Beat Stress with EFT: Your Ultimate Guide

Stress has become an inevitable part of modern living. From work pressures to personal issues, stress often appears in different forms in our lives. Our bodies are designed to respond to stress, but it becomes problematic when we’re constantly feeling stressed without the time to recover. This can lead to a host of health issues such as anxiety, depression, heart disease, and stroke. It’s important to develop coping mechanisms to manage stress effectively so that it doesn’t take over our lives. One such technique that has become increasingly popular is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

EFT, also known as tapping, is a mindfulness technique that helps to reduce stress and negative emotions. The technique involves stimulating certain points on the body by tapping on them with your fingertips while repeating certain phrases. It’s a combination of acupressure and psychology that has been proven to be effective in helping people manage stress and anxiety better. In this article, we’ll take a look at the basics of EFT and how it can help you beat stress.

The Science Behind EFT

EFT is based on the principles of acupressure – a traditional Chinese medicine practice of stimulating certain points on the body to relieve pain and other ailments. The belief is that there’s a flow of energy in the body and when it’s blocked, it can cause physical or emotional problems. According to Gary Craig, the founder of EFT, tapping on certain acupressure points allows the energy to flow freely, which can help to reduce stress and negative emotions.

EFT has been the subject of several studies that validate its effectiveness in reducing stress and anxiety. In a 2016 study published in Integrative Medicine, 52 participants were randomly assigned to either a tapping group or a psychotherapy group, and it was found that both groups experienced significant reductions in anxiety and depression. The tapping group, however, had greater improvement in reducing anxiety symptoms.

The Basics of EFT

Now that we’ve established the science behind EFT, let’s take a look at how it works. The technique involves tapping on certain points while reciting a setup statement followed by a reminder phrase. A setup statement is a phrase that acknowledges the stressful situation and your feelings about it. It’s often followed by a reminder statement that identifies the specific emotions or thoughts surrounding the stressful situation.

The tapping points include the side of the hand (karate chop point), eyebrow point, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin point, collarbone, underarm, and the top of the head. It’s important to tap each point 5-7 times with moderate pressure while reciting the setup statement and reminder phrase.

Here’s an example of a setup statement and reminder phrase for stress over a work presentation:

• Setup statement: Even though I feel anxious about my work presentation tomorrow, I deeply and completely accept myself.
• Reminder phrase: This anxiety about my work presentation.

It’s important to note that EFT is not a replacement for seeking help from a trained healthcare professional for serious mental health issues. It’s a tool that can be used in conjunction with therapy or other treatments to help manage stress and anxiety.

How EFT Can Help You Beat Stress

EFT can help in many ways when it comes to managing stress. Here are some benefits of EFT that can help you beat stress:

• 1. Relieves Physical Symptoms of Stress: When we’re stressed, our bodies react by releasing cortisol and other stress hormones. Continued stress can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and gastrointestinal problems. EFT can help to reduce stress hormones and alleviate these physical symptoms. Studies have shown that EFT can be effective in reducing pain, improving sleep, and lowering blood pressure levels.
• 2. Reduces Negative Emotions: Stress often comes with negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, and anger. These emotions can be overwhelming and lead to a vicious cycle of stress. EFT can help to reduce these negative emotions by addressing the root cause of the stress and helping to release the emotional charge associated with it. For example, if you’ve been dealing with a difficult situation at work and it’s causing you stress, EFT can help to address the emotions associated with this situation and help you to release them.
• 3. Increases Self-Awareness: EFT is a mindfulness technique that involves being present and aware of your thoughts and emotions. Practicing EFT can help to increase your self-awareness and help you to identify your triggers and how you respond to them. This helps to empower you to take control of your stress by addressing the root cause of it.
• 4. Improves Coping Mechanisms: EFT can help to improve your coping mechanisms when dealing with stressful situations. When we’re stressed, we often resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as overeating, drinking, or smoking. EFT can help to replace these unhealthy habits with more positive coping mechanisms such as exercise or meditation.
• 5. Easy to Learn: EFT is easy to learn and can be done anywhere, anytime. You don’t need any special equipment or expertise to practice EFT. All you need is your fingertips and the ability to recite a few phrases. With practice, you can become proficient at EFT and use it as an effective tool to manage stress.

Tips for Practicing EFT

If you’re new to EFT, here are some tips to help you get started:

• 1. Identify your stress triggers: What situations or events are causing you stress?
• 2. Write down the setup statement and reminder phrase for each situation.
• 3. Tap on each point while reciting the setup statement and reminder phrase.
• 4. Take deep breaths while tapping to help you relax.
• 5. Repeat the tapping process as needed until you feel a sense of relief.

Final Thoughts

EFT is a powerful tool that can help you beat stress and negative emotions. It’s been shown to be effective in reducing physical symptoms of stress, negative emotions, and improving coping mechanisms. As with any new technique, it takes practice to become proficient, but with consistency, EFT can become a valuable tool in managing stress. Try incorporating EFT into your daily routine and see how it can help you beat stress.

Sources:

• Church, D. et al. (2016). Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for Anxiety: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Integrative Medicine, 15(5), 27-35.
• Dawson Church, P. (2013). The EFT Manual: Emotional Freedom Techniques.
• Feinstein, D. (2010). Acupoint Stimulation in Treating Psychological Disorders: Evidence of Efficacy. Review of General Psychology, 14(4), 283-295.
• Karatzias, T. et al. (2011). A Controlled Comparison of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Two Psychological Therapies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing vs. Emotional Freedom Techniques. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 199(6), 372-378.
• National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Stress. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/stress/index.shtml.