Energy hygiene is something that I have had to learn as both an empath and someone who felt overly responsible for everyone around me.
There was a time I couldn't even go into the grocery store without feeling the weight and heaviness of everyone that was around. I would go in feeling light, like myself, and leave feeling lethargic, numb, cold, and sometimes even intense anger or sadness.
I felt like a victim to the world around me, when really it was my own inability to have strong energetic boundaries— I WAS feeling into other people and their energy, they were not making me do this, in fact, they weren't even giving me permission to do so.
I had to see how I was really the one out of alignment, and start taking responsibility for my part through energy hygiene and strong energetic boundaries.
You see, we are not meant to feel into other people’s energy, perceive their energy, or take on their energy without their permission. This is what puts us in unhealthy and dysfunctional dynamics to begin with— however, it makes sense we learned this if we grew up in environments where it was advantageous for us to perceive the needs and feelings of others if it kept us safe.
Why energy hygiene supports healing codependency
When we grow up in environments where hyper-attunement to others was necessary for survival, we often carry those patterns into adulthood, leaving us feeling disconnected from our own needs, emotions, and energy. Practicing energy hygiene helps us reclaim that connection to ourselves.
When you start consciously maintaining your energetic boundaries, you’re no longer overextending or merging with others in ways that reinforce codependent tendencies. Instead, you cultivate a healthier sense of self—one rooted in sovereignty, not in the emotional chaos of those around you.
Energy hygiene teaches us to hold space for our feelings, rather than absorbing someone else’s. This shift is critical for healing codependency because it allows you to stop over-functioning and start showing up for yourself with the love and care you may have spent years giving to others.
This is how we begin to start honoring the souls journey, and honor sovereignty. Every soul has a journey, and it is not ours to dictate, control, or be responsible for.
How to do this easefully, day-to-day
Energy hygiene doesn’t have to feel like another thing to add to your to-do list—it’s about weaving simple, supportive practices into your life. Here are a few easeful ways to get started:
Begin the day grounded in yourself
Take a moment to connect with your body, breath, or an intention before interacting with others. Visualize yourself inside a slow globe, surrounded by a protective light that allows love in but keeps external energies out.Check-in regularly
Pause throughout the day to ask yourself: How am I feeling? Is this mine, or am I carrying someone else’s energy? If it’s not yours, visualize gently releasing it, perhaps to an element. I like to give it to my higher self, or I return it back to sender, holy, whole, and healed to support them on their healing journey.Clear your energy before bed
Imagine a grounding cord going deep into Mother Earth Core, like an umbilical cord, and release anything that is not yours to metabolize to Mother Earth, to compost and use a nutrients to heal the planet. You might do a simple ritual like shaking your hands, taking a salt bath, or imagining any energy you’ve picked up melting away.
I hope that these practices and tools support you on your healing journey. Here are some reflection questions or journal prompts you can use from this meditation:
What did my energy centers look like when I was cleansing and clearing them?
What did they look like after?
What did I notice during the affirmations? Did I feel resistance? Sadness? Were there any that were hard to receive?
Who did I notice in my energy field?
What thoughts or fears came up as I cleared my field, if any?
How did I feel when my energy field was cleared?
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With love,
Alyssa
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