People often ask me if someone has "put something on them." Sometimes that's true. Sometimes it isn't. Stress, grief, conflict, fear, and even constantly being around negative people can leave us feeling heavy.
Before assuming the worst, start with the basics. Spiritual hygiene should become as normal as brushing your teeth.
Understanding Negative Energy
In my practice, I view everything as energy. Every thought, emotion, action, environment, and relationship contributes to the frequency we're cultivating each day. The more time we spend feeding fear, resentment, anger, hopelessness, or constant negativity, the more difficult it becomes to recognize opportunities, maintain healthy relationships, and build the life we're trying to create.
Our frequency isn't something that changes because we repeat a few affirmations. It's built through our daily habits, our environment, our choices, our spiritual practices, and the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves. Every decision either strengthens the life we're creating or pulls us further away from it.
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that people believe negative energy only comes from outside of themselves. While I absolutely believe people can direct harmful intentions toward you through gossip, jealousy, manipulation, spells, conflict, or intentional spiritual work, I've also learned that those things usually need somewhere to land.
Think of your life like a house.
When a storm comes through, a well maintained house is much less likely to suffer major damage than one that's been neglected for years. The rain didn't create the hole in the roof. It simply found the place that was already weak.
The same is true spiritually.
We all have storms. We all encounter difficult people. We all experience criticism, disappointment, heartbreak, envy, conflict, and seasons where life feels heavy.
But when you consistently care for yourself, maintain your spiritual hygiene, strengthen your confidence, heal your wounds, set healthy boundaries, and continue growing, there are fewer places for that negativity to settle.
Does that mean you'll never experience a broken pipe or have to replace a few shingles? Of course not.
Life happens.
Even the strongest houses need maintenance.
The difference is that because you've been taking care of your foundation, those problems are easier to recognize, repair, and recover from before they become major damage.
Spiritually, our "leaks" often look like fear, self doubt, unresolved trauma, shame, guilt, low self worth, people pleasing, or believing we're powerless.
For example, if deep down someone believes they aren't good enough, and another person begins speaking negatively about them or intentionally trying to attack their confidence, those words often find a place to settle because the belief was already there.
The attack didn't create the insecurity.
It simply poured into a crack that already existed.
That's why I spend so much time teaching confidence, self awareness, shadow work, discipline, and spiritual hygiene. Protection isn't only about taking a spiritual bath, lighting a candle, or saying a prayer. Those things absolutely have their place, but they're only part of the work.
Real protection also comes from maintaining yourself.
The stronger your relationship with yourself becomes, the less room there is for fear, doubt, manipulation, and negativity to take root.
That's why I believe spiritual hygiene is a daily practice.
Just as we brush our teeth, bathe our bodies, and clean our homes, we should also regularly care for our minds, emotions, beliefs, and spirit. The more consistently you maintain yourself, the stronger your foundation becomes.
And a strong foundation is much harder to shake.
Because at the end of the day, the goal isn't to become afraid of storms.
The goal is to build a house that's well cared for, well maintained, and strong enough to weather them.
How Negative Energy May Show Up
Negative energy doesn't always announce itself in dramatic ways. More often, it appears as subtle changes in the way you think, feel, or experience your environment. You may notice yourself feeling uneasy in your own home, becoming unusually irritable, struggling to concentrate, or feeling emotionally drained after spending time with certain people or in certain places.
Sometimes you'll notice it physically. Your home may begin to feel heavy or uncomfortable. You may avoid certain rooms without knowing why, lose motivation to keep your space clean, or find yourself feeling anxious or restless for no obvious reason. Other times, it shows up through recurring conflict, constant self doubt, or a feeling that you're carrying a weight you can't quite explain.
These experiences don't automatically mean you've been spiritually attacked. They can also be signs of stress, burnout, unresolved emotions, grief, anxiety, or other life circumstances. I always encourage people to begin with the basics. Care for your mind, your body, your home, and your spirit before assuming the worst. A strong foundation allows you to respond with wisdom instead of fear.
10 Signs You May Be Carrying Negative Energy
- You suddenly feel exhausted for no obvious reason.
- Your mood shifts dramatically after being around certain people or environments.
- You feel mentally foggy, distracted, or unable to focus.
