Increasing your effectiveness with EFT, part 65.
As an EFT tapping practitioner, I understand that sometimes it can be challenging to tap on your own and see results. Tapping with a skilled practitioner can be very helpful, but there are ways to improve your self-tapping experience. In this blog post, I’ll share some tips that might help you notice more progress when tapping by yourself.
- Stay hydrated: Make sure you drink at least one or two glasses of water before or during your tapping session. Sometimes, dehydration can hinder the effectiveness of tapping.
- Be specific with triggers: The more specific you are with the “trigger” you’re focusing on while tapping, the higher the likelihood you’ll notice progress and detect “shifting aspects”. What do I mean by that? Shifting aspects are when one aspect’s intensity diminishes, and another comes to the forefront, often leading to different emotions or physical sensations.
For example, let’s say I’m tapping on the recent memory of an argument I had with my girlfriend. As I think about (the aspect of) the look on her face while we were arguing, I notice an uncomfortable sensation in my chest, and the feeling maybe is sadness. As I tap on the points while focusing on that, after one or two rounds I might notice I no longer feel sad; maybe now I’m feeling angry. And I’m no longer focusing on the aspect of the look on her face, but on a certain phrase she said to me. And the uncomfortable sensation is no longer in my chest; now it’s in my throat.
- When it comes to “shifting aspects”, sometimes the new aspects are still within the same memory/situation we were focusing on (as in the example above). But other times the new aspect is actually a different memory that arose while we were tapping. In that case, I recommend focusing on no more than one or two memories per “session”, so as not to get too overwhelmed with too many aspects at once. When tapping with a practitioner though, it can be easier to follow the different threads as they come up during the session, without getting lost.
- Use neutral phrases: If you find phrases like “I deeply and completely accept myself” don’t fully resonate with you, try using more neutral alternatives, such as “and this is what I’m noticing right now.”
- Tap with mental images: If you’re a visual person, tapping while focusing on a mental image connected to the issue at hand can be useful. Pay attention to any changes in how you feel about the image or how you perceive it after tapping. Maybe the image becomes increasingly “safer” or “friendlier” the more you tap on it.
- Focus on feelings, not words: Being in your “feelings space” while tapping is more important than the words you use. Getting too hung up on the words can lead to overthinking and less effective tapping.
- Tune in to specific sensations in your body: EFT is about tapping on points while tuning in to specific sensations or images that elicit uncomfortable feelings in our bodies. As you tap, you’ll likely notice a decrease in the unpleasant emotional charge or the emergence of new aspects to tap on.
- Good is better than perfect: Yes, the ideal scenario is that we can be very thorough with our tapping and only stop once we have fully addressed all the aspects within a memory, mental image, or situation. However, sometimes we don’t have enough time or capacity to do that. Don’t let perfectionism stop you dead in your tracks from doing any tapping at all. Sometimes, tapping for only a few minutes on at least one or two aspects within a memory, mental image, or situation can still be helpful and good enough for the time being.
- In my personal experience, tapping while crying has been very effective. During these moments, I tap through the points without any specific intention, allowing myself to cry and think while continuously tapping. This approach has led to more profound emotional releases for me.
For more insights on this method, check out my 5-minute video on tapping while crying: https://youtu.be/t8YVGYUhSqY
- Remember, like I usually say, if you ever feel overwhelmed or encounter a memory that may be too intense or traumatic to work on alone, consider enlisting the help of a certified practitioner with a mental health background. Feel free to reach out to me for advice or guidance on tapping on your own.
That’s it for today. I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. My name is Bruno Sade, a compassionate and open-minded clinical psychologist from Argentina. I’m also a certified EFT practitioner and love helping people, whether they speak English or Spanish, break free from their negative emotional reactions. I always maintain a non-judgmental attitude and remain flexible in my approach to ensure it fits your needs and respects what’s already working for you. I genuinely honor and respect each client’s experiences, beliefs, religion, race, sexual orientation, and personal background. By using EFT, we can work together to shift negative emotions and triggers, cultivating a more balanced and resilient mindset.
And, I’d love to know: What has your experience been like when tapping on your own? Do you have any questions or comments about what I wrote? Is there any particular topic you’d like me to write about? I’d love to know in the comments below.