Try this modern method with ancient origins to help keep anxiety at bay.
Have you ever felt physical symptoms of tension or worry? Maybe you’ve noticed your shoulders tighten, your hands tingle, or felt a heavy weight in your stomach? If so, you might like to try a little tapping.
Not to be confused with tap dancing – although that’s a fantastic activity, too – EFT tapping (EFT stands for emotional freedom technique) is a tool that can be used to help you feel calm at any time.
Whether you’re panicky before an exam or need to relax after a stressful encounter or frightening moment, tapping is soothing. It can even help you deal with phobias, making it easier to cope with heights or seeing a spider if you’re usually afraid of them.
RELEASE THE TENSION
If you’re ready to give tapping a try, follow this 10-step guide.
1 Find a quiet space. Tapping can be done anywhere, but it’s a good idea to pick a peaceful, distraction-free spot where you feel safe and relaxed and won’t be interrupted.
2 Close your eyes, turn your attention inwards, and focus on your breath going in and out. Do this for a few breaths.
3 Think of your day ahead. Is there anything that you’re feeling stressed about? Do you feel any tightness or uneasiness in your body when you think about this? Focus on that part of your body. If you don’t feel any physical tension, simply focus on the emotions that come up.
4 Start with a statement. For example, as you tap on the side of your hand, say out loud: ‘Even though I’ve got this anxious feeling in my chest, I love and accept myself.’ Say this three times.
5 Next, tap the top of your head. Say a few words naming what you’re thinking about, such as: ‘My chest.’
6 Continue tapping on the body parts listed below and saying a few words for each. Don’t worry about the precise words or the exact order or number of taps.
Just talk to yourself as you tap. For example:
INNER CORNER OF THE EYEBROW: ‘This anxious feeling.’
SIDE OF THE EYE: ‘I feel this tightness.’
UNDER THE EYE: ‘Just thinking about it.’
UNDER THE NOSE: ‘Feeling anxious, feeling stressed.’
UNDER THE LOWER LIP: ‘I have this feeling in my chest.’
UNDER THE COLLARBONE: ‘Feeling anxious. Feeling in my chest.’
UNDER THE ARM: ‘This anxious feeling.’
7 Then breathe out.
8 Now check the feeling. Is it still there? Has it dissolved a little? Has it gone completely? Has it increased? Sometimes, the feeling will move to another part of the body.
9 If the feeling is still there, do the sequence again, starting with: ‘Even though the anxious feeling is still there, I love and accept myself.’
10 Breathe out and check the feeling again. Continue for as long as you need.
WORDS: PASCALE DUGUAY
ILLUSTRATIONS: SARA THIELKER
This article was originally published under the title Tapping Into Calm in Issue 45 – Lead the Way. You can get this issue here to enjoy more mindful inspiration.
