For me grocery shopping carries a double whammy. Not only do I face the general soup of psychic energies present everywhere outside the well-protected environs of my home, but also the overwhelming sensory overload of the modern supermarket. There have been many times over the years when I have barely managed to get the groceries into the house before collapsing on the sofa for 20 minutes before being able to muster enough energy to put them away. Or, I may have plenty of energy to put the groceries away and tidy up the kitchen but find myself agitated and irritable ready to jump down my poor husband’s throat when he gets home from work.
I don’t think that grocery stores are any more or less infested with psychic cooties (my general word for negative psychic energies of all kinds) than any other general public place like a post office or shopping mall. I just have more experience with grocery stores than other places. (Hospitals, bars, and cemeteries pose unique challenges that will be discussed in later posts.)
The two main energy challenges for me at the grocery store are other people’s emotional energies and norbs (non-ordinary reality beings). My primary psychic sense has always been empathy (though that seems to be changing). I read emotional energy as easily as most people read the newspaper and I’ve honed that skill over the years as an intuitive counselor. So, when I go out into the world I am buffeted by the emotions of the people around me. If I am mindful and well-protected when I go out these energies affect me very little. I may become aware of an individual’s emotions as an observer but am rarely personally affected by them. However, if I go out without warding (mindfully erecting and maintaining psychic protection) not only do I get easily overwhelmed by the emotions of others but I can even lose sight of the fact that the emotions I’m experiencing are someone else’s. This is very draining on many levels.
The issue of norbs is a bit more complex since there are several different kinds of non-ordinary reality beings that can cause problems. The first group of is made up of disembodied spirits. These are people who have left their bodies (died) but not left physical reality (not necessarily “ghosts”). They stick around for a wide variety of reasons but almost all of them are motivated by a desire to be acknowledged. They want to be seen and heard by and feel connected to the living. Their emotions can be very strong, which is a challenge for an empath. But, they also have the ability to attach themselves to the energy bodies of the living and feed off our core energies and emotions (when they do so I refer to them as attachments). The second group of norbs is made up of various non-ordinary reality creatures. I have learned that there are as many different kinds of these “invisible” creatures in the world as there are visible ones. Most of them live their own lives and mind their own business but there are also those who act as leeches. Like attachments, these critters hook in to our energy bodies in a variety of ways and feed off of our core energies and emotions.
The main sensory challenge for me outside my home is visual, although auditory stimulation can also be a problem. More than once I have found myself staring in a stupor for minutes at a time at the wide variety of things like toothbrushes on offer at the grocery store. Certainly part of what overwhelms me is the cognitive challenge of choosing the best toothbrush from the dozens available when I’m already tired and out of sorts from shopping. But, the overwhelming array of colors, type, shapes, packaging, and displays is enough by itself to send me into a fugue state. I have commented to my husband more than once that I almost wish I had a pair of blinders to wear to the store to keep the amount of visual information reaching my eyes in check. Sound is generally less of a problem though having to enter the store at peak shopping times can sometimes feel like walking into a wall of sound. More problematic for me are intermittent sounds like alarms or loudspeaker announcements, which are jarring and adrenaline producing.
So, how do I deal with all this stimulation and intrusion? First I spend a few moments of mindful intention on my wards for psychic protection. Second, I work on everyday sorts of mindfulness:
- Write it down—Even if I only have a handful of items to pick up at the grocery store I don’t try to memorize a list; I write it down. With a written list I have a concrete plan to follow and I’m less likely to get distracted by the abundance of choices at the store.
- Plan the route—While I’m not rigid about it I do try to keep in mind the location of my preferred items in the store and shop for them in an orderly pattern. Working my way systematically from one end of the store to the other is much less tiring and irritating than having to crisscross several times to get everything I need. I’m also less likely to get distracted by things I don’t really need. I find this helps with around-town errands too.
- Plan the time—Whenever possible I shop at slow times at the store, early weekday afternoons and evenings after 7pm are usually good. With fewer shoppers not only is there less emotional energy to navigate, but the store staff is generally less hassled and in a better mood, both of which contribute to fewer psychic cooties. Fewer shoppers also means less cart dodging.
