Variously described as “tapping,” Emotional Freedom Techniques (E.F.T) is the apt strategy to counter anxiety and mounting depression rampant during lockdown-lows, asserts wellness-enhancer and life-coach LEENA R HALDAR
If you are struggling with uncertainty or anxiety or depression help is at hand! Or more accurately, it is at your fingertips.
Courtesy: Emotional Freedom Technique (E.F.T).
This clinically proven technique founded by Gary Craig could well be the answer to weeding out negativity from our lives. EFT helps to reduce cortisol levels in the blood, thus reducing stress and increasing wellness levels. A doctor friend of mine fondly refers to E.F.T as “Emotional First-Aid.” Soaring stress levels could trigger off maladies-diabetes, blood-pressure, obesity and more – apart from eroding mental wellness.
Akin to acupressure, E.F.T. involves applying pressure via the fingertips on the meridian points or “energy hotspots” to restore balance in the human body. Tapping helps to relieve symptoms that a negative experience or emotion may have caused, ensuring balance in the process.
Being a self-help technique EFT can be learned and used by anyone. However, at times it is important to have a therapist facilitate the session for you. This is because they not only hold space for you but also have the expertise to make you look deep inside and reach the root of the issue, causing a permanent positive change in your life.
Having facilitated sessions for hundreds of clients I know now that holistic happiness, of course, is almost a foregone conclusion. And now, dear reader, it’s time you stepped onto the E.F.T trail too.
A basic EFT sequence:-
Identify the issue. It should be a specific situation or issue which causes you to feel a negative emotion like anxiety, anger etc.
Rate the intensity of how you feel about it? Rate the negative emotion on a scale of 0 to 10, with zero being the lowest and ten being the highest.
Compose a setup statement. The first half of your setup statement mentions briefly the problem you want to deal with and the second half has an affirmation of yourself.
Example:-
“Even though I panic when I think about this uncertainty, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
This is the first step to tapping!
With four fingers on one hand, begin tapping the Karate Chop point on your other hand. (The Karate Chop point is on the outer edge of the hand, on the opposite side from the thumb.)
Repeat the setup statement three times aloud, while simultaneously tapping the Karate Chop point. Take a deep breath.
Continue tapping about 5 to 7 times each on the remaining points in the sequence mentioned below. As you tap on each point, repeat a simple reminder phrase, such as ‘this uncertainty’ or ‘it makes me nervous’ etc. to help you mentally focus on your issue. The remaining points are:-
Point where the eyebrow begins (above the nose)
Side of the eye.
Under the eye.
Under the nose.
Chin.
Beginning of the collarbone.
Under the arm.
Now take another deep breath! Have some water.
Check in with yourself. How are you feeling now, as opposed to a few minutes ago? Give it a rating on the same 0 to 10 scale. Do you notice a shift? Do a few more rounds till you feel better.
You can now use powerful and positive statements while tapping. This makes tapping much more effective than just trying to think positive because in the process one ends up actually changing the body’s bio-chemistry and energy into a more positive direction.
Example:-
“I have faith that everything will work out in my favor.”
Our bodies are wise and any illness is always a shout-out to relax. If we pay attention to it we start the journey of healing ourselves.
File Picture Of Leena Haldar.
