Fess up, I have used EFT tapping for stress as it was either give that a go or pull clumps of my hair out. As a Leo, despite having an abundance of the latter, I also have a low pain threshold. The other reason it was mighty useful was to extract my shoulders from my ear holes.
If you have situations where you too want to pull your hair out or get your shoulders back snug in their normal resting place, may I introduce you to the wonderful world of tapping.
WHAT IS EFT TAPPING?
Imagine stepping into a world where stress melts away like an ice cream on a hot sunny day. That’s the magic of tapping therapy, also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Conceived in the 1990’s by Gary Craig, an avid student of Dr Roger Callahan, who was the founder of Thought Field Therapy (TFT).
Stripping back the complexities and prescriptive nature of TFT, Craig introduced EFT.
Like cousins from the same energy-healing family tree, TFT and EFT are based on acupuncture meridian points and blocked energy. However, Craig’s EFT technique proposed a standardised sequence of tapping for all emotional issues. Yay. Think of it as a roadmap to navigate your body. It’s easier to learn, no fancy pansy equipment required, and super accessible. Happy days.
Throw in some positive affirmation statements whilst you focus on what’s stressing you, packs a mighty KO punch on stress and those pesky emotions that keep you up at night.
DOES EFT TAPPING WORK OR IS IT ALL HYPE?
If tapping is now sounding woo-woo, check out the evidence-based scientific studies that have documented the difference it has made to well-being as you tap into your energy and neural pathways.
Studies have shown that by tapping on the meridian points of your body a calming signal is sent to the amygdala part of your brain. That’s in the fight or flight response chain. A calming effect occurs and the stress hormone, cortisol is also lowered. Oh yeah baby.
BENEFITS OF EFT TAPPING
Well, I would say that the first benefit that springs to mind is no hefty price tag. It’s also super easy to learn and can be practiced anywhere at anytime.
Another great advantage of tapping is that it can be done in as little as 5 – 10 minutes. No reason for the good ‘ole ‘I just don’t have the time’ excuse.
Aside from EFT tapping for stress, tapping has had very good results with other emotion triggers including, but not limited to anxiety, PTSD, sleep patterns and productivity.
All you need is a willingness to tap into your inner wisdom, go for it, and embrace the journey of self-exploration.
GETTING READY TO TAP
Are you sitting comfortably in a quiet zen zone? Then let’s begin.
Firstly, let’s address the stressor that’s been living in your mind rent-free. Be that work issue, relationship drama – family, friend, partner, or maybe it’s a never-ending to-do list? The plan of action is to acknowledge, embrace, and kick that stress into touch.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how stressed are you? 10, being you have just eaten the entire contents of your fridge.
Mentally make a note of that number before you begin.
Now for the magic. How you tap is up to you. Using 4 fingers or 2, it’s just a gentle tapping motion on the points listed below. You can tap with one hand or use both hands.
With each tap you’re not just touching the meridian points on your body, you are also sending calming signals to your brain. Oooh.
You also need a set up phrase. As we’re feeling stressy, for this it could be something along the lines of ‘Even though I’m feeling incredibly stressed because of x, I choose to relax and let it go.’
WHAT ARE THE EFT TAPPING POINTS?
The EFT tapping points are a sequence of 9 meridian points. The order can vary as can the number of rounds you do.
Okey dokey, here we go EFT tapping points:
1. The karate chop point: this point is located on the fleshy part of your hand between your pinky finger and wrist. Here you also start with your set up phrase. Say it out loud and proud or quietly in your head.
2. The eyebrow point: this point is at the beginning of your eyebrow, closest to the bridge of your nose.
3. The side of the eye point: this point is located on the bone at the outer corner of your eye.
4. Under the eye point: this point is directly below your pupil on the bone under your eye.
5. Under the nose point: this point is above your upper lip, in between your nose and mouth.
6. Chin point: this point is located in between your lower lip and chin, right in line with your bottom teeth.
7. Collarbone Point: this point is pretty self-explanatory – you’re tapping with two hands, one on each side
8. Under Arm: this point is around 4 inches/10 cm from your armpit, where your bra strap is.
9. Top of the head
Once you’ve completed your sequence cycle, check back in on your stress-0-meter. How’s that figure doing now? Has it gone down?
To see this sequence in action, check out this short vid by Nick Ortner. Whizz to 2:10 if you want to dive straight into a 5 min tapping session but the first couple of minutes are well worth a listen in my humble.
As the visionary CEO of The Tapping Solution, Nick and his co-founder siblings Jessica and Alex, are on a worldwide mission to empower people to lead healthy stress-free lives. Amen.
On the subject of stress-free, you might like to take a peek at 7 Quick Ways to Improve Wellbeing
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, having dipped my tippy toes in a couple of years back, I’m always first in line when it comes to an EFT tapping for stress sess. I hope that even if you’re a sceptic (hey the world needs those), you might carve out a few mins to give it a try. If so, how was it for you? Are you in a zen bliss? Do let us know in the comments!
