How Emotional Freedom Technique Can Give You Stress Relief

Emotional Freedom Technique, aka Tapping, is something that can be used to regulate emotions and reduce anxiety. I have found EFT to be a great tool to have in my anti-anxiety toolbox. One time, I went to a Renaissance festival. It was crowded and I got overwhelmed (I sometimes have social anxiety especially in large crowds). I performed the tapping routine at least seven times that day to self-soothe. It worked every time.

Now, I try to do it daily as a way to strengthen my resilience to stress and improve the health of my Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS). I am a certified practitioner of EFT and have taught many clients how to use it. I teach it a little differently than it is done in this video, but basically both methodologies demonstrate how you can utilize acupressure points on the face, neck and hands to stimulate your PSNS.

The way I learned to do tapping does not include thinking of a specific issue that’s bothering you and I do not require that you place an intention into your tapping. Some people find this to be helpful. I do not think it’s necessary, but if you wish to try it, feel free to make the practice your own. Once you get good at, you should try to do it daily. I recommend after brushing your teeth as part of your morning routine. Think of it as going to the gym for your Parasympathetic Nervous System.

Some people do not find that they are sensitized to the points immediately. That’s okay. Try to be patient and give it a few times to take root.

So, how do I do it?

A caveat before we begin – I suggest you start by using your dominant hand to tap on your non-dominant hand. I am left-handed so, naturally, I use my left hand to tap. If you’re right-handed, it’s preferable to use your right hand. However, the important thing is that you hit the right points regardless of which hand you use. Do what feels most comfortable to you. Tap each point for about thirty seconds. Wanna now how to do it, okay – let’s go.

1. Karate chop the mid-point outside of your non-dominant hand where the pinky lies between the tip of the pinky and the wrist.
2. Tap your crown chakra. This is located at the crown of your head (up top, above your hair line.)
3. Tap your third eye which lies between your eyebrows near your forehead.
4. Move your finger (preferably the pointer finger) to your outside of your eyebrow. Tap there.
5. Place your finger underneath your eye in the center just below it. If you feel around, you can detect a little nodule. It’s very tiny, but once you find it and tap – you’ll know it’s the right spot.
6. Find the divot underneath your nose and above your lip. This point can be helpful to tap when you don’t have time to do the whole routine. I find it to be one of the most sensitive points of the lot.
7. Move your finger to the base of your chin and tap there.
8. Take both hands and use the pointer finger and the middle finger on each side of our collarbone where it meets the neck. This is supposed to stimulate the lymphatic system and is very soothing.
9. Take your non-dominant hand and place it under your armpit. For women, this is where your bra line is. Men, it’s around the side of the pectoral muscle.
10. Place your finger and tap it on each of the insides of your fingers.
11. Finally, tap the gamut point. What is the gamut point? It’s located between the pinky and ring fingers, where the webbing of our hands resides. If you feel between the fingers, you can find a little nodule similar to the one under your eye. Press firmly but not too firmly. EFT should make you feel good.

When complete, you can move on with your day, hopefully feeling less anxious and more emotionally regulated. I find that Emotional Freedom Technique can be a great way to release tension and stress. If you’d like me to teach you the routine, I’d be more than happy to do so. Book a session with me today. I’d love to hear from you.