Ever feel stressed and overwhelmed that you want to scream, pull your hair out, or rifle through a bag of potato chips? Me too, but trust me, there’s a healthier way and you’ll feel better, not worse.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a gentle energy technique with lasting effects that quickly distracts you from those anxious feelings towards relief and calm.
EFT, aka “Tapping,” effectively treats issues like anxiety, weight control, chronic pain, phobias, addiction, and PTSD.
What is EFT?
EFT combines the principles of ancient Chinese acupuncture, conventional psychology, and cognitive/exposure therapy. A self-administered treatment using the fingertips on specific meridian endpoints of the body, while focusing on negative emotions or physical sensations.
The vibrating energy produced with tapping helps calm the nervous system, rewire the brain, and restore the body’s balance of energy.
How Tapping Works
Our body is made up of layers of vibrating energy connecting our cells, organs, and tissues. When we experience negative emotions, they can become trapped and stored in the body and inbalances can occur.
When we feel anxious about our circumstances, it often has more to do with what we have going on under the surface (our subconscious mind) than the situation at hand. When overwhelmed with stress, our bodies react as if we’re in danger. The fight or flight response kicks in, stress response chemicals are released into our bloodstream to prepare us to fight or flee.
The brain’s limbic system is involved in both processing emotion and memory. This system encodes negative experiences with an emotional charge, a psychological “red tag” to alert us to be aware. Our attention heightens whenever our subconscious mind senses this “red tag” to warn of potential danger.
For example, a child gets bitten by a neighborhood dog and suffers pain and fear from the incident. The child’s system encodes a “red tag” of the event. Fast forward 40 years, the adult instantly feels a surge of emotional intensity or experiences pain within the body when a large dog is present. The adult forgot the childhood trauma, but the body still reacts accordingly.
The same goes for many situations in our lives. We may not recall having any trauma, but our brain may perceive conditions as threatening and do their thing for our safety. So, when the boss is rude or your girlfriend is in a mood, the subconscious detects danger, and stress hormones surge throughout the body.
By tapping on meridian endpoints, the stimulation sends a signal to the subconscious mind that it’s safe — the brain shifts from a distressed state to a calm state. The body produces feel-good chemicals and quickly stops the brain from reinforcing troubling thoughts.
EFT can be as easy as tapping on one meridian endpoint for quick calming relief to a more extended session with a trained practitioner for more complex issues like addiction or PTSD.
“Stress involves your whole body, from your heart rate to your breathing to your blood pressure to your degree of muscle tension. Your body, brain, and emotions function as a whole. When you feel an emotional response, your body translates this into physical changes in circulation, respiration, digestion, and every other organ system. A reduction in the emotional intensity indicates that stress level is going down. “
How to Tap:
The meridians mirror each side of the body and correspond to an internal organ.
- karate chop: small intestine meridian
- eyebrow: bladder meridian
- side of the eye: gallbladder meridian
- under the eye: stomach meridian
- under the nose: governing vessel
- chin: central vessel
- beginning of the collarbone: kidney meridian
- under the arm: spleen meridian
EFT Extended Sequence
Start with the tip of your index and middle fingers to rhythmically tap the side of the hand point while saying the "setup statement" aloud (speaking out loud will help with focus):
"Even though I have this problem [insert your particular problem, such as arthritis pain, stress from a deadline, or anxiety], I accept myself." Repeat three times while tapping.
Tap briefly on each of the other points in the order they are listed above while you state how you feel, as if you're venting to a friend. It doesn't matter what side of the body you tap or what you say. Once you've tapped on each of the points, take a deep breath to complete round one. Continue for as long as you'd like, or until you feel better.
Check out the video demonstration below from Jessica of the Tapping Solution for more detail.
The speed with which EFT can drain the emotional intensity of even long-held memories is quite startling to people who have not witnessed it before. There are hundreds of stories in the EFT archive. (www.EFTUniversde.com)
EFT Quick Sequence
This sequence can move your mind and body out of a state of distress in seconds. It may not have a long lasting effect but will quickly ease discomfort in a snap. I use this throughout the day to stay calm in stressful situations. Works excellent in traffic, before a meeting, or anytime I feel overwhelmed with emotion.
Choose one or two meridian points. I prefer the karate chop since it's connected to the small intestine and it feels the best energetically. I can feel the vibration throughout my body. Tap while repeating the set up statement in your mind, “I'm so upset because......, I deeply love and accept myself” and then breathe deeply. " Repeat as needed.
There are many free sources online to learn to tap. My favorite sites are EFT Universe and Tapping Solutions: each has a wealth of information, videos, and testimonials for self-healing.
Tried tapping yet? I’d love to hear from you!