After writing about disillusionment, this feels like the natural next step. Because once you start seeing things more clearly, you also start feeling things more clearly. And for me, that’s where energy comes in.
It’s one of those things I used to brush off a bit, if I’m honest. It sounded a little too vague, a little too “out there”. But over time, I began to notice it more and more. The way certain places made me feel. The way some people left me feeling lifted and light, while others left me completely drained without really knowing why. And once you notice it, you can’t really un-notice it.
There’s a department store in Lisbon that I’ve mentioned before — every time I go in there, I feel physically off. Not just a bit uncomfortable, but properly unsettled. It took me a long time to realise it wasn’t anything obvious like noise or crowds… it was the energy of the place itself. And since recognising that, I’ve trusted that feeling rather than trying to ignore it.
The same goes for people. There have been moments — especially in recent years — where I’ve come away from conversations or situations feeling heavy, tense, or just not quite myself. And I think that ties in so closely with disillusionment. When you start seeing people more clearly, you also start feeling their energy more clearly too.
For a long time, I think I ignored that. I overrode it. I told myself I was being too sensitive, or reading too much into things. But now, I see it differently. That sensitivity isn’t a weakness… it’s information. Because energy speaks before words do.
It’s interesting how this idea of energy shows up in books and films too. Practical Magic leans into that intuitive, almost unspoken understanding of energy between people and places, while books like The Power of Now remind us just how much our internal state shapes how we experience the world around us.
You can feel when something is off, even if everything on the surface looks fine. And equally, you can feel when something is right — when you’re in the right place, with the right people, doing something that genuinely lights you up.
I’ve also learned that protecting your energy isn’t selfish. It’s necessary. That might mean spending more time alone when you need to recharge, saying no to things that don’t feel right, or gently stepping back from situations that leave you feeling drained. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. It’s often just small, quiet choices.
Choosing what you give your time to.
Choosing who you share your energy with.
Choosing environments that feel good rather than forcing yourself to fit into ones that don’t.
And I think this becomes even more important in midlife. We don’t have the same tolerance for things that feel off anymore. We don’t want to push through discomfort just for the sake of it. We start craving ease, calm, and a sense of alignment in a way we perhaps didn’t before.
That doesn’t mean life is always peaceful or perfectly balanced — of course it isn’t. But it does mean we become more aware of what supports us and what drains us. And that awareness alone can change everything.
Because once you start honouring your energy, even in small ways, life begins to feel a little lighter. A little more manageable. A little more yours.
This is something I explore quite deeply in my book too — that idea of tuning into your own energy and letting it guide you, rather than constantly looking outside yourself for answers. If that resonates, you can find it on Amazon but if you google The Enchanted Midlife by Suzy Turner, you will also find it on numerous other online bookstores.
