tried, and it works when I remember to do it, is to fold my arms. Sounds weird, I know, but if you fold your arms when dealing with them, it blocks some of their negative energy. I open up to positive people as much as possible.

I too am a magnet for these people, so I've decided that there is something to be learned from them. If nothing more than to be thankful for my life!

Good luck with y'all's vamps. And yeah, sometimes, I think the Cullens have it right. :)