It can happen in a split second. Someone places their fears, scarcity, urgency, or beliefs onto you, and suddenly your energy feels off. It doesn’t feel like you anymore. That shift can be hard to name, but you can feel it in your body: a contraction, a tightness, a fog that wasn’t there five minutes ago. That’s projection. And sometimes, you’re the one doing it, even with the best of intentions.
This podcast explores both sides of projection, not to blame, but to bring awareness. To help you recognise when energy isn’t yours, to respond from clarity, and to stop projecting onto others, even when you think you’re helping. Especially then.
EPISODE 179: Listen using the player below, or click the links to your fave platform to subscribe and listen over there:
The moment you feel off, pause
Projection often shows up as a mismatch. Someone asks a question or makes a comment, and instead of clarity, you feel the ground shift beneath you. You were steady a moment ago, and now you’re questioning your rhythm, defending your rest, or trying to explain a choice you were at peace with just seconds earlier.
That dissonance is a sign.
For some, it feels like the chest tightens. For others, it’s a shrinking, a fog, or a desire to disappear. You don’t need to analyse it. Just notice it. Name it silently or aloud: “This isn’t mine.”
And when it feels safe, you can gently reflect what’s happening: “Hey, I notice we’re in different energies right now. I’m in a rest space today.” That’s not confrontation. It’s clarity. It’s a return to your truth, without defence.
You don’t need to manage someone else’s discomfort
If someone projects onto you, it’s not your job to absorb it, fix it, or stay in the conversation longer than your system can handle. You’re allowed to step back. You’re allowed to say, “Let’s talk another time.” You’re allowed to close the call.
This isn’t avoidance. It’s self-trust. It’s the wisdom of knowing when your presence is no longer helpful, to you or to them.
You can still be loving and honest. You can hold awareness without staying to manage their reaction. Especially when the projection is persistent, or when their tone demands urgency that doesn’t match your own. That’s not alignment. That’s pressure. And you don’t need to carry it.
Sometimes you’re the one projecting
It might be advice that wasn’t invited. A tone that doesn’t match the other person’s rhythm. A feeling that someone is doing it wrong simply because it’s different from what you would do.
These are signs you may be speaking from your own discomfort—not from connection.
Before offering anything, pause and ask:
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Am I responding to their energy or reacting to my own unease?
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Have I asked if they want support or just space?
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Am I leading with curiosity, or with assumption?
If the answer is unclear, slow down. Wait. Ask permission: “Would you like my thoughts on that, or would you prefer I just hold space?” That single question can shift the entire dynamic. It allows space instead of pressure. It builds trust instead of urgency.
You don’t have to agree to stay connected
It’s possible to be in relationship, business or personal, without matching rhythms or beliefs. What breaks the connection isn’t difference—it’s force. It’s one person needing the other to change, justify, or prove something they never signed up to defend.
Clear energetic boundaries allow you to stay open without taking on. That includes:
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Trusting your timing even when others question it
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Saying “that’s not mine” silently or aloud
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Leaving space for others to lead in ways that don’t mirror your own
You can hold love without agreement. You can stay grounded in your rhythm even when others don’t understand it. You don’t owe anyone your urgency, explanation, or energy just because they’re uncomfortable.
Final reflections
Projection doesn’t make you wrong, it makes you human. It’s something we all do. The work is in noticing. In pausing. In choosing how we respond, whether we’re on the giving or receiving end.
This isn’t about always getting it right. It’s about building awareness. About learning the language of your own energy so clearly that you know when something doesn’t belong. About offering others the same grace you’re learning to offer yourself.
You’re allowed to exit the loop. You’re allowed to hold your rhythm. You’re allowed to choose peace over performance. That’s not detachment—it’s deep energetic care.
Here for the links that may have been referenced in the show or is complementary to this episode.
- Podcast – Feeling Weird Around People
- Podcast – Energy Protection Without Fear Or Drama
- Podcast – The Subtle Art Of Energetic Detachment
More in-depth content and resources:
