Have you ever felt like you’re doing everything “right” but still can’t seem to access the energy you know should be there? You’re not alone, as this heartfelt message from Ana illustrates:
“Dear Nick, Despite a health(ier) diet and years of yoga ‘something’ is keeping my energy level down/low. Somehow I do not seem to able to turn this around.”
Ana’s message resonates deeply with me because it highlights a frustration I hear about constantly in my work — that feeling of being stuck in low energy despite making all the “right” lifestyle choices.
First, I want to acknowledge something important: Ana, your commitment to a healthier diet and consistent yoga practice has likely been providing your body with crucial support. These healthy habits are essential foundations for energy and wellbeing. They’re doing important work for your health.
But here’s the thing that many wellness experts don’t talk about: sometimes the most powerful changes don’t come from adding more external solutions but from addressing what’s happening internally in your nervous system and emotional landscape.
The Missing Piece in the Energy Puzzle
Your healthy diet is providing your body with the right fuel. Your yoga practice is supporting your physical structure and flexibility. These are vital pieces of the energy puzzle — but they’re not the complete picture.
Think about it this way: If you had a phone that wouldn’t hold a charge, you might try different chargers, different outlets, even a new battery. But what if the issue wasn’t with the charging system at all, but with internal programming that was draining the battery too quickly?
That’s often what’s happening with our energy. We focus on “recharging” through diet, exercise, and sleep (all essential!), but we miss the internal programming that might be unnecessarily draining our energy reserves.
These internal energy drains often operate outside our conscious awareness, which is why they can be so persistent and frustrating. You can’t solve a problem you can’t see.
“Sometimes the most powerful changes don’t come from adding more external solutions but from addressing what’s happening internally in your nervous system and emotional landscape.”
The Invisible Energy Drains
Let me share something that might help make sense of your experience: Your energy levels are regulated not just by nutrition and physical activity, but by your nervous system, which responds to both your current environment AND your past experiences.
What often happens is that our nervous systems get locked in energy-draining patterns due to:
- Unprocessed emotional experiences that require energy to keep contained
- Subconscious beliefs about safety, worth, and what’s possible for you
- Ongoing stress responses that your body hasn’t fully completed
- Old protective patterns that may have served you in the past but are now outdated
These elements can create what we might think of as an “energy ceiling” — an invisible limit on how much vitality you can experience regardless of how well you eat or how faithfully you practice yoga.
Your Nervous System: The Master Control Switch
In my book, I talk about two cavemen, the brothers Grog and Thor. Grog survived because he was cautious and conservative with his energy, while peace-loving Thor got eaten by a tiger.
Your brain is wired like Grog’s — constantly scanning for threats and saving energy just in case you need it for survival. This negativity bias is hardwired into us, and it has profound effects on our energy regulation.
When your nervous system perceives any kind of threat — whether it’s physical danger, emotional stress, uncertainty about the future, or even subtle childhood programming — it automatically diverts energy away from vitality and into protection.
The problem is, in our modern world, these “threats” are often chronic low-level stressors or even just echoes from past experiences that keep us in a perpetual state of energy conservation.
The key insight here is that your conscious mind might be fully committed to having more energy, while your subconscious mind and nervous system are running programs designed to keep your energy low.
“Your conscious mind might be fully committed to having more energy, while your subconscious mind and nervous system are running programs designed to keep your energy low.”
When Your Body’s Wisdom Becomes an Outdated Strategy
Our bodies are incredibly intelligent and adaptive. If at some point in your life having lower energy served you — perhaps it helped you avoid conflict, kept you from taking risks, or allowed you to fit in with family expectations — your nervous system might have created a “low energy set point” as a protective strategy.
For example, I worked with a client who couldn’t understand why she always felt tired despite her impeccable health habits. Through Tapping, she discovered that as a child, whenever she showed too much enthusiasm or energy, her critical father would give her extra chores or criticize her for being “too much.” Her body had learned that having less energy was safer.
Another client realized that her fatigue was connected to a deep fear of success. More energy would mean pursuing her dreams more actively, which brought up fears of failure and judgment. Her low energy was actually protecting her from these feared outcomes.
These patterns aren’t logical from our adult perspective, but they make perfect sense from the perspective of our protective nervous system.
Tapping: The Bridge Between External Health and Internal Patterns
This is where Tapping comes in as a uniquely powerful tool. While your healthy diet and yoga practice address the physical foundations of energy, Tapping addresses the nervous system patterns that might be limiting how much energy you can actually access and express.
Tapping works at the interface between your body and your brain — sending calming signals to your amygdala (the brain’s alarm system) while simultaneously releasing tension patterns in your body.
When you tap while focusing on the specific factors limiting your energy, you’re essentially “rewiring” your nervous system’s response. You’re telling your body: “It’s safe to have more energy now.”
Identifying Your Unique Energy Blocks
Before we dive into specific Tapping sequences, let’s try to identify what might be creating your energy ceiling. Consider these questions:
- When did you first notice your energy levels weren’t what you wanted them to be?
- Are there specific situations or people that seem to drain your energy more than others?
- What happens when you do experience moments of higher energy? Do you notice any discomfort or worry that comes up?
- Is there any part of you that might benefit from having lower energy? (Perhaps it keeps you from taking on too much, protects you from disappointment, or allows you to avoid certain situations?)
- If you imagined yourself with abundant energy, what fears or concerns might come up?
Take a moment to reflect on these questions. The answers might give you insights into what specific aspects to tap on.
Tapping to Release Your Energy Blocks
Now, let’s start Tapping. I’ll share a general sequence for releasing energy blocks, but feel free to modify the language to make it more specific to your situation.
To begin, rate your current energy level on a scale of 0-10, with 0 being completely depleted and 10 being optimally energized.
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though my energy stays low despite my healthy habits, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though there seems to be something keeping my energy down, I’m open to discovering what that is and releasing it.”
“Even though I’ve tried so many things and still feel stuck with low energy, I choose to be kind to myself and open to new possibilities.”
Eyebrow: “This persistent low energy”
Side of Eye: “Despite my healthy diet”
Under Eye: “Despite years of yoga”
Under Nose: “Something deeper is happening”
Under Mouth: “Something inside me is holding my energy back”
Collarbone: “I wonder what my body is trying to tell me”
Under Arm: “There must be a reason for this pattern”
Top of Head: “I’m ready to understand it”
Eyebrow: “Maybe my nervous system is stuck in protection mode”
Side of Eye: “Maybe it’s trying to keep me safe in some way”
Under Eye: “Perhaps my body doesn’t feel safe having more energy”
Under Nose: “What would change if I had more energy?”
Under Mouth: “Would I do things differently?”
Collarbone: “Would I take more risks?”
Under Arm: “I acknowledge there might be a deeper wisdom here”
Top of Head: “Even if it’s no longer serving me”
Eyebrow: “I wonder when this pattern started”
Side of Eye: “What was happening in my life then?”
Under Eye: “What might having low energy have protected me from?”
Under Nose: “I’m willing to see the truth”
Under Mouth: “With compassion for myself”
Collarbone: “My body has been doing its best”
Under Arm: “To keep me safe in its own way”
Top of Head: “I’m ready to create new patterns now”
Take a deep breath and check in with your energy level again. Has there been any shift?
Let’s continue with a round focused more on creating a new possibility:
Eyebrow: “What if my body could feel safe with more energy?”
Side of Eye: “What if I could release this old pattern?”
Under Eye: “I give my nervous system permission to reset”
Under Nose: “It’s safe for me to feel more vitality”
Under Mouth: “I’m ready to experience a new level of energy”
Collarbone: “My healthy habits can now support higher energy”
Under Arm: “I’m releasing the old programming now”
Top of Head: “And opening to a new experience of energy”
Common Internal Energy Drains
Let’s explore some specific internal patterns that might be relevant to your situation:
The “Energy Means Responsibility” Pattern
Some of us subconsciously limit our energy because we’ve learned that when we have more energy, more is expected of us. This often stems from childhood experiences where showing vitality led to being given more responsibilities or tasks.
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though part of me fears that more energy means more will be expected of me, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Eyebrow: “If I have more energy”
Side of Eye: “I might have to do more”
Under Eye: “People might expect more from me”
Under Nose: “It might be harder to say no”
Under Mouth: “So part of me keeps my energy low”
Collarbone: “As a way of setting boundaries”
Under Arm: “But I can have energy AND set healthy boundaries”
Top of Head: “I can have energy AND choose how to use it”
The “It’s Not Safe to Shine” Pattern
Sometimes our vitality got us negative attention, criticism, or even made others uncomfortable. Our nervous systems might have decided that keeping energy low helps us “stay under the radar” and avoid unwanted attention.
