Though positive vibes or "good vibes" are all the rage these days, vibrations are much more than just a trend. The concept of vibrational energy actually comes from science (physics, specifically), with research on it dating all the way back to Einstein’s time. Einstein himself famously remarked, “Everything in life is vibration.” 

If you’re still dubious, think about the way that sometimes, you can immediately pick up on whether someone’s in a bad mood. Or perhaps you can remember a time you met someone and just knew you wanted to be friends with them. 

However you frame those situations, the underlying concept is fundamentally the same as that of “vibes”—people with bad ones drive others away, and people with good energy bring people closer. 

Ideally, your vibrational energy is positive, uplifted, and motivating—but most of us are all too familiar with the way that heavier energy feels and the drag it can be on our daily lives. That’s why learning about the types of vibrations that are out there, as well as how to raise your own vibration energy, can help you across all areas of your life. 

While this list is not comprehensive, it should give you a good starting point as you learn to raise your own vibration and recognize the different types of energy that affect your life. 

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What Is Vibrational Energy?

Basically, everything in the world is comprised of vibrational energy. Molecules are held together because of the push-pull dance between differently-charged ions—in other words, the different vibrations attract, or repel, atoms toward or away from each other.

Even when something appears to be static, or not moving, it’s actually in motion—in vibration, if you will. When two or more people (or objects) encounter each other, their vibrations interact with each other in interesting ways and will often gravitate toward the same frequency, a phenomenon known as “sync.”

Another way to look at this is that everything is a field. In the same way that magnets exhibit a force field, people and objects do, too. 

No matter which perspective makes sense to you, it’s important to note that the interaction between vibrations—often called “syncing” or “resonance”—is what leads to consciousness. We are human beings that experience different types of energies: physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. We can have a different vibration for each level, depending on our own consciousness and our environments. 

Types of Vibes

Again, we all have different types of vibrations, or energies. We’ll walk through a handful of them here so you can start to build a framework for how vibrations work in your life. 

Note: Energies don’t exist in a silo; the different types of energies are related and affect each other accordingly. If you’re feeling low physically, this can be a drain on your mental energy as well, and vice versa. 

Physical Vibrations

Your physical energy is the amount of power you have in your body to make it through different activities. If you wake up and are already fatigued, it could be said that your physical vibe is low. 

Because your physical energy is what literally propels you throughout the day, you can see that it’s important to check in when things aren’t feeling right—or to note what healthy habits are supporting you when things are going great, so you can continue with them. 

Mental Vibrations

Your mental energy is what’s behind your cognitive work. If you have a demanding analytical job, for example, you’ll require a set amount of mental energy to be able to effectively do your job without burning out. 

Mental energy also supports you as you set goals, plan for the future, and find the motivation to work through challenges. 

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Spiritual Vibrations

Spiritual vibrations often bring along connotations of religion, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Being “spiritual” means something different to everyone. The easiest way to think of it is to ask yourself: What makes me feel connected to myself and something bigger? 

For some people, that is indeed joining a church community. For others, it might be making uninterrupted time to be in nature. No matter how you nourish your spiritual vibrations and discover those positive vibes, doing so can lead to more feelings of hope and resilience throughout your life. 

Emotional Vibrations

Your emotional vibe correlates with the way you feel about your life overall. A downtick in your emotional energy is a signal to you that at least one area of your life requires a closer look to see if something is askew. 

Managing your emotional energy typically also requires you to get to know your feelings more and learn how to sit with challenging emotions without reacting. 

How to Raise Your Vibration

Of course, most of us want to be mostly experiencing positive vibes, no matter what type of energy we’re talking about!

Here are a few suggested ways to raise your vibrations:

  • Clear your physical space. Whether you light a scented candle or just open up the windows, try to freshen up your environment. 
  • Journal. Just get everything on the page and out of your head. You may be surprised at how light you feel afterward. 
  • Take steps to address sources of negative energy in your life. Whether it’s limiting interactions with people who bring you down or looking for a new job to exit a toxic work environment, you may feel better just by starting the process to make a change. 
  • Try new things. While you may already know what makes you feel good (hint: sometimes the things we loved in childhood are a good reference point!), you also may not—and that’s okay! Sign up for new activities or attend a class or event you wouldn’t normally; you might stumble upon something you really enjoy. 
  • Practice self-love, self-acceptance, and self-compassion. Really loving and accepting yourself and being gentle through different situations can have a profound positive impact on your vibe. 
  • Take care of your body. Remember how we talked about physical energy and the way it’s intertwined with other forms of vibrations? Make time for movement that feels good for you, eat foods that nourish you from the inside out, and check in with your body regularly. 
  • Try mindfulness or meditation. Being mindful can help you notice joyful things around you, which is an instant vibration-raiser! On the other hand, meditation can help you detach a bit more from negative thought patterns or feelings. Here are a few meditations to try: one for pain, one for loving-kindness, and a transcendental meditation.
  • Find a community. Your support system can definitely impact your energy, so try to seek out people that you enjoy being around and who make you happy. 
  • Volunteer. Giving back to the community can raise your mood and connect you to others, which is always a bonus. 
  • Consider your inputs. The podcasts, music, and TV shows you listen to make a difference. For example, you can sometimes lift your mood by tuning into a lighthearted standup special. If you only listen to true crime or things that are on the heavier emotional side, consider switching it up a little. 

Perform Regular Vibe Checks to Stay in Tune 

Now that you understand more about the different types of vibrations and ways that you can raise your energy overall, hopefully you’ve started to see ways you can become more balanced in your life. Taking care of yourself and discovering those positive vibes and what works for you is a lifelong process, and experimenting and learning along the way is all a part of the journey!

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Written By

Nikki Carter

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