- Everything seems to irritate you, even small things.
- You have trouble sleeping or experience restless dreams.
- You feel unusually anxious, fearful, or emotionally overwhelmed.
- Your home feels heavy, tense, or uncomfortable.
- You notice constant arguments, misunderstandings, or bad luck piling up.
- You lose motivation for things you normally enjoy.
- You feel disconnected from yourself, your faith, or your spiritual practice.
None of these automatically mean someone has spiritually attacked you. They can also be signs of stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, or other life challenges. It's important to care for both your spiritual and physical well being.
Here are a few ways to help when you feel you have a build-up of negative energy surrounding you.
10 Ways Can Help Reset Your Energy
1. Take a Salt Bath
Salt has been used for purification and cleansing in spiritual traditions around the world for centuries. While any natural salt can be used with intention, I personally work with different salts depending on the focus of the bath.
Celtic Gray Sea Salt is my favorite for general cleansing and spiritual purification. It's a staple in my practice and the one I reach for most often when I simply need to clear away stagnant or unwanted energy.
For specific intentions, I like to work with different salts based on their symbolic correspondences in my own practice:
Pink Himalayan Salt for heart work, emotional healing, self love, and relationships.
Red Lava Salt for personal power, confidence, courage, motivation, and taking action.
Black Sea Salt when my focus is removing negativity, strengthening protection, or releasing heavy energy.
As with any spiritual practice, the ingredients matter, but your intention and consistency matter just as much.
2. Add a Splash of Vinegar
Many folk traditions use a small amount of white vinegar in bath water, window or floor washes as part of a spiritual cleansing. A capful is usually all that's needed. Vinegar has long been associated with cutting through stagnant or unwanted energy and leaving you feeling refreshed.
Some traditions use a very small amount of clear household ammonia in bath water or floor washes as part of spiritual cleansing. Never mix ammonia with bleach or other cleaning products, and avoid getting it into your eyes or on broken skin.
4. Pray
Prayer is one of the oldest forms of spiritual protection. Whether you pray to God, with your ancestors, according to your own tradition, or simply sit in sincere conversation with Spirit, prayer centers the mind and strengthens the heart.
5. Watch What You Feed Your Mind, Body and Soul.
Your attention is powerful. What you repeatedly focus on often becomes the lens through which you experience your life.
That doesn't mean ignore problems. It means don't live inside them.
Pay attention to the conversations you have, the media you consume, and the thoughts you rehearse every day.
6. Cleanse Your Home
Your home carries energy just like you do.
Open the windows whenever possible. Wash your bedding, remove clutter, dust, sweep, and mop with intention.
If your goal is to remove stagnant or unwanted energy, begin at the back of your home and work your way toward the front door. Give special attention to your walls, under cabinets, closets, doors, corners, and floors, as these are areas where energy is traditionally believed to collect.
Once you've finished removing, don't stop there.
Nature doesn't like empty space.
Invite in the kind of energy you want to live with. Burn a sweet incense, light a pleasant candle, diffuse uplifting oils, spray a spiritual water, play music that lifts your spirit, and intentionally welcome peace, love, abundance, and joy into your home.
Removing is only half the work. Replacing is just as important.
7. Smoke Cleanse Your Space
Many traditions use smoke as part of spiritual cleansing. Depending on your tradition, this may include incense, resins, cedar, rosemary, pine, mugwort, or other sacred plants.
Walk through your home with intention, allowing the smoke to reach corners, doorways, and areas that feel stagnant while praying or speaking words of blessing.
8. Practice Gratitude
One of the quickest ways to shift your attention is to intentionally recognize what is already going well.
Keep a running gratitude list. Add to it every day, even if it's only one thing. Read it when you need to remember how great you are.
Gratitude doesn't erase hardship, but it reminds you that hardship isn't the whole story.
9. Start Your Day with Intention
How you begin your day often shapes how you experience it.
Instead of immediately reaching for social media or focusing on stress, spend a few minutes grounding yourself.
- Pray.
- Read something uplifting.
- Journal.
- Stretch.
- Step outside.
- Take a few deep breaths.
No one else controls how you begin your day. That choice belongs to you.
10. Build a Daily Spiritual Hygiene Practice
Just like bathing your body, your spirit benefits from regular care.
