Whenever you feel you are in "enemy territory", you are allowed to walk away. Many of us find this dificult to do. We are afraid of being thought of as impolite; we do not want to offend people. But there are plenty of ways to remove yourself from a killing field. When leaving is not an option, you can maintain your energy level by making a few minor adjustments.
One of the first things to do is to recognize when you are being attacked, and that begins with tuning in to your physical reactions. Is there a tightening in your chest when a certain person enters the conversation? Do you feel tired when you hang up the phone after speaking with someone? Does your head ache, or do you feel what I call degraded when someone in the office starts talking to you?
The moment you feel zapped—or attacked, or stressed out take a deep breath. Breathing is a powerful way to center yourself. Simply follow the breath and tell yourself that you know what is happening and you can deal with it. Remember your individual power. The minute somebody comes in who is bossy or blaming, we feel diminished and tense up. If we can focus on the breath, or on an image of a striking sunset or a view from a mountaintop, the tension will drift away.
Use some of your subtle energy to counter the effects of an enemy attack. Visualize a protective white light around you: an energy shield. You will hear the person who is yelling at you or blaming you or pushing herself into your sphere, but she will no longer be able to cut into you so viscerally. You have created a buffer zone, where her negative influences can dissipate.
Set boundaries to protect yourself. Draw a line saying, for instance, “This is what I can do for you, and this is what I can not.” You do not need to explain the rightness of your stance. Getting defensive simply adds to the negative charge of the encounter. You want to remain neutral. When someone starts pushing your buttons, and you start sizzling inside, you must make the decision not to react.
Realize that these "enemies" are, in fact, your teachers. Realize that the law of attraction is operating and we attract what we have not yet worked out in ourselves. If you a very angry person, you will find yourself surrounded by angry people, for example. Pay attention to the people who seem so antagonizing and draining, you might discover something you need to address, within yourself. It has been my experience that when you have worked through a particular issue, you are no longer worn out by that kind of antogonist. And the enemies, robbed of a source, move on to more easily drainable targets.
Become their teacher, by drowning them in an ocean of love.... a situation, for which they have no defense!