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though part of me believes it’s safer to keep my energy low and not stand out too much, I deeply and completely accept how I feel.”
Eyebrow: “What might happen if I had vibrant energy?”
Side of Eye: “Would I stand out too much?”
Under Eye: “Would others be uncomfortable with my vitality?”
Under Nose: “Would I make others feel bad about themselves?”
Under Mouth: “These fears have been protecting me”
Collarbone: “But they’re based on the past”
Under Arm: “I can have energy and still be appropriate”
Top of Head: “It’s safe for me to shine my light now”
“When you tap while focusing on the specific factors limiting your energy, you’re essentially ‘rewiring’ your nervous system’s response. You’re telling your body: ‘It’s safe to have more energy now.'”
The “Holding Emotions In” Pattern
One of the biggest internal energy drains is the unconscious effort it takes to keep difficult emotions contained. If you’ve been holding grief, anger, disappointment or other strong emotions inside, this requires enormous energy to maintain.
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though I might be using a lot of energy to keep my emotions contained, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Eyebrow: “All this emotional energy I’m containing”
Side of Eye: “It’s exhausting to hold it all in”
Under Eye: “My system has been working overtime”
Under Nose: “Using up my precious energy”
Under Mouth: “To keep these feelings managed”
Collarbone: “I’m ready to process these emotions safely”
Under Arm: “So they don’t need to drain my energy anymore”
Top of Head: “I can release them and reclaim my vitality”
The Freedom of Energy Without Limits
Imagine what it would feel like to wake up each morning with natural vitality flowing through your body. To have the energy to not just do what you need to do, but to pursue what brings you joy. To finish the day still feeling resourced rather than depleted.
This isn’t just a fantasy — it’s your natural state when your nervous system isn’t constrained by old patterns and protection mechanisms.
Your commitment to health through diet and yoga shows that you value vitality, and now by addressing these deeper layers through Tapping, you’re completing the picture. You’re working not just with the physical body but with the entire mind-body-energy system.
I believe you can break through this energy ceiling, Ana. Your persistence in seeking answers already demonstrates the inner strength that will carry you through this process of discovery and release.
Would you be willing to try Tapping daily for just two weeks, focusing specifically on these energy patterns we’ve discussed? I’d love to hear what shifts you notice, even small ones.
Remember — your body wants to express its natural vitality. Sometimes it just needs a little help removing the internal blocks that have built up over time.
Looking for more support with energy and vitality?
- The Tapping Solution App – Our app features specific meditations for boosting energy and releasing blocks. Here are a few I’d recommend:
- Feeling Safe to Shine – This is a meditation from my sister, Jessica’s, audiobook Weight Loss and Body Confidence, but it is a powerful meditation to anchor in the belief that it’s safe to shine! Definitely try it out, especially if that short version I shared above resonated.
- Instant Boost of Energy or our even shorter Micro Boost of Energy – These are both powerful sessions you can use anytime you want to connect with energy. Sometimes we just need to remind our system that we want to feel energized, and taking a moment to tap and connect with that can really shift things!
- Recharging Your Energy Guided Imagery – This is a different session, where you won’t tap, but will simply listen as you’re guided through a beautiful visualization process. Our subconscious mind works in symbols, and that’s why visualization can be so powerful. You’ll be guided to an oasis that will help energize your spirits and rejuvenate your entire being.
- Inner Child Healing Quick Taps – Since these deeper nervous system patterns can come from beliefs we took on in childhood, I’d recommend exploring this category of Quick Taps. Each meditation is short – 2 minutes – and helps to anchor in new healthy beliefs, updating our inner child on how safe we are now to be seen, to have boundaries, and more so that we can live life to the fullest!
- Find a Certified EFT Practitioner – For personalized guidance on your specific energy challenges.
Note: You can access the 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 experienced energy blocks despite healthy habits? I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if you have any questions on this topic. From questions about how to use Tapping on this topic, or success stories about what helped you break through, your comments can help others who might be facing similar situations.
Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner