Increasing your effectiveness with EFT, part 167.
Decision-making can feel like a minefield, especially when past choices didn’t turn out the way we hoped. For many of us, the fear isn’t just about making the wrong decision now, but about repeating old mistakes. We might think:
“What if I choose wrong again?”
“What if I regret this, just like last time?”
“How can I trust myself when I’ve messed up before?”
The good news is that we don’t have to carry all of that emotional weight with us into the next decision. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) offers a way to gently process those past experiences, so they no longer cloud our current clarity or block our trust in our intuition.
Tapping on Past Decisions We Regret
Let’s say you’re facing an important decision, maybe about a relationship, a career change, or where to live. But every time you try to tune in to what feels right, your mind brings up memories of past decisions that didn’t end well.
That’s a perfect place to start tapping.
You might begin with something like:
“When I think about that decision I made in [year/situation], and how much I regretted it, I feel this anxiety in my chest, and this is where I’m at right now.”
Or:
“There’s a part of me that can’t let go of what happened. I still feel the tightness in my chest when I think about that choice. And this is just where I’m at right now.”
As you tap, allow yourself to explore what you felt during that time and how you feel now as you remember it. Maybe it’s embarrassment, disappointment, guilt, or a sense of failure. There’s no need to analyze or fix it right away. The goal is to meet yourself in that experience with compassion and presence.
By releasing the emotional charge around those memories, we’re no longer carrying them into every future decision like a heavy backpack. That makes space for something new.
Strengthening Self-Trust
Once those memories start to feel less raw, you might tap while “giving the microphone” to your current fears and doubts around decision-making:
“When I think about this decision I have to make, I notice this fear coming up, what if I can’t trust myself? And this is where I’m right now”.
“I want to trust my intuition, but when I imagine myself making the wrong decision and regretting it, I’m afraid that my intuition will lead me astray. And this is where I’m right now”.
EFT works especially well when we include the different parts of ourselves, especially those that are still hurting from past experiences. When we welcome all parts of us, instead of trying to override one with another, something begins to soften.
From Fear to Clarity
The goal here isn’t to guarantee perfect decision-making. Life doesn’t come with that kind of certainty. But EFT can help you clear the emotional static that’s making it hard to hear your own inner guidance.
As we tap and release old regrets, fear, and self-doubt, we begin to relate to decision-making from a place that’s calmer, knowing that even if we’ve made mistakes in the past, we’re still learning, growing, and worthy of trust.
I’m Bruno Sade, a clinical psychologist and Certified Advanced EFT Practitioner. Helping you manage emotional reactions and release triggers in a way that feels safe and tailored to your preferences and needs.
If you’ve never worked with me and you’d like to experience how this works in a session, I currently offer a free EFT tapping session in exchange for a brief market research interview. It’s a no-pressure way to experience how this works and see if it’s a good fit for you. Feel free to reach out if that interests you, or click here.
