Increasing your effectiveness with EFT, part 118.
Recently, someone asked how to address limiting beliefs using EFT. The key lies in examining the reasons behind these beliefs, particularly the emotionally charged “evidence” that seems to support them.
For instance, if you believe you’re unlucky, start by focusing on a recent event that reinforces this belief. In EFT, we target the current emotional reaction stirred by such memories.
You might refine your approach by incorporating the belief itself into your tapping setup. For example: “Even though I feel so hopeless when I remember how my cell phone broke when it hit the floor—this just proves I’m unlucky!—and I feel this hopelessness in my chest, I accept this is where I am right now.”
While tapping through the emotional layers of this memory, watch for any spontaneous “cognitive shifts.” These are new, empowering thoughts that often emerge as the negative emotional charge lessens. For example, you might realize, “It was unfortunate, but lucky for me, my sister had a spare phone to lend.”
Consider another scenario: you believe you’re not smart enough, often triggered when your boss points out your mistakes. A setup statement could be: “Even though I feel ashamed when I recall my boss highlighting a mistake last Monday—see, I’m not smart enough—I feel this shame in my heart area, but this is just where I’m at right now.”
The goal in addressing limiting beliefs isn’t to swing from a negative extreme to an overly positive one, like changing ‘I’m the dumbest person in the world’ to ‘I’m the smartest person in the world.’ Rather, it’s about diminishing the emotional weight these beliefs hold, thereby allowing your mind to consider more balanced and empowering perspectives.
By addressing and softening the emotional charge that underpins these beliefs, you become less attached to any rigid belief, whether negative or positive. This shift frees you from the need to constantly prove your intelligence or any other quality, both to yourself and to others.
I’m Bruno Sade, a clinical psychologist and certified EFT practitioner. My approach is compassionate and tailored to your unique experiences and needs.
Have you tried working on your beliefs? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Your feedback is crucial for shaping our discussions. Please share your thoughts below or reach out to me directly.
