I came across a video the other day of a toddler eating breakfast, examining his food, and sitting calmly in his highchair. Suddenly, his mom entered the kitchen and started dancing, hitting cooking utensils together like musical instruments and exuding amazing and contagious energy. He begins giggling and squealing, smiling ear to ear and dancing along excitedly in his chair. His mom created that positive energy in the room! It was such a fun and beautiful video, and it teaches us never to underestimate how the impact of your energy affects everyone around us.
There is a fantastic podcast by Sean Illing called “The Gray Area,” and in his “Why Cynicism is Bad for You” episode, he interviews Stanford University psychologist Jamil Zaki. It’s an excellent examination of why cynicism is rampant in our society and how it makes no sense to be this way. Cynicism has almost emerged as a “default setting” for many people, they said. They discuss strategies for us as individuals to challenge our potential cynical tendencies and to truly consider how we can effectuate more positivity and purposefulness, as cynicism can prove detrimental to our mental and physical health.
Studies undeniably show how our words, actions, demeanor, and energy extend outwards. And without fail, they impact those around us in our personal and professional lives. It is important to take note of just how much our energy impacts those around us, and maybe we can make adjustments needed.
Here are key areas where the impact of your energy can be reflected upon:
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Employees and Co-workers
Ultimately, both positive and negative emotions and energy can trickle down from the top and move from one team member to another. When leaders exhibit positivity, teams yield greater morale, increased motivation, and stronger productivity. Conversely, when leaders/executives exhibit or disperse negative energy, consequently, what can be created is disengagement, disinterest, and decreased intrinsic motivation, thus also diminishing productivity.
Do you know a co-worker who always seems to be down or constantly complains or overall acts really unhappy at work? How does that make you feel? On the other hand, do you know a co-worker who is generally smiling a lot and seems content at work? It’s good to reflect on both scenarios as well as make an honest assessment of which category you fit into.
2. Friendships and Relationships
A key factor for maintaining fulfilling friendships is reciprocity. Are you feeling like you are there for your friends in whatever seasons of life they are in, and vice versa? Do you have a safe sounding board if you need it, and vice versa? Do you and your friends make plans to get together and keep them? Maybe you have the type of friendships where you just stay up late and send each other memes and reels, and that fills both of your emotional cups?
Inevitably, our energy can be infectious. What we provide to our friends with our mindset, attitude, effort, and communication can say a lot and enhance the quality of life. As we age, quality of life stands out immensely. Who we keep in our circle and the energy correlated with friendships and relationships matter greatly!
3. Children and Students
At home and in schools, the ripple effect is pivotal. Children tend to be naturally sensitive. So when they are exposed to stress induced by parents, they can retain that stress, causing it to manifest into the classroom and with their relationships, behavior, learning and more.
The family and learning environments are critical because they both play an integral part in shaping a child’s emotional framework, sculpting resilience (or a lack thereof), impacting overall attitude and affecting emotional and physical well-being. Undoubtedly, parents have a responsibility to exhibit healthy coping mechanisms and to always remember that energy is contagious!
4. Family
Let’s face it – as we age, we may realize that most families just have their own thing. I mean, there is a whole lot of love, but there can also be a lot of strife. Your parents will always be your parents. They will most likely insert their views about politics, religion, relationships, and anything/everything they want to talk about going on around them. But it would help if you examined the energy you are permeating towards them and vice versa. Honest, calm communication can go a long way if everyone is open to it.
And perhaps your siblings, cousins, other family, or in-laws are completely opposite of you in terms of hobbies and interests and so forth. And that’s okay! You can still exert time, effort, and positive energy in their direction. After all, our energy and effort matter no matter what – especially with our families.
5. Strangers and Everyday Encounters
I swear by Plato’s quote, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Making eye contact with others, holding doors open for others, smiling at the person who is not smiling, putting your grocery carts into the corral, and giving some grace to everyone you encounter—all of that matters. Positivity can go a long way and make you feel much better than drama-infested incidents that could have been avoided with kindness and small intentional acts.
When we make conscious choices about how we show up every day, we improve not only our own lives but also the lives of those around us. It’s a great, big world out there, but with our words, actions, and energy, we can make it feel less daunting and more enjoyable.
