Increasing your effectiveness with EFT, part 113.
Today, I’d like to share a valuable tip for creating effective setup statements when practicing EFT Tapping.
As discussed in previous articles, EFT Tapping helps diminish and release unpleasant emotional reactions in various aspects of life, such as public speaking or flying.
The basic structure of a setup statement is simple: “Even though I feel (unpleasant emotion) when I think about (the issue), this is just where I’m at right now.” Additionally, you can specify where you feel the emotion in your body.
EFT works best when we focus on something specific. Therefore, it’s very useful to work with specific events, like recent memories or imagined scenarios related to the issue we’re addressing. This specificity ensures we don’t overwhelm ourselves with too much at once.
Here’s the tip: To ensure specificity, ask yourself, “What moment within this event is my mind focusing on the most? And is there any specific thought attached to that particular moment?”
For instance, if addressing a fear of flying, the specific event might be imagining booking a flight. If when thinking about it now, you are feeling trapped, notice what moment your mind is focusing on that is making you feel that way. It might be for example the moment when you see your name on the ticket. The setup statement would then reflect this specific moment and associated thought.
Even though I’m feeling trapped, when I imagine myself booking a flight next Tuesday, the moment I see my name on the ticket and I think ‘now I’ve locked myself in through this commitment, so I’m trapped and it’s the prelude to actually being trapped in a plane’, and I have this ‘trapped’ feeling in my chest, this is just where I’m at right now.
Similarly, when addressing a fear of public speaking, maybe you’ve recently had a presentation that didn’t go well. As you think about it, you are feeling embarrassed, and you then identify the moment when a coworker asked a question and you froze, while everyone stared at you. The setup statement should capture this specific moment and accompanying thought and feeling.
Even though I’m feeling embarrassed, when I remember this presentation at work last week, and I’m thinking about that moment when Mike asked me a question and I just froze for a few seconds, while everyone just stared at me, and I’m thinking “Oh my God, this is so humiliating, I’m making such a fool of myself!”, I feel this embarrassment all around my face, and this is just where I’m at right now.
By pinpointing the specific moment and associated thought, we can effectively address the emotional charge it brings. This process may evolve round by round, known as “shifting aspects.”
However, if the emotional intensity is too high, use fewer words (“even though I feel upset just thinking about this”) or tap silently until the intensity subsides.
So, to recap, when practicing EFT Tapping, specificity is key. By identifying the specific moment within an event and the associated thoughts and feelings, we can refine our setup statements for greater effectiveness.
And that’s it for today! I’m Bruno Sade, a compassionate, open-minded clinical psychologist, and certified EFT practitioner. My approach is tailored to your individual needs and preferences, always respecting your experiences, beliefs, and background.
What are your thoughts on using this tip to improve your setup statements? Can you think of any examples? I’d love to hear your experiences and perspectives. You can either leave a comment below or send a private message.