- Eat first—I always try to make sure that I’ve had a good meal soon before I go to the store even if I’m only “running in for a couple of things.” Not only does this help me from over-buying because I’m hungry, but it also helps me to stay mentally focused and avoid physical fatigue, which in turn helps me to avoid being vulnerable to psychic cooties.
- Be comfortable—I also always try to wear comfortable clothes when shopping. Tight shoes and binding waistbands can distract me from the mindfulness of my shopping plan and my warding. Being uncomfortable also makes me irritable, which can act as a red flag for cooties and bring them running to take advantage.
How about you? Do you have trouble with overstimulation or psychic intrusion?
Read more about it:
Psychic Protection: Creating Positive Energies For People And Places (book)
The Highly Sensitive Person (book)
The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide (book)
You sound a lot like me with all that planning and listing
I do all those things on your list, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t make lists. In fact, I tend to be obsessive about them, spend hours writing and re-writing them. I generally eat every two hours, so I take food with me.
Half the time, I honestly forget about the empathic thing before going out, the protection rituals I’ve read about, I dunno, I don’t do them, because they don’t seem effective…or maybe I just don’t believe they will be. I wish I could find that “magic” ritual for me. I like simple
So if it’s all elaborate, like making some long, drawn out declaration with a lot of visualizing, I just won’t take the time to do that. More than anything, I need to remember before walking out that door that I need to do SOMETHING to “shield” myself.
But I tend to forget how much people can affect me when I’m “out there.” All I think about when shopping is, get in and get out QUICK. I don’t think about the “why,” I just know I loathe being “out there.” I start to freak when I find myself in a big crowd of people. Come hell or high water, I invariably have an anxiety attack after my shopping/errand day. I so wish I was able to make that not happen.
That toothbrush thing sounds like me too
Geez. Today. I was at Wal-mart, and I started to panic because they were getting busy. Then at one point I was looking at some stuff I totally didn’t need (and I’m really not an impulsive buyer), just some goofy little office trinkets. Heart-shaped paper clips that I thought were so cute, lol I defiantly thought, I want those and tossed ‘em my basket. Then I saw another similar item, and stood there looking at it for the longest time. Finally put it in my basket. Then picked up the heart-shaped paper clips, “do I really need these?” Put ‘em back on the shelf. Started to go. Then put the other item back too, LOL On and on — total waste of time. I think it was a nervous distraction from all the people. But I was proud of myself for putting the items back 
And yeah noise, I can’t endure much noise around me. Okay none
It makes me crazy when people are chattering outside my apartment door, even the slightest amount. Without question, I’d lose my frickin’ mind if I had to be around children for any length of time. I totally don’t see how people do it, some even seem to like all that noise children make, lol I don’t get it 
Oh, here’s a thought
Wouldn’t it be awesome if there were stores that were just for HSPs, haha! Simple design, minimalist decor, soft lighting, no children allowed, and quiet like a library 
Dove
the store is INTENSE! just yesterday i was filled with such anxiety as i mingled with the thanksgiving shoppers that i was tempted to just LEAVE.
thanks for the helpful suggestions! psychic folk tend to spend a certain amount of energy coping with day to day situations. it’s no joke!
we can make it easier with forethought and self-care.
happy thanksgiving and may your shopping be PEACEFUL!
j
Doing simple chakra balancing, grounding and shielding exercises before entering the store can you help support and maintain your energies. You can do them at home before going to the store or even driving in the car. The main thing is to protect yourself.
In most large stores, negative energies accumulate around the checkout stands, especially where people stand in line. After I started shielding myself before shopping, I realized why I’d so carefully avoided contact with the area in front of the checkstands before-they were energy sinks. In the past I’d enter most aisles from the back side and go down them to get what I needed, then all the way up and around again to get something that was 15 feet away on the other side, rather than go around the corner at the front. Now I know that I did so to avoid having my energy drained near the checkstands. After I started grounding and shielding myself in stores, I was able to walk through that area without being negatively affected.
Think about the kinds of energy that typically accumulate just in front of the checkstands, and it’s mostly negative energy. No wonder time spent in that area of a store is so terribly draining. I suspect that one reason people enjoy brand new stores so much is that those spaces haven’t had a chance to accumulate negative energies. And if businesses understood psychic hygiene, they’d make smudging as routine as window-washing.