The following is adapted from Chapter 4 of Intuitive Certainty.
Have you ever left a conversation feeling unexpectedly drained? Or spent time with someone who lifted your spirits without saying anything particularly remarkable?
Most of us have experienced these moments, even if we don't fully understand them. We describe them casually as "good vibes" or "bad vibes," but science offers its own explanation.
Our nervous systems are constantly scanning our environments for signals of safety and threat. Long before we're consciously aware of it, we're processing facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, and emotional cues. Researchers call these responses somatic markers—physical sensations that help us evaluate people and situations quickly and often accurately.
This may explain why certain environments leave us feeling energized while others leave us depleted. The people we spend time with influence our thoughts, emotions, and overall well-being in ways we don't always recognize.
Paying attention to how you feel around certain people isn't judgmental; it's informative. Feeling consistently drained, anxious, or uneasy may be your nervous system communicating that something needs attention.
Protecting your energy can be as simple as setting healthier boundaries, limiting exposure to chronically negative situations, or intentionally seeking out people and environments that help you feel grounded and supported.
You don't have to absorb everything happening around you.
Which relationships, environments, or habits leave you feeling restored, and which ones leave you running on empty?