EFT TAPPING: HOW THIS SIMPLE TECHNIQUE CAN CALM ANXIETY AND CREATE LASTING CHANGE!

A Simple Way of Making Change!

Have you ever wished there was a simple tool you could use anytime, anywhere to calm anxiety, reduce overwhelm, or help yourself feel emotionally grounded again?

Something that didn’t require hours of talking, years of therapy, or waiting until your next appointment?

There is.

It’s called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) — often known simply as tapping — and while it may look a little unusual at first, the results can be surprisingly powerful.

In my work, I use EFT to help clients reduce anxiety, process emotional triggers, release limiting beliefs, and feel calmer, more emotionally resilient, and more in control.

And one of the most empowering things about it?

Once you learn it, it becomes a tool you can use for life.

So… What Is EFT?

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a mind-body therapy that combines elements of psychology, emotional processing, and gentle tapping on specific acupressure points on the face and body.

The idea is simple: When we experience stress, anxiety, fear, or emotional overwhelm, the nervous system can become dysregulated — moving into fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown mode.

This is when you might notice:

• Racing thoughts

• A tight chest

• A knot in your stomach

• Feeling shaky or on edge

• Emotional overwhelm

• Irritability

• Difficulty thinking clearly

• Trouble sleeping

• Feeling emotionally “stuck”

  
  

EFT helps calm this stress response by combining physical tapping with focused emotional awareness.

In simple terms, you’re helping your brain and body recognise: “I can think about this without my nervous system going into alarm mode.”

Over time, this can reduce the emotional intensity attached to certain memories, triggers, fears, or limiting beliefs.

The Fascinating Origin Story Behind EFT

The beginnings of EFT are genuinely fascinating.

Back in the 1980s, psychologist Dr Roger Callahan was working with a client named Mary, who had suffered from a severe, lifelong fear of water. Her phobia was debilitating.

She couldn’t go near swimming pools, avoided beaches, and even thinking about water caused intense fear and physical symptoms, including stomach discomfort.

During one session, Dr Callahan — who had been studying principles from Chinese medicine — asked her to tap on an acupressure point (the stomach meridian) under her eye while focusing on the fear.

What happened next surprised them both. Her stomach discomfort disappeared.

And even more remarkably… so did her fear.

The story goes that she ran toward the swimming pool, splashing herself with water in disbelief.

This breakthrough led Dr Callahan to develop Thought Field Therapy (TFT), which was later simplified by Gary Craig into what we now know as EFT.

Since then, tapping has been used by therapists, coaches, and wellbeing practitioners around the world.

How Does EFT Actually Work?

While research into EFT continues to grow, several mechanisms may help explain why it feels so effective.

1. It helps calm the nervous system

When we’re stressed or emotionally triggered, the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system) can interpret situations as threatening — even when we’re physically safe.

This activates the body’s stress response:

• Increased heart rate

• Faster breathing

• Muscle tension

• Cortisol release

• Hypervigilance

• Emotional reactivity

  
  

Tapping while focusing on the issue appears to help signal safety to the brain, allowing the nervous system to downshift. Clients often describe feeling calmer within minutes.

2. It interrupts emotional patterns

Many emotional reactions happen automatically.

A situation occurs → the nervous system reacts → thoughts spiral → emotions intensify.

EFT helps interrupt this loop.bInstead of unconsciously reinforcing the same emotional pattern, you create a new experience of safety and regulation.

3. It helps process emotional charge

Sometimes it’s not the event itself causing distress anymore — it’s the emotional charge still attached to it.

Tapping can help reduce that charge so memories, triggers, or fears feel less intense.

If you want to read some of the scientific evidence for tapping click here!

(Then come back here!) :)

What Can EFT Help With?

EFT is incredibly versatile. It can support:

Emotional wellbeing

• Anxiety

• Stress

• Overwhelm

• Overthinking

• Emotional burnout

• Panic feelings

• Irritability

  
  

Confidence & mindset

• Low self-esteem

• Self-doubt

• Fear of rejection

• Imposter syndrome

• Limiting beliefs

• Fear of failure

  
  

Fears & emotional blocks

• Specific fears or phobias

• Public speaking nerves

• Social anxiety

• Emotional triggers

• Performance anxiety

  
  

Mind-body stress symptoms

Because stress affects the body too, EFT may help reduce symptoms that are worsened by emotional stress, such as:

• Tension

• Poor sleep

• Digestive discomfort

• Stress headaches

• Feeling wired but exhausted

  
  

So What Does EFT Feel Like?

Clients often ask this. And the truth is people are surprised by how calming it feels. Common feedback includes:

“I feel lighter.”

“My chest doesn’t feel tight anymore.”

“I can think about that now without panicking.”

“That feels less intense.”

“I feel strangely calm.”

For some people, shifts happen quickly. For others, deeper patterns unfold over time. Both are completely normal.

Can You Use EFT Yourself?

Yes — and that’s one of the most empowering things about it. Once you’ve learned the basics, EFT becomes a practical self-regulation tool you can use in everyday life.

For example you could use it:

• Before a stressful meeting

• Before a date

• When anxiety kicks in

• After an argument

• When overthinking spirals

• Before sleep

• When you feel emotionally triggered

• During stressful life transitions

  
  

It becomes something you carry with you. That's one of the many things I love about it!

EFT vs RTT: What’s the Difference?

People often ask how EFT differs from RTT (Rapid Transformational Therapy).

They actually complement each other beautifully.

RTT helps:

• Identify subconscious root causes

• Uncover limiting beliefs

• Reframe old patterns

• Create deep mindset transformation

  
  

EFT helps:

• Calm the nervous system

• Reduce emotional intensity

• Process triggers safely

• Create emotional regulation in the moment

  
  

I often think of it like this: RTT helps locate and heal the root of an issue and change the subconscious programming. EFT helps your nervous system feel safe enough to embody that change.

Together, they can be incredibly powerful. I’ve actually combined them in my Mind & Energy Alignment 6 week program!

So if (like many of us!) you’ve been feeling:

• anxious

• emotionally reactive

• overwhelmed

• stuck in overthinking

• triggered by certain situations

• held back by old fears or beliefs

  
  

…EFT or my combined program could be a really supportive option for you to resolve and clear these issues.

EFT is gentle, practical, empowering, and really effective.

And perhaps most importantly — it gives you a tool that supports you between sessions too.

If you’d like to explore EFT sessions, RTT or my Mind & Energy Alignment Program with me, I’d love to chat.

Book your Discovery Call here!