Anxiety and stress are far too common nowadays. They’re like a plague that we have no answer for. Stress at work and in our lives is at too high a level to be ignored, and the hectic lifestyle we all lead is becoming all too big of a problem. The worst thing is that nothing really works against them. Most of us are too stressed for a big chunk of our days and temporary reliefs aren’t working great.
Most people take pills to deal with anxiety and stress. However, they’re not the answers. Anxiety pills work well for a short time, but they’re not a solution in the long run. They have a bunch of side effects too that cannot be ignored. The good news is that there are ways to deal with anxiety and stress. The unusual technique we have for you today seems to be among the best.
What is EFT Tapping?
A revolutionary new technique to deal with anxiety and stress, EFT tapping was developed in the early 1980s. It was invented by psychologist Robert Callahan who used it on one of his patients. The patient, Mary, was scared of water. This kind of phobia is common, but was elevated to a very high level in Mary. Water phobia took over Mary’s other aspects of life and she was crippled by fear even when it rained.
Dr. Callahan tried every trick in the book and nothing worked on Mary. At the time, he was heavily invested in Eastern medicine and meridian points. Dr. Callahan tried a new technique with Mary, instructing her to tap on certain points of the cheekbone. This is where the stomach meridian lies. Her water phobia caused severe stomach pains, so by tapping on a particular point on her body, the stomach ache stopped at once.
The doctor knew he was onto something. He coined the phrase Thought Field Therapy and passed it on to one of his adages, Gary Craig. Craig further developed the technique and gave it the name EFT – Emotional Freedoms Technique.
EFT is now considered an alternate treatment in the field of energy psychology. It can treat physical pain and mental health issues as well. Think of it as acupressure for the brain. It can neutralize negative energy and help people in different ways.
The new idea is centered on ancient Eastern medicine. It revolves around the “chi” – the energy that moves throughout the body. Tapping on specific energy highways that correspond to certain meridians can restore the energy in them, resolving a number of health problems.
Treats Anxiety and Stress
The ancient Chinese discovered over 100 energy meridians in the human body, each one linked to organs. By stimulating them, we can remove negative energy from the body and treat a variety of health problems. Tapping can be learned by anyone and is pretty effective. It’s a free and anything but time-consuming and will allow you to treat problems with ease and on your own.
You can use EFT tapping to relieve stress and anxiety. All it takes is for you to learn the meridian chart. Find the problem you want to treat and give the pain a rating on a scale of 1 to 10. At the same time, telling yourself a phrase that corresponds to the problem can help even further. For example, the most common phrase used in EFT tapping is “Even though I’m dealing with (whatever fear or problem you have), I accept myself”.
The EFT tapping technique involves tapping on 9 meridians.
- Karate chop: small intestine meridian;
- Eyebrow: bladder meridian;
- Top of the head: governing vessel;
- Side of the eye: gallbladder meridian;
- Under the eye: stomach meridian;
- Collarbone beginning point: kidney meridian;
- Chin: central vessel;
- Under the arm: spleen meridian.
Start by tapping the karate chop point and saying the phrase 3 times. You can say it out loud or in your head. Tap the others next without tapping the top-of-the-head meridian. No need to follow the order correctly, but you can if you want to. You should end with the spleen meridian point and the governing vessel. Once done, rate the intensity of pain once again – it should be lower.
According to a 2013 study, EFT tapping is very efficient in treating PTSD. It can certainly lower the stress and anxiety we face every day as well as other health problems such as insomnia, restlessness, and even depression. As your therapist about it – we’re sure he can tell you more details.
