Stressed? Anxious? Take 5 minutes for this super effective mind-body exercise that contributes to regulating nerves and anxiety. This simple exercise works to reset your nervous system with a very simple anyone-can-do-it activity: tapping.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) tapping might feel a little silly when you first try it, but the evidence supporting EFT tapping’s effectiveness is legit. Not only does it relieve stress in the mind, it also has positive effects on the body, lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and even cortisol.
First, identify an issue or fear that you have—like, I’m worried about my upcoming performance review. Focus on only one at a time; you can always repeat the exercise to focus on another issue later. Rate how bad this problem is making you feel, 1 being lowest intensity and 10 being the highest.
Then, you’re going to come up with a phrase to address the issue you identified. This phrase should consist of two parts: acknowledging the issue and accepting yourself despite the problem. Example: Even though I’m nervous about this meeting, I know my worth is not defined by my job. You really want to focus on your own feelings for this exercise, so it wouldn’t work to choose something like: Even though my boss is scary, I know my worth is not defined by my job.
Once you’ve got your phrase ready to go, it’s time to tap. The places you’re focusing on consist of acupressure, or meridian, points that correspond to different internal organs. Begin with the first point (side of hand) and recite the phrase you decided on above three times, then tap each of the following points seven times, moving down the body. As you tap, continue to recite your phrase. After you do the underarm point, finish by tapping the top of the head.
Side of hand (the fleshy part on the pinky side)
Eyebrow (both sides)
Side of the eye (both sides)
Under the eye (both sides)
Under the nose
Chin
Beginning of the collarbone (both sides)
Under the arm (both sides)
Top of head
Repeat this sequence two to three times. Then, check in with yourself about the intensity of the original bad feeling. It should have gone down a bit