Do you sometimes wish you had access to a free, simple, and proven method for stress reduction? Tapping, also known as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), could be just what you’re looking for.

EFT works with the same meridians of subtle electrical energy that acupuncture has used for thousands of years. But unlike acupuncture, EFT doesn’t use needles, which is good news for many of us. Instead, you use your fingers to tap on natural stress-reduction points on your body.

It might sound a bit strange at first, but people around the world have found relief from many different health problems by simply tapping on them. And considering that stress can contribute to conditions like heart disease, cancer, immune dysfunction and Type 2 diabetes, it’s in your best interest to do whatever you can to stop this potential killer.

How Can EFT Reduce Stress?

Your brain is naturally wired to detect threats in your environment and keep you safe from them. When you have a negative emotional reaction to an event, your brain will store this in your subconscious memory as a threatening type of event.

If a similar event happens again, it will trigger a stress response in your body that’s meant to alert you to potential danger. Then you can take evasive action to keep you safe.

For example, if you were bitten by a dog in the past, you might feel especially fearful when you see another dog later on.

EFT involves recalling a stressful event or emotionally-charged memory while tapping on certain stress-reducing points on your body. This activates specific energy meridians that help send a new message to your brain that the memory is not a threat.

It’s been shown that this process can effectively re-wire your conditioned response to that memory. Your memories will still remain, but the emotional charge and the resulting stress response will be gone.

Studies have found that EFT can help reduce anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and many other stress-related conditions.

What Is Tapping The Basic EFT Process

Step 1

Find what EFT calls the “Karate Chop” point on the side of your hand, which is mid-way between your little finger and your wrist. It doesn’t matter which hand you use.

Tap the spot firmly with the fingertips of your other hand while repeating this affirmation:

“Even though I have this                           , I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Fill in the blank with whatever is disturbing you at the time, and be as specific as possible. For example:

“Even though I have this anxiety about my job, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

“Even though I have these panic attacks, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Repeat the affirmation three times. It’s best to say the affirmation out loud, but saying it silently to yourself if you’re in public is also alright.

Step 2

This involves tapping a series of points on your body. Either side of your body is fine, and you can even switch sides during one tapping sequence. It won’t make a difference in your results.

Tapping with the tips of your index and middle fingers is recommended. And tap each point about seven times.

It’s important to keep the issue you’re working on in mind. The best way to do this is to repeat what EFT calls a Reminder Phrase while you’re tapping. What you used to fill in the blank in the initial affirmation phrase often works well. For example, repeat to yourself “anxiety about my job” or “panic attacks” as you tap each point on your body.

The points are shown below in the sequence you should tap on them. Start at the first point and work your way down to the last point.

 

1. Beginning of the Eyebrow

 

 

 

2. Side of the Eye

 

 

 

 

3. Under the Eye

 

 

 

 

4. Under the Nose

 

 

 

 

5. Chin

 

 

 

 

6. Beginning of the Collar Bone

 

 

 

 

 

7. Under the Arm

 

 

 

Test Your Results

How do you know if EFT is working for you? There’s an easy way to measure your results.

Before you start a tapping session, rate how intense your stress feels on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no stress and 10 feeling completely overwhelmed. Take note of this number either in your head or on a piece of paper.

After you’ve finished one round of tapping, rate your stress level again. Has it dropped? Or stayed the same?

If you still feel stressed, you may want to do some more tapping. This can be very beneficial, as long as you make a couple adjustments in how you word your initial affirmation and Reminder Phrase.

To ensure your subconscious mind knows you’re still working on the same issue, change your affirmation to:

“Even though I still have some of this                           , I deeply and completely accept myself.”

And your Reminder Phrase would change to, for example, “remaining anxiety about my job” or “remaining panic attacks.”

Otherwise, you can proceed the same as before and keep doing more rounds of tapping until you feel better. And if your issue comes back a few days or months later, try tapping on it again and see what happens.

Sources
The EFT Manual, by Gary Craig

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/what-is-tapping-and-how-can-it-reduce-stress.html

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