What are Your Energy Givers and Energy Takers?

Robotics and artificial intelligence has progressed in ways that I could have never imagined even 3 years ago. It both fascinates me and scares me, but that’s a topic for another day.

The thing is, despite all of these rapid advances, the one big thing that continues to separate us from all of the bots around us (in their various shapes and forms) is that we feel things. We have emotions. We are sentient, energetic beings. The bots haven’t taken that from us yet.

And since we are energetic beings, we feel the energy and frequency of the things around us, the people around us. 

Think about it – have you ever felt completely energized and inspired after engaging in a different activity or spending time with a particular person? On the other hand, have you ever felt completely drained after spending time with someone or doing a certain activity? This is nothing but you experiencing the energy of the situation that you’re in, the people that you’re interacting with, and the things that you are doing. Putting it in different words, these are examples of energy takers and energy givers respectively.

What Do You Really Mean by Energy Givers and Energy Takers?

Energy givers are activities and people that radiate positive energy and leave you feeling recharged and inspired. They uplift your spirits and make you feel good about yourself and the world around you. And then you’ve got energy takers – activities and people that drain your energy and leave you feeling depleted and exhausted. After interacting with such people, or doing those activities, you are left feeling emotionally and physically drained.

​So the concept of energy givers and energy takers can be applied to both types of people as well as the kind of activities that you do.

Are You an Energy Giver or Energy Taker?

It’s not just about other people – it’s about you and your vibes too. What kind of energy are you giving out into the world? Are your habits raising your energetic frequency or pulling you down instead? 

When you are feeling physically and mentally well, in sync with your core being, and living a life that is in tune with your values, you will be projecting a lot of positive energy. But if you’re in the throes of a bad situation (where you’re constantly feeling down, complaining, or being hurtful), or dealing with a draining illness, it is likely that your energetic frequency will suffer. 

The good news is that by taking some conscious effort on a consistent basis, by bringing yourself back to your center, you can raise your frequency and radiate more positive energy. 

Identifying Your Energy Givers and Takers

Self-awareness is key when it comes to identifying your personal energy givers and takers.

Start by paying attention to how you feel after spending time with certain people or engaging in specific activities. You can also ask yourself a few questions to help you further. What activities make you feel most fulfilled and energized? What activities leave you feeling drained and exhausted? Who are the people in your life that uplift and inspire you, and who are the ones that drain you?

Examples of Energy Givers

When it comes to living a healthy and fulfilling life, a life lived at a higher frequency, it’s important to surround yourself with people that make you feel inspired and recharged, and do more of the things that give you energy. Your actual preferences will be personal to you, but here’s a list of the top energy givers that you give you some ideas to start with.

• A refreshing glass of water
• A warm cup of coffee or tea
• Movement
• Stretching
• Exercise
• Fresh air
• Supportive friends and family
• People you can be yourself with
• People that make you feel happy
• Boundary setting
• Reading
• Self-care
• A warm hug
• Journaling
• Working on your hobbies
• Dancing
• Lymphatic drainage
• Massages
• Volunteering
• Deep breathing
• Nutritious, wholesome food
• Power naps
• Good sleep habits
• High-frequency music
• Trying and learning new things
• Traveling
• Dreams and goals that you are working towards
• Practicing gratitude
• Taking periodic vacations
• Growth mindset
• Spending time with pets

Examples of Energy Takers

On the flip side, the more time you spend with people who are constantly pulling you down, or indulging in habits and activities that do not really serve you, you will end up inviting more energy takers into your life. Again, this list is highly subjective, and context is very important.

• Family members with persistent negative vibes or toxic behaviors
• Social media accounts that trigger comparititis or make you feel envious
• People that make you feel inadequate
• People who are always creating drama or chaos
• People who violate your boundaries
• Not being clear about your boundaries
• Psychoanalyzing every person, every conversation, every action
• Constantly complaining
• Repressing your emotions
• Junk food
• Binge-eating
• Overthinking
• Over-exercising
• Poor sleep hygiene
• Excessive screen time
• Excessive stress
• Excessive alcohol
• Foregoing rest for productivity
• Not taking a break
• Perfectionism
• Being passive aggressive
• Resentment/anger/envy
• Victim mindset

I do want to reiterate one thing though – many of the examples in these lists are highly subjective and quite dependent on context. 

• A bad night of sleep (or nights, rather), because you’re a new parent, is very different from a bad night of sleep because you were up till 4 am watching Netflix. In both of those situations, you will feel a drain on your energy, but the context is highly different. 
• Or if you’re a complete homebody, traveling may not really feel energizing to you after all. 
• A bottle of wine shared with friends over a celebratory evening is very different from drinking a six-pack every single night.

And people whom you deem as energy takers aren’t necessarily bad people – they are just not people that you vibe well with. Don’t make it a judgment call on them, but in the context of prioritizing your own needs and mental health, set boundaries and change how (and how often) you deal with them.

Also, going back to the whole point about being human and energetic beings. It would be unrealistic to expect that you will never face situations that may trigger negative emotions or that you have to operate as a perpetual ball of positive energy simply because ‘vibrating at a higher frequency’ is a good thing to do. A lot of things in life are outside of our control – the best we can do is to accept the good and the bad that comes with doing life and do our best with what we have. 

Being self-aware and remembering who you are at your core will just help you navigate through life a little easier. By making conscious choices about who you spend your time with and how you engage with the world around you, you can live a more fulfilling and energized life. So lift yourself up when you can, and lift up others along the way too. Try to be more of an energy giver than an energy taker. Your soul (and the world) will thank you for it.

Over to you – what are your energy givers and energy takers?