I recently received this simple but powerful message from Leanne that I wanted to share:
“When I find myself feeling overwhelmed or angry, I just tap, even if it’s just on my collarbone. It doesn’t always take the anger away, but it gives me a perspective that I didn’t have before.”
Leanne, I absolutely love this! What you’re describing is something I’ve experienced countless times myself — that moment when overwhelming emotions start to take over, and a few seconds of Tapping create just enough space to shift your perspective.
What’s particularly beautiful about your message is how you’ve discovered one of Tapping’s most powerful but often overlooked benefits: it’s not always about completely eliminating difficult emotions. Sometimes, the magic is in that subtle shift in perspective that allows us to relate to our emotions differently.
The Power of the Perspective Shift
That shift in perspective Leanne describes is more significant than it might initially seem. When we’re in the grip of intense emotions like anger or overwhelm, our thinking narrows dramatically. Psychologists sometimes call this “emotional tunneling” — where our entire awareness collapses around the feeling, making it impossible to see beyond it.
It’s like wearing glasses that suddenly fog up. The world is still there, but all you can see is the fog.
“What Leanne discovered is that even quick, informal Tapping — just on one point like the collarbone — can clear that fog just enough to remember there’s a wider view available.”
This isn’t about bypassing the emotion or forcing yourself to “think positive.” It’s about creating enough mental and emotional space to respond rather than react.
What’s Happening in Your Body When You’re Overwhelmed or Angry
To understand why Leanne’s simple Tapping strategy works so well, let’s look at what’s actually happening in your body when you feel overwhelmed or angry.
When these intense emotions arise, your nervous system shifts into a stress response state. Your brain perceives a threat (which could be anything from a looming deadline to a challenging conversation), and it responds by:
- Flooding your system with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline
- Increasing your heart rate
- Tensing your muscles
- Shallowing your breathing
- Shunting blood away from your digestive system and toward your limbs
- Narrowing your focus to perceived threats
Most crucially — and this is where Leanne’s perspective insight comes in — this stress response dramatically changes your brain function. Your prefrontal cortex (responsible for rational thinking, planning, and perspective-taking) gets partially taken offline, while your amygdala (your brain’s alarm system) takes the wheel.
In other words, when you’re overwhelmed or angry, you literally lose access to the part of your brain that can see the bigger picture.
How Tapping Interrupts the Cycle
When Leanne taps on her collarbone during moments of anger, she’s sending a powerful signal directly to her nervous system. That gentle, rhythmic tapping tells her brain: “You’re safe. You can stand down from high alert.”
Research has shown that Tapping stimulates acupressure points that help regulate the body’s stress response. A 2012 study by Dr. Dawson Church and his colleagues found that just 10 minutes of Tapping reduced cortisol levels by an average of 24% — a significant physiological shift that helps explain why Tapping creates that sense of expanded perspective. In 2020, Dr. Peta Stapleton and colleagues replicated the study and found an even bigger drop in cortisol of 43%!
In essence, Tapping helps bring your prefrontal cortex back online. It’s like flipping the switch to turn the lights back on in a darkened room — suddenly you can see what was there all along.
Beyond the Collarbone: Creating Your Own “Emergency Tapping Protocol”
Leanne mentioned tapping on her collarbone point, which is a fantastic spot for quick relief. The collarbone point helps regulate the body’s energy system and calm the nervous system.
But depending on the situation and your specific emotional response, different Tapping points might offer unique benefits. Here’s how to create your own personalized “emergency Tapping protocol” for moments of overwhelm or anger:
Option 1: The Single-Point Express Approach
Like Leanne discovered, sometimes all you need is to tap on a single point. If the collarbone works for you, great! But you might also experiment with other points like the side of the hand, under the eye, or top of the head.
Simply tap continuously on your chosen point for 30-60 seconds while breathing deeply. You don’t need to say anything — just focus on the feeling and let the Tapping process do its thing.
Option 2: The Quick, One-Round Emergency Tap
When possible, one complete round of Tapping (even if super short!) can create an even more powerful reset. Here’s a script you can use in moments of anger or overwhelm:
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though I’m feeling completely overwhelmed/angry right now, I acknowledge how I feel and I’m open to gaining some perspective.”
Then tap through all the points while saying simple reminder phrases:
Eyebrow: “This overwhelming anger”
Side of the eye: “It’s so intense right now”
Under the eye: “I can barely think straight”
Under the nose: “My body feels so activated”
Under the mouth: “All this intense emotion”
Collarbone: “I acknowledge how I feel”
Under the arm: “And I’m open to some perspective”
Top of the head: “Even in the middle of this intensity”
Repeat this simple round once or twice, and you’ll likely notice a significant shift in both how you feel and how you perceive the situation.
From Emergency Relief to Root Cause Healing
“While the ‘in-the-moment’ Tapping that Leanne describes is incredibly valuable, there’s also tremendous benefit in working with these emotions more deeply when you have the time and space.”
