Tapping Away Anxiety: How EFT Can Transform Your Emotional Wellbeing

Discover the Power of Emotional Freedom Technique to reduce stress and overcome fears

Tapping Away Anxiety with EFT

Anxiety is a natural response to stress or perceived danger, characterised by feelings of worry, fear, or unease. Everyday situations like work, school, social interactions, or personal challenges can trigger these feelings. While experiencing some level of anxiety is normal and can be beneficial in certain situations, it can often become overwhelming and disruptive, affecting daily life by hindering focus, productivity, and overall well-being. If you’ve experienced anxiety before, you’re not alone—millions worldwide face it every day. Anxiety is among the most common mental health conditions today, driven by various factors like modern stress and societal pressures. Common symptoms of anxiety include excessive worry, restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and physical sensations like a racing heart or shortness of breath.

What is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)?

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or "tapping", is a therapeutic method developed by Gary Craig in the 90s. It combines traditional Chinese acupressure with modern psychology. The process involves gently tapping on specific meridian points while focusing on negative emotions or physical discomforts. This technique aims to release blocked energy, reduce stress, and restore emotional balance.

EFT operates on the idea that negative emotions are linked to disruptions in the body's energy system. By tapping these meridian points, EFT seeks to clear these disruptions and rewire the brain’s response to stress. Scientifically, it is thought to lower cortisol levels (the hormone associated with stress) and calm the amygdala, the brain’s emotional centre.

How EFT Helps Alleviate Anxiety:

When experiencing anxiety, tapping on specific points while voicing your feelings and accepting them can help reduce the emotional intensity. This technique combines physical acupressure stimulation with cognitive restructuring. EFT regulates the body’s stress response, reducing cortisol levels and soothing the amygdala. This allows individuals to feel more in control, balanced, and calm.

Compared to traditional treatments like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) or medication, EFT offers a hands-on, self-applied approach with minimal side effects. Studies suggest that it can yield faster results for some individuals by addressing both the physical and emotional components of anxiety.

Specific EFT Tapping Points:

Karate Chop Point:  The side of your hand (below your pinky).
Eyebrow or Third Eye: The beginning of the eyebrow, near the bridge of the nose.
Side of the Eye: On the bone beside the outer corner of your eye.
Under the Eye: On the bone directly under your eye.
Under the Nose: The area between your nose and upper lip.
Chin:  The midpoint between your bottom lip and chin.
Collarbone: Just below the hard ridge of your collarbone.
Under the Arm: About four inches below the armpit.
Top of the Head:  The centre point on the top of your head.

How to Set Up an Effective EFT Tapping Statement:

An effective EFT setup statement acknowledges the problem while offering self-acceptance. The formula is: "Even though I [describe the issue], I deeply and completely accept myself.” For example, “Even though I feel overwhelmed and anxious about work, I deeply and completely accept myself.” or “Even though I am afraid of public speaking, I choose to accept and love myself anyway.”

EFT for Specific Anxiety Types

Social Anxiety: EFT helps individuals manage the fear of judgment or embarrassment by reducing the emotional intensity connected to social situations. It can alleviate symptoms like sweating, trembling, or racing thoughts while helping to rewire negative beliefs and boost confidence.

Panic Attacks:  During a panic attack, individuals often experience overwhelming physical sensations like shortness of breath, chest tightness, and intense fear. EFT can calm the nervous system and reduce the body's fight-or-flight response, quickly lowering cortisol levels and grounding individuals.

Specific Phobias: EFT is effective in addressing irrational fears and phobias, such as fear of flying, heights, or spiders. It works by tapping while focusing on the fear or visualising the phobic stimulus, releasing negative associations, and desensitising the person to the trigger.

EFT for Children: A Gentle Approach

EFT is a fantastic tool for children due to its gentle, non-invasive nature. Children often respond well because it is playful, physical, and intuitive. It helps manage feelings like anxiety, fear, self-doubt, or nightmares by releasing pent-up emotions and calming their nervous system.

Why EFT is Effective with Kids

Children are naturally imaginative and open, making them receptive to EFT’s visualisations and self-acceptance statements. The technique empowers them to acknowledge and let go of difficult emotions, building resilience and emotional intelligence. Children can learn and practice EFT independently over time, after initially following the guidance of an EFT Practitioner or parent.

Fun Ideas for Teaching EFT to Kids

Tapping on a Bear:  Use a stuffed animal as a "Tapping Buddy" to help kids identify and learn the tapping points.
Storytelling Tapping:  Create stories where characters use tapping to overcome fears, like “Brave Billy taps to calm down before going on a big adventure!”
Tapping Songs:  Incorporate tapping points into a fun, repetitive song that kids can sing along to while tapping.

EFT for Teens: Building Emotional Resilience

Adolescence is a time of intense change, pressure, and self-discovery. EFT provides a practical way for teens to manage emotions, empowering them to navigate challenges more effectively.

Practical Ideas for Teens

Journaling with Tapping:  Teens can write down their thoughts in a journal and use EFT to tap on specific worries or phrases.
Solo or Peer Tapping:  Teens might prefer tapping alone for privacy or with a trusted friend to normalise emotions.
Goal-Oriented Tapping:  EFT can be framed as a tool for achieving goals like reducing test anxiety, building confidence, or managing peer pressure.

EFT and Traditional Therapy: A Holistic Approach

EFT complements traditional therapy by addressing both the emotional and physical aspects of anxiety. It can provide quicker relief and a more integrated healing approach while being safe to use alongside other treatments.