Develop simple daily habits that keep you grounded. Pray. Meditate. Journal. Read scripture or other meaningful texts. Spend time in nature. Cleanse yourself and your home regularly.
Consistency is more powerful than intensity.
A strong spiritual foundation is built one day at a time.
Bonus: Create Your "Evidence List"
One of the biggest reasons people begin to feel overwhelmed is because they spend more time remembering their failures than their victories.
Start keeping an Evidence List.
Write down every good thing you've ever done, every obstacle you've overcome, every compliment you've received, every goal you've accomplished, every challenge you've survived, and every moment that reminded you of your strength.
Don't stop at adulthood. Go back to elementary school if you have to.
- Did a teacher tell you that you were kind?
- Did someone tell you that you were a great artist?
- Did you make the honor roll?
- Graduate from school?
- Raise your children?
- Start a business?
- Help someone through a difficult time?
- Overcome an addiction?
- Learn a new skill?
Write it all down.
When life feels heavy, your mind naturally looks for evidence that you're failing. This list reminds you of something equally true: you've overcome difficult seasons before, you've accomplished meaningful things, and you've been making progress your entire life.
Instead of allowing your mind to replay only your struggles, give it evidence of your resilience, your growth, and your victories.
Your life is more than your hardest moments. Sometimes you simply need a reminder of everything you've already survived.
How to Recognize Positive Energy
Just as negative energy has signs, so does positive energy. Many people spend so much time looking for what's wrong that they forget to notice when things are actually going right.
Positive energy isn't the absence of challenges. It's your ability to move through those challenges without losing yourself.
When your energy is balanced, you may notice that you wake up with a greater sense of peace, even if life isn't perfect. Your home feels lighter. You're able to think more clearly, make better decisions, and recover more quickly from stressful situations. You may find yourself laughing more, sleeping better, feeling inspired, or simply enjoying the small moments of everyday life.
Positive energy also shows up in your relationships. You naturally attract healthier conversations, feel more comfortable setting boundaries, and spend less time trying to convince people of your worth. You begin trusting yourself more. Your intuition becomes easier to recognize because it isn't constantly competing with fear, self doubt, or emotional chaos.
You may also notice that opportunities begin appearing more naturally. New ideas come easier. The right people seem to cross your path. Problems that once felt overwhelming become manageable because you've strengthened your ability to respond rather than simply react.
This doesn't mean life suddenly becomes perfect. Storms still come. Difficult people still exist. Unexpected challenges will always be part of life. The difference is that you've built a stronger foundation. Just like a well maintained home can withstand the weather, a well maintained spirit can withstand life's seasons without falling apart.
That's why I teach spiritual hygiene instead of fear. The goal isn't to spend your life worrying about who's sending negative energy your way. The goal is to become so grounded, disciplined, and spiritually healthy that your peace is no longer easily disturbed.
When you consistently care for your mind, body, home, relationships, and spirit, you'll begin noticing something beautiful.
You don't spend as much time chasing positive energy.
You become someone who naturally cultivates it.
Final Thoughts
Spiritual cleansing isn't about living in fear or assuming every challenge is caused by negative energy. It's about creating consistent habits that help you stay grounded, aware, and aligned.
Start with the basics. Clean your home. Clean your mind. Care for your body. Pray, reflect, and build a daily spiritual hygiene practice. Over time, these small, intentional actions create a strong foundation that allows you to navigate life with greater peace and confidence.
If you've consistently practiced these foundational techniques and still feel like something deeper may be affecting you, it may be helpful to seek additional guidance through a tarot reading or another form of divination. Divination can help bring clarity to patterns, influences, or circumstances that may not be immediately obvious and can provide direction for your next steps. Remember, however, that a reading should complement your own spiritual practice, not replace it.
If you're just beginning your spiritual journey, I invite you to download my Beginner's Roadmap to Spirituality, a guide designed to help you build a healthy spiritual foundation. If you're ready to go deeper, explore my Five Pillars to Spiritual Hygiene, educational resources, and handcrafted spiritual products at TheLisaKidd.com. My goal isn't simply to give you answers. It's to give you the tools to better understand yourself, strengthen your practice, and become your own greatest resource.