The average family life includes two working partners juggling workplace demands with household chores, homework management, shuffling sports schedules, and oh, yeah, working on the important relationships in our lives. What’s the problem?
These long hours and the daily stress of it all takes a toll on our bodies if we are not mindful in our approach of balancing the components to our day. Men and women alike feel negative energy, but how they experience it is completely different.
By being more mindful in your approach to negative energy, you can not only karate chop it right out of your way, but also gain valuable insight into what is happening in your partner’s world.
So what do we know?
Ladies, First
- For most women, the worst stress they experience is a threat to their relationships.
- Women tend to put themselves last by sacrificing their own needs for that of others.
- When seeking comfort, women lower their anxiety levels by talking out their problems and frustrations.
- Women have a stronger sense of empathy. They try to better understand another person’s perspective when facing conflict.
The Gents
- Men take a more fight or flight approach to stress and negative energy.
- Fellas tend to seek escape to get away from their stressors.
- Many men are highly competitive, by nature, so they may opt for a quick pickup game to work out their frustrations and boost their self-esteem.
What’s This About Energy?
Energy comes from four wellsprings within the human body.
1. Body
This is your physical energy.
*Poor sleeping habits, inadequate nutrition, and lack of exercise are a few reasons your bodily energy gets out of alignment.
2. Emotions
This is how you experience life and relate to others using your five senses.
3. Mind
This is the difference between confusion and understanding. Your mental energy focuses on thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and values. It’s how you process and reason.
4. Spirit
This is how you determine your sense of being and belonging.
Put Them Together
Think about the four aspects of energy in relation to yourself. Which area have you developed well and what needs improvement? How might you make an adjustment to get your four wellsprings back in balance?
Next, look at your partner and make the same assessment. Knowing how the opposite sex handles stress may give you a little insight into taking steps to mindfully engage with them as you work together to manage negative energy.
Here are three suggestions to avoid energy-depleting behaviors.
1. Set boundaries
When faced with negative energy, pay special attention to how it affects you. Set up boundaries that make you feel comfortable and be sure to respect them. It’s easy to make exceptions and bend a little, but not if it is going to negatively impact your personal balance.
2. Don’t overanalyze
You might try to make sense of a situation or a conversation when nothing fruitful will come of it. Don’t allow yourself to get emotionally wrecked when it is simply a difference of gender behavior.
3. Choose your battles
There are times you will simply have to walk away and realize the person of the opposite sex is handling their negative energy as best they can. You must not allow it to disrupt yours, but by being mindful, you could help them achieve their harmony.
For more suggestions on how to achieve balance or to learn how you may incorporate aromatherapy in your energy management, contact us!