The anger and overwhelm we experience in daily life are often connected to deeper patterns and past experiences. When you’re not in the midst of an emotional storm, consider these approaches:
1. Explore the Pattern
Set aside 10-15 minutes to tap on questions like:
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though I notice I get overwhelmed/angry in certain situations, I’m curious about what’s really happening, and I accept myself and my feelings.”
Eyebrow: “When did I first remember feeling this way?”
Side of the eye: “What does this remind me of?”
Under the eye: “Why might my system be reacting so strongly?”
Under the nose: “What am I really afraid might happen?”
Under the mouth: “What belief is driving this response?”
Collarbone: “I’m open to understanding this pattern”
Under the arm: “And releasing what’s no longer serving me”
Top of the head: “I can be gentle with myself through this process”
This kind of exploratory Tapping can reveal insights about why certain situations trigger such intense reactions. Those insights can then become targets for deeper healing work.
2. Tap on Specific Triggers
Once you’ve identified patterns, you can work more specifically on the situations that most commonly trigger overwhelm or anger for you. For instance:
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though I get overwhelmed every time my boss asks for last-minute changes, I accept how I feel and I’m open to responding differently.”
Then tap through the points, alternating between the problem and possibilities:
Eyebrow: “I feel so frustrated by these last-minute requests”
Side of the eye: “They make me feel unseen and disrespected”
Under the eye: “And I immediately go into overwhelm”
Under the nose: “But what if I could stay centered?”
Under the mouth: “All this frustration and overwhelm”
Collarbone: “What if I could respond rather than react?”
Under the arm: “These requests trigger something deep in me”
Top of the head: “I’m working on responding with more ease”
3. Practice Preventative Tapping
Just as we brush our teeth to prevent cavities rather than waiting until we have a toothache, regular Tapping can build emotional resilience before you’re in crisis mode in the first place.
Consider incorporating a 5-minute Tapping session into your morning routine, focusing on setting a calm foundation for the day. This preventative approach reduces the overall stress load your system carries, making specific triggers less likely to push you into overwhelm or anger.
The Wisdom Behind Anger and Overwhelm
One thing I’ve learned over years of working with Tapping is that our most challenging emotions often contain important messages. Anger, for example, frequently arises when boundaries have been crossed or needs aren’t being met. Overwhelm often signals that we’re trying to carry more than is sustainable.
“Rather than seeing these emotions as problems to eliminate, we can approach them as messengers. Tapping gives us the calm nervous system needed to actually hear the message instead of just reacting to the intensity of its delivery.”
So try to approach your emotions with curiosity and a willingness to understand. Tune into your body, tune into your emotions, and see what you can learn.
The Ripple Effect of a Perspective Shift
What makes Leanne’s insight so powerful is how a small shift in perspective during emotional intensity can create a ripple effect throughout your life. When you’re able to access perspective in difficult moments, you can:
- Make decisions aligned with your values rather than reactions
- Preserve relationships instead of damaging them with words spoken in anger
- See creative solutions that aren’t visible when you’re emotionally flooded
- Build trust with yourself that you can handle intense emotions
- Create space for others to respond differently to you
These benefits compound over time, creating profound shifts in how you experience your life and relationships.
A Final Thought: The Middle Path
I particularly appreciate how Leanne noted that Tapping “doesn’t always take the anger away.” This highlights an important middle path between suppressing emotions and being controlled by them.
The goal isn’t to never feel angry or overwhelmed — these are natural human emotions that sometimes serve important functions. The goal is to create enough space around these emotions that they inform you without defining you. Tapping helps create that space.
So the next time you find yourself caught in overwhelm or anger, remember Leanne’s elegant solution: tap, even if it’s just on your collarbone.
You’re not trying to make the emotion disappear. You’re simply inviting a perspective that allows you to respond from your wisest self rather than your most reactive one.
Ready to explore Tapping further? Try these resources:
- The Tapping Solution App – Features specific meditations for emotional release and processing, including an entire Emotional Freedom Category. Here are some meditations you might find useful!
- Releasing Anger – Whether anger has come up quickly, or it’s been building incrementally over time, this Tapping meditation can help you honor and release the stress of what you’re feeling.
- Release Overwhelm – Shed the weight of daily stressors and find peace of mind. Whether you experience frequent feelings of overwhelm or just need some support in the moment, this Tapping meditation can help.
- Release Overwhelm Quick Tap – This 2 min long session is a great way to address feeling overwhelmed. Turn your day around for the better so you can bring fresh energy into whatever lies ahead today.
- Settle Your Emotions – In this unique session you’ll press on the Tapping points to ease emotional intensity and guide yourself back to a place of calm and balance.
- Find a Certified EFT Practitioner – For personalized support, especially for deeper seated emotions.
Note: You can access these App meditations by clicking the links above using your mobile device, or type the name of the meditation into The Tapping Solution App’s search function.
Have you tried Tapping in moments of intense emotion? What shifts have you noticed? Share your experiences in the comments below!
Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner