Anxiety can feel overwhelming, impacting our daily lives and wellbeing. Fortunately, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), also known as Tapping, offers a simple yet powerful tool to help manage anxiety symptoms.
This guide will walk you through a basic Tapping sequence specifically designed for anxiety relief. Whether you’re new to Tapping or looking to refine your technique, these steps can help you find calm and balance when anxiety strikes.
Looking for more support? You can also tap along to our Releasing Anxiety Tapping meditation in The Tapping Solution App. After 1 million plays of this Tapping meditation, the average reported reduction of anxiety was 41% in 9 minutes.
The basics of the Tapping process for anxiety
- Always begin Tapping on the side of the hand point while you repeat the setup statement to yourself. This allows you to be honest with how you feel and sets you up for the Tapping process (more on the setup statement below).
- Begin Tapping while focusing on how you feel or on the problem. By doing this you send a calming signal to your brain, allowing you to think of the problem without feeling stress in your body.
- When you feel better, you can move to more empowering thoughts. The same way you need to weed a garden before you plant seeds, you have to release the intensity of what you’re feeling before more empowering thoughts can take root.
Want to learn more Tapping basics? Check out this comprehensive guide on how to do Tapping.
How to do Tapping for anxiety: Let’s break down the steps
Here are the steps you’ll want to follow to try the Tapping technique for anxiety:
- Identify the problem on which you want to focus. It can be general anxiety, or it can be a specific situation or issue which causes you to feel anxious.
- Assess how you feel. Consider the problem or situation. How do you feel about it right now? Rate the intensity level of your anxiety on a scale of 0 to 10, with zero being the lowest level of anxiety and ten being the highest.
- Compose a setup statement. Your setup statement should acknowledge the problem you want to deal with, then follow it with a phrase of acceptance. This helps neutralize any judgments you may have around how you feel and allow you to be more honest with your Tapping. Here are some example setup statements:
- “Even though I feel this anxiety, I accept how I feel”
- “Even though I’m anxious about my interview, I accept myself and how I feel.”
- “Even though I’m feeling this anxiety about my financial situation, I honor my feelings and give my body permission to relax.”
- Start Tapping on the side of the hand. Take a deep breath, and then start Tapping! While Tapping on the side of the hand point (on the outer edge of the hand, on the opposite side from the thumb), repeat the setup statement three times aloud.
- Tap through the rest of the points. Now, tap about 5 to 7 times each on the remaining eight points in the sequence described below. As you tap on each point, repeat a simple reminder phrase, such as “my anxiety” or “my interview” or “my financial situation” to help you mentally focus on your issue.
Eyebrow Point (EB)
Where the eyebrows begin, closest to the bridge of the nose.
Side of Eye (SE)
On the bone directly along the outside of either eye.
Under Eye (UE)
On the bone directly under either eye.
Under Nose (UN)
The area directly beneath the nose and above the upper lip.
Chin Point (CP)
This is the area just below your bottom lip and above the chin, right in the crease.
Collarbone Point (CB)
Starting from where your collar bones meet in the center, go down an inch and out an inch on either side.
Under Arm (UA)
On your side, about four inches beneath the armpit.
Top of Head (TH)
Directly on the crown of your head.
- Reassess how you feel. Now that you’ve completed the sequence, focus on your problem again. How intense is the anxiety now, in comparison to a few minutes ago? Give it a rating on the same 0 to 10 scale. Did you notice a shift?
- Repeat as needed. If your anxiety level is still higher than 2 or 3, you can do another round of Tapping. Keep tapping through the sequence until the anxiety is gone. You can change your setup statement slightly to take into account your efforts to fix the problem or your desire for continued progress.
Examples:
“Even though I have some remaining anxiety, I accept how I feel and choose to relax.”
“Even though I’m still a little worried about this interview, I deeply and completely accept myself.” And so on.
- Introduce more empowering thoughts. Now that you’ve focused on dispelling your immediate anxiety, you can work on instilling some positive feelings in its place. Keep tapping through the Tapping points in sequence while repeating empowering statements, such as:
“I have faith in my ability to change.”
“I am joyful about these positive changes.”
“I am accomplishing so much.”
“I enjoy the calm and peace that I have.”
“I love the person that I am.”
“I am becoming a more relaxed and joyful person.”
This approach is different from traditional “positive thinking.” You’re not being dishonest with yourself. You’re not trying to obscure the stress and anxiety inside yourself with a veneer of insincere affirmations. Rather, you’ve confronted and dealt with the anxiety and its corresponding negative emotions, offering deep and complete acceptance to both your feelings and yourself.
The same way you need to weed a garden before you plant seeds, you have to release the intensity of what you’re feeling before more empowering thoughts can take root. That’s what makes Tapping so much more effective than the “positive thinking” techniques that many of you have already tried.
Congratulations! You’ve completed your first Tapping sequence for anxiety!
Tapping meditation for anxiety: Follow along with me in this video!
Do you need to release a little anxiety right now?
Then take just a few minutes to watch this video and tap along with me! I’m willing to bet you’ll feel so much better afterward. 🙂
Tips to help you get started with the Tapping technique
- Use a firm but gentle pressure, the same as if you were drumming on the top of your desk or testing a melon for ripeness.
- You can use all four fingers, or just one or two (usually the index and middle fingers). Four fingers are generally used on wider areas, while just one or two can be used on sensitive areas, such as around the eyes or under the nose.
- You can tap one side of the body or both at the same time. The meridian points are symmetrical on either side of the body.
While this guide provides a solid foundation for using Tapping to address anxiety, many people find it helpful to have guided support, especially when first starting out. The Tapping Solution App offers a variety of guided Tapping meditations specifically designed for anxiety relief. In fact, after over 1 million plays of our “Releasing Anxiety” Tapping meditation, users reported an average 41% reduction in anxiety in just 9 minutes.
The app provides step-by-step audio guidance, visual cues for Tapping points, and a wide range of topics to address various anxiety triggers. Whether you’re dealing with general anxiety, specific phobias, or situational stress, the app can be a valuable tool in your anxiety management toolkit.
Download The Tapping Solution App today to access these resources and take your Tapping practice to the next level.
Remember, consistent practice is key to experiencing the full benefits of Tapping. With regular use, you may find yourself better equipped to handle anxiety and stress in your daily life.
Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
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