How to Use EFT Tapping On Yourself

Have you heard about EFT tapping and its remarkable benefits for emotional healing? EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, is a powerful tool that can help you manage limiting beliefs, fears, phobias, anxiety, physical pain, and more.

These issues are often tied to your emotional health, and EFT tapping can provide significant relief. In this blog post, we'll explore how to use EFT tapping on yourself to address various issues and enhance your well-being.

EFT tapping combines elements of cognitive therapy and exposure therapy with acupressure, using the fingers to tap on specific points on the body. This practice helps to release emotional blockages and restore balance to your energy system, leading to improved emotional and physical health.

It is based in the understanding that our emotions are "energy in motion." We are all energetic beings. When the energy that runs through our bodies gets blocked, we experience symptoms. By tapping on designated energy points on our bodies while tuning into the issue, we can return the flow of energy and thereby eliminate the symptom. 

When you're stressed, your physical and emotional health can suffer. EFT tapping offers a way to manage that stress and its associated symptoms. Whether you're dealing with a minor issue or a more severe, chronic condition, EFT can be a valuable part of your self-care routine. For complex or long-term issues, it's advisable to consult an EFT tapping professional, which you can find at our online directory at https://aeftp.org.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use EFT tapping on yourself:

Step 1: Identify the Issue

The first step is to pinpoint the specific issue you want to work on. It's crucial to be as specific as possible. Instead of a general statement like "My father always hit me," focus on a particular incident, such as "My father hit me in front of my brother."

Step 2: Create a Setup Phrase

The setup phrase serves as a way to signal to your body what issue you're addressing. It combines the specific incident with an acceptance statement. For example, "Even though my father hit me in front of my brother that day, I love, accept, and forgive myself." The first part of the phrase is the identification of the specific issue, while the second part, the acceptance phrase, gives your subconscious mind the critical information that everything is okay even though this happened. 

Step 3: Measure Your Level of Distress

Before you start tapping, gauge your distress level using the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS). Rate your discomfort on a scale of 0 to 10. This helps you measure progress as you go. A 0 would indicate that you have no discomfort, whereas a 10 will indicate maximum discomfort. If your number is a 10, move cautiously. You may even want to consult with a professional practitioner in these instances. 

Step 4: Tap on the Karate Chop Point

The karate chop point is located on the side of your hand, on the fleshy area beneath your pinkie finger. Tap on this point in a percussive manner with an appropriate level of pressure while repeating your setup phrase three times: For example, "Even though my father hit me in front of my brother on my birthday, I love, accept, and forgive myself."

Step 5: Create a Reminder Phrase

A reminder phrase is a shortened version of the setup phrase that you will use while tapping on the other points on your body. For example, "Father hit me in front of my brother."

Step 6: Tap Through the Points

Tap through the following points while repeating your reminder phrase as you tap on each point, moving through the sequence. The main points in the EFT shortcut include: 

1. Top of the Head: Tap on the crown of your head.
   
   
2. Eyebrow Point: Tap at the beginning of the eyebrows, closest to the bridge of the nose.
   
   
3. Side of the Eye: Tap on the bone bordering the outside corner of the eye. It can be either eye. 
   
   
4. Under the Eye: Tap on the bone under the eye, approximately 1 inch below your pupil.
   
   
5. Under the Nose: Tap between the bottom of the nose and the upper lip.
   
   
6. Chin Point: Tap midway between the bottom of the lower lip and the chin. Many people want to tap directly on the chin, but this would be incorrect. The correct point is located in the indent about a half an inch below the bottom lip. 
   
   
7. Collarbone Point: Tap just below the collarbone, about an inch below the notch where the collarbone meets the breastbone.
   
   
8. Under the Arm: Tap about 4 inches below the armpit, on either side of the body. This point is generally a bit tender, which is your indication that you are on the correct spot.
   
   

Step 7: Reassess Your Distress Levels

After completing a round of tapping, reassess your distress level using the SUDS scale. If your distress has decreased, that is a great sign!

Step 8: Continue Tapping Until Your Level of Distress has Reached Zero

Sometimes the issue will simply "go away" after just one round. On other occasions, however you may need to tap several rounds before getting significant results. 

Step 9: Choose Your Next Topic and Repeat the Process
For best results, choose another topic and repeat the process. This may be an entirely different memory or belief or fear, or it may be another aspect of the same memory, belief, or fear. For example, "I was embarrassed when my father hit me." While it may seem like the same topic, it is a variation of the original emotion. By tuning into various aspects and tapping them away, it is possible to clear all negative or painful aspects of this painful experience. 

There are many indicators that EFT tapping has worked. The primary way is that you can no longer feel the distress related to the issue at hand. For example, if you once felt angry or sad about a particular memory but when you tune into the memory now, it has no emotion connected to it. It's just something that happened. It no longer has an emotional charge. 

Other indicators can be that you feel very relaxed or want to go to sleep. Perhaps you are yawning. Or you feel a surge of happiness. You might even feel like breaking out in laughter for no apparent reason. 

These are all indications that EFT Tapping has worked. 

Learning how to use EFT tapping on yourself can empower you to take control of your emotional health. This simple yet effective technique can help you manage stress, release negative emotions, and improve your overall well-being.

Remember, for deeper or more persistent issues, seeking guidance from an EFT professional is always a good idea.

Start tapping today and experience the benefits for yourself. Your emotional freedom is just a few taps away!