How to Do EFT Tapping To Relieve Stress And Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are unfortunately very common these days, and numerous people seek the most powerful way to relax and reduce the tension they feel on a daily basis.

Apparently, EFT tapping is one of the most efficient ways to soothe the anxious mind and get rid of the intrusive and persistent thoughts.

This method was developed in 1980 by psychologist Roger Callahan and his patient, Mary, who had a severe phobia of water. Her fear of water controlled every single aspect of her life, and she was anxious when it rained, and could not even look at water.

The two worked on treating her phobia for a year without any effects, but as Dr. Callahan had been studying Chinese medicines and learning about meridian points, he got the idea to try tapping. He instructed his patient to tap on her cheekbone, which is the location of the stomach meridian, as her phobia caused her stomach pain.

When Mary tried, her stomach pain miraculous disappeared. Therefore, Dr. Callahan further investigated the effects of the technique and coined the name Thought Field Therapy.

Yet, Gary Craig, the founder of EFT, trained under Dr. Callahan, but found certain issues linked to it. He found that at times, tapping resulted in a problem being incorrectly diagnosed, and patients could tap the meridians in any order to find relief. The updated version he created was called EFT.

Emotional freedoms technique (EFT) is an alternative treatment in the energy psychology field, which successfully treats physical pain, mental health issues, and emotional problems. It is actually acupressure for the brain, as it eliminates negative energy and any emotional blocks from the energetic field.

Even though it is based on ancient medicine, this is a relatively new therapy. It centers around the idea of “chi,” or energy moving throughout the body, accessible by meridian points. Tapping actually removes any blockages on these “energy highways”.

This technique is believed to send signals to the brain parts that control stress and restore the balance to the energetic field.

Namely, any disruption of the body’s energy causes negative emotions, and diseases and physical pain are linked to them. Health issues have their feedback – physical symptoms lead to emotional distress, while unresolved emotional problems manifest themselves through physical symptoms.

Therefore, the body needs to be treated as a whole, and you cannot treat the symptoms without addressing their underlying cause, and vice-versa. The body is composed of energy, so all physical and emotional symptoms can be treated by restoring the balance in the energy, and tapping is actually based on this.

You will have to focus on the issue you intend to treat, stress, anxiety, fear, a bad memory, a problem, and so on, and start taping the meridian points found on your body, that are related to the areas linked to the problem you would like to get rid of.

You are fully concentrated to resolve the negative emotion and by tapping, you actually release the negative energy and restore the balance.

The ancient Chinese discovered 100 meridian points, whose stimulation heals all kinds of ailments and diseases. However, acupuncture practitioners memorize all hundreds of points along the body, and they take years and huge knowledge to finally master it.

Yet, everyone can learn tapping, and it is completely painless, and simple. Moreover, you can use its benefits whenever and wherever you like. It is less time consuming, free, and will give you the power to heal your health problems on your own, and you will definitely like that you regain control over your health.

Yet, remember to treat one issue at a time. Follow these steps:

  • Identify the problem that you want to treat by EFT tapping
  • Try to rate the intensity of the pain on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the least painful or difficult and 10 being the most.
  • You should think of a phrase that will address the issue and show compassion towards yourself.

A common phrase in EFT tapping is: “Even though I deal with [fear or problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.”

  • •The EFT tapping sequence involves tapping on 9 meridian points throughout the body, as follows:
  • karate chop (KC): small intestine meridian
  • top of the head (TH): governing vessel
  • eyebrow (EB): bladder meridian
  • side of the eye (SE): gallbladder meridian
  • under the eye (UE): stomach meridian
  • under the nose (UN): governing vessel
  • chin (Ch): central vessel
  • beginning of the collarbone (CB): kidney meridian
  • under the arm (UA): spleen meridian

You should tap on the karate chop point while reciting the phrase three times, either aloud or in your head. Then, move down the list, but skip the top of the head. Tap the other 7 points while repeating the phrase 3 times. The order of the points is not important, but it would be best to follow the suggested one. 

After tapping the under-the-spleen meridian point, end with the governing vessel meridian point. It would also be beneficial to have a reminder phrase that will remind you of the issue you like to treat. When you are done, rate the final intensity of the pain, and compare your results.

A 2013 study has found that this therapy is helpful in the treatment of PTSD, as it managed to reduce psychological stress levels in participants in only a month. A 2016 study also showed that it drastically reduces anxiety.

EFT has shown promise as a treatment of insomnia, physical pain, and depression as well, but the research is still in its infancy. You can consult your doctor about the most powerful therapy for your problem, whether to try EFT, meditation, yoga or some other method.