i think i operate on the premise that people need space. when i find myself in crowds, i pick up on the amount of energy present, and it makes my energy level higher. sometimes, afterwards, i feel anxious, still pulsing with energy i picked up hours earlier. i tend to need space to ground that energy, especially after a particularly intense experience.

and if i don't get the space i need, i get irritable & take it out on my family. not nice, i know, but real. i need to work on three tools- grounding more effectively in the presence of others, taking the space to ground, when that is what is necessary, and recognizing the need to ground when the energy is rushing too quickly.

otherwise, this energy (which i tend to interpret somatically as fear) can fly out of me like lightning from a cloud, & hopefully can i avoid setting any trees on fire.

not all people need space to ground, though. and those that don't sometimes misinterpret those who do.