Does taking on the issues of others bring the same energy into our own lives?

It’s a combination of coincidence and confirmation bias. The human mind is susceptible to finding patterns where none exist.

Sometimes it can. It’s helpful to keep fully aware of appropriate boundaries, yours and theirs.

I try to listen to or help my friends but refuse to let their problems bring me to where they are at.If they are a soul-sucking pain in the ass then I cut them loose.;)

I don’t believe that listening to your friend’s troubles “made” this happen to you – sounds like you are being rather superstitious. However, be careful not to make your friend’s troubles your own by letting yourself empathize too much. You can put yourself through all the stress and emotional upheaval that she is feeling if you do that. Be a listening ear, but then go about your merry way.

Yeah, I don’t think so.

I suppose it could if you subconsciously started behaving the way your coworker did. That could draw out the negative behavior in the client. Often times, if you expect someone to behave a certain way, they do. It’s as much because of how you behave as it is how they behave. If you’re in a generally negative place in your life, the effect can be amplified, I would think. If you’re in a positive place, that might diminish the effect, but perhaps not altogether. So think about this: it could have been much worse.