EFT tapping: how to reduce stress levels in a few minutes

The touch of the fingers can soothe and restore emotional balance. And this is not about classic massage (although it can be useful). There is a unique EFT tapping technique that is successfully used to prevent panic attacks and stress.

What if tapping with your fingertips could relieve stress or emotional tension in just a couple of minutes? Such a technique already exists – this is EFT-tapping or "acupuncture without needles", as it is also called. It arose at the intersection of Chinese acupuncture and work with the energy potential of the body. Of course, this technique will not solve the problem of deep depression, but it will help to cope with mild stress or a little irritability. 

What is EFT tapping

It was coined in the 1990s by energy psychologist Gary Craig. This is a kind of psychological acupressure with pressure on the points, which are called "energy meridians". The location of these points EFT-tapping learned from Chinese medicine. It is believed that many diseases, including stress and neuroses, arise due to improper circulation of qi energy. Impact on them restores energy exchange, which has a positive effect on the emotional balance in human life. 

How does this happen? "Energy meridians" are associated with the amygdala – the area of ​​the brain involved in the synthesis of the "stress hormone" cortisol. The lower its level in the body, the less anxiety and worries we experience. 

Five steps of EFT tapping

The whole technique can be broken down into five steps that must be followed consistently to get rid of negative emotions or make them less pronounced. 

Identify the problem 

Identify the real cause of your problems that you would like to focus on while tapping. Is it fear, panic, sadness or anger?

Set a tracking point

Think about how you would rate this feeling on a scale from 0 to 10, where 10 is the maximum expression of a negative emotion. The scale helps to measure the level of discomfort in order to understand how much it will decrease after an EFT tapping session.

Get ready to accept yourself 

Tapping on the outside of your right palm with the fingers of your left hand, say out loud: “Even if I am in pain and discomfort right now, I completely accept and love myself." Repeat the manipulation on the left palm. 

Go to active taps

There are 12 main meridians responsible for different internal organs. EFT tapping suggests focusing on 8 of them:

• outer side of the palm;
• the center of the space between the eyebrows;
• eyebrow line;
• area under the eyes;
• deepening under the nose;
• center of the chin;
• supraclavicular fossae;
• armpits.

Start by pressing on the points on the outer side of the palm, then go to the face and move down from it. Touch each point at least 7 times, and at the end of the tapping ritual, make another 7 taps on the area between the eyebrows. 

Assess your condition 

How do you feel on a scale of 0 to 10? Has the level of psychological discomfort decreased? If necessary, tapping can be repeated – and do this every time you feel a panic attack or outburst of anger.