“In a world full of darkness, be the light.”

A few months ago I wrote about ways to raise your vibration, which is the frequency of your energy. The higher your vibration, the better your mind, body, and spirit will feel. A high vibration will result in a happier life, more peace, clarity, joy, and love.

When your vibration is high, it’s much easier to manifest the life you want and take control of your destiny.

But what if you’re lowering your vibration without even knowing it? The lower your vibration is, the less connected you are to your higher self. This results in negativity, selfishness, poor health, anxiety, and many other unfavorable factors. As I look back at my own past experiences, I realize how many things I once thought were fun and harmless were actually lowering my energy, hurting my health, and making me miserable.  A low vibration is also damaging to your immune system, causing anxiety, depression, pain, illness, and disease.

Addictions

Instead of relieving our stress, addictions actually lower our vibration and block our connection to our higher selves. For a moment, these addictions give us a synthetic sense of being in the present moment, when in reality, they’re pushing us further away from consciousness.  Pharmaceuticals, alcohol, shopping, sex, and gambling are all examples of common addictions that give us fake or temporary highs.

For example, alcohol is called a “spirit” for a reason- it numbs our psychic senses and often turns us to the dark side. Rooted from the Arabic “al-kuhl,” meaning “body eating spirit,” alcohol can do much more bad than good. I started and stopped time and time again over a six year period, only to realize life is much better with a clear mind (not to mention body and spirit!). Sure, it can be extremely uncomfortable to experience all of your emotions, but with a strong spiritual foundation, these feelings are much easier to handle.

Electronics and Media

We can’t deny that we’re all reliant on our phones. Now, add laptops, iPads, Kindles, and television to the mix- how often are we completely tech-free? Although these devices have become a part of our everyday lives, they can be extremely damaging to our sleep cycles, mental health, eyes, and muscles. The energy of prolonged electronic use can not be healthy to our bodies, yet the effects of the content we’re consuming is an entirely different story.

The media is flooded with tragedy, fear mongering, negativity, and materialism- yet it’s prominent in our society. When did our culture, as a whole, forget the beauty of walking in nature, reading a physical book, or working on a craft? For me, it’s important to have a healthy balance. I suggest going a day or two without the media to see how you feel.

Speaking of media, take a look at this great article about why “fake news” should be banned from our vocabulary (don’t get me started on the president).

Junk Food and Processed Foods

It can be a challenge to avoid quick meals during our busy lives. While living in New York I often forgot to eat, so I’d pick up a piece of pizza, hot dog, or pretzel at a street stand. Oh, and who doesn’t love street meat?! Delicious, sure- but definitely not supportive to my health or energy level. I’m still very guilty of this, but I’ve been trying to plan better, buy healthy snacks, and eat meals consisting of mostly veggies.

Have you noticed how much better you feel when your diet is rich with fruits and vegetables? Eating raw or vegan is a wonderful way to increase your health and your vibration, but it’s not for everyone. As much as you can avoid junk and processed foods, the better off you will be.

Materialism

When we look at physical things to satisfy us, we’re disconnecting from the spiritual world. Sure, this works for many people- but when is enough enough? A wise man once said, “mo money, mo problems,” and he was right. Cutting back on “things” has made me so much happier, less stressed, and more content with what I do have. Today, I look to spirituality, not spending, when I am feeling lost.

I have written a lot about my experience with completely changing my life back in 2016 when I left New York City. From fashion blogger to frugal, I had no idea that it would be the start of one of my greatest passions- minimalism. Although I had more clothes than I could account for, a big paycheck, and a fancy zip code, I was constantly depressed. I thought a boyfriend, a job, a new handbag, or a drink would fix things- but they never did.

I had to find my higher self first.