Protecting Your Energy in Group Spaces

We’ve been talking this month about unchecked behaviors from others (and sometimes ourselves) causing anxiety rises, rage simmers, and suddenly the whole group feels tighter, tenser, more guarded. I want to connect it all back to boundaries.

Boundaries are living practices of protection and connection.

Before you enter a space: Bubble Boundaries

Think of this less as armor and more as intentional clarity. You’re caring for yourself while still being present with others.

• Imagine a soft, flexible bubble around you. Maybe you even want to physically draw it around you with your arms reached out.

• Know that it is permeable enough for authentic connection (it can let in and out all the goodness), but resilient enough to stop gossip, posturing, or negativity from coming in.

You don’t have to “not care.” You can care deeply about yourself and your values while choosing not to get hooked by someone else’s dysregulation.

After you leave a space: Discharge Practices

Once you step out of the meeting, classroom, or group, your body needs to release the energy it picked up. A few options I share with clients:

• Shake it out: Literally shake your arms, legs, or whole body for 30–60 seconds.

• Walk it off: Step outside, breathe, let your feet land rhythmically until your system resets.

• Ritual reset: Light a candle, wash your hands, or put on a specific playlist to mark transition and closure.

Rage, anxiety, and negativity in groups aren’t “bad” emotions. They’re signals flashing arrows pointing to violated values, stress overload, or systemic dysfunction. But when you carry them home in your body, they turn into exhaustion, resentment, or burnout.

With protection going in and release coming out, you stay steady and available for the real work: discerning what’s yours, what’s collective, and what requires action.