EFT for Anxiety
WHAT’S THE ISSUE: Some mental health professionals are still trying to understand how a body-based therapy called EFT Tapping can help reduce anxiety so well. But now, the NCCIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) — which is the main U.S. government agency that researches health approaches like this — has officially recognized EFT as a helpful “Complementary Health Approach for Anxiety.”
There is strong research that shows EFT Tapping works for anxiety. Dr. Peta Stapleton, a clinical psychologist and researcher, says there have been 14 high-quality studies called Randomized Controlled Trials on EFT for anxiety. These studies use something called Cohen’s effect size to measure how well the treatment works.
To help explain:
An effect size of 0.2 means a small effect
0.5 means a medium effect
0.8 means a large effect
EFT Tapping had an effect size of 1.29 in these trials. That means it works really well—much better than most treatments!
EFT for anxiety: 3 levels of depth
When using EFT for anxiety, there are three levels you can try.
Level 1:
EFT Tapping meditations you can do on your own when you feel anxious right now. Below, you will find some helpful resources to get started.
Level 2:
Using the full EFT Tapping method more skillfully to work on a specific problem that causes anxiety. This could be things like back pain, cravings for food or cigarettes, or trouble sleeping. It can also help with anxiety that comes up when you think about your health or important goals, like passing a test, doing well in an interview. For the best results, it’s a good idea to work with a certified and accredited EFT Practitioner you trust.
Level 3:
Using advanced EFT Tapping techniques with a trained EFT Practitioner who can help you heal deeper trauma. This level is for those who have unresolved trauma stuck in their nervous system that keeps them stuck in anxiety.
EFT for General Anxiety
In EFT, we always start with general steps and then move to more specific ones. If you are feeling anxious and want to calm down, try this simple EFT for anxiety meditation. As with all types of anxiety, if your general anxiety levels are an 8/10 or more, it’s unlikely you will get very far just by self-help tapping. But internet tapping/tapping meditaitons is a good way to help yourself get started.
EFT for Health Anxiety
Another way to use EFT for anxiety is to help people who worry a lot about their health. If thinking about your health makes your anxiety feel very strong—like an 8, 9, or 10 out of 10—it’s a good idea to find a trusted EFT Practitioner to work with. But if your health anxiety is milder (a 7 or lower on the scale), doing self-help tapping might be helpful to calm your worries.
Here is an example of a tapping meditation targetting health anxiety to help you make a start.
EFT for exam anxiety
As mentioned before, if your anxiety about an upcoming exam feels very strong (8 or higher), it’s best to work with a trusted EFT Practitioner. But if it’s milder (7 or lower), self-help tapping can help calm your nerves.
Here is a simple EFT meditation for exam anxiety you can try. Start by rating your anxiety from 0 to 10, then tap the EFT points while repeating the thoughts below. Feel free to change the words to fit what feels true for you.
EFT for Anxiety vs Depression TIPS
If you’re new to EFT and want to try tapping to help with your anxiety, start by trying different tapping speeds to see what feels best for you.
Usually, tapping slower can help you feel calmer. Tapping faster might help if you’re feeling sad or low. But this isn’t a strict rule—some days, tapping faster might help you get rid of anxious energy and feel better.
Try paying attention to what your body needs at the moment and change your tapping speed to match.
Anxiety AFFECTINg SLEEP
It’s common for anxiety to make it hard to sleep. One way to use EFT to help you relax and fall asleep is to gently touch the EFT points instead of tapping them. There is also a special EFT technique called Touch and Breathe that can help you calm down before bedtime.
Anxiety AFFECTINg our Decision-making power
High levels of anxiety can also make it hard to make decisions. When we feel very anxious, we often struggle to choose what to do. This happens because strong emotions can affect the part of our brain (called the frontal lobe) that helps us make decisions. It’s pretty simple.
EFT Tapping can help with this problem. One way to use EFT for indecision is to keep tapping while thinking about the thing you can’t decide about. This helps bring your ‘thinking brain’, your frontal lobe, back online.
Another way to practice EFT for indecision is to add words that feel true to you while tapping. For example, if your indecision feels like ‘I’m stuck’, you could tap and say, “Even though I’m stuck right now, I’m OK.”
First, rate how strong the feeling of “I’m stuck” is before you start tapping. Then, do a few rounds of tapping like I show in the video below. After that, stop and see if any ideas or solutions come to you. Finally, check again how strong the feeling of “I’m stuck” is.
Anxiety CAUSING unhealthy habits
The best book I’ve read about how anxiety connects to unhealthy habits and addiction is Unwinding Anxiety: Train Your Brain to Heal Your Mind by Dr. Judson Brewer. You should read it if you want to understand how hidden anxiety can be behind an addiction.
When we don’t recognize our anxiety, we might develop ways to comfort ourselves, like drinking too much alcohol or sugary drinks like Coca-Cola.
Other ways people cope with anxiety include smoking cigarettes or marijuana, and eating a lot of foods high in refined sugar, white bread, or white pasta. Even emotional eating or overeating can happen because of hidden anxiety.
These habits might help us feel better in the moment, so they aren’t always “bad.” But over time, they can hurt our health, productivity, and success. EFT can help you work on these unhealthy habits so that you address the root of the problem – the underlying anxiety.
Tapping for Anxiety in Little Kids
Kids under 10 can feel anxiety when their nervous system is out of balance. In the video below, I talk about some toys that have worked well to make tapping easier and more fun for little kids.
Playing and tapping with stuffed animals has many benefits, like:
Helping build trust and making kids feel safe
Helping kids open up about their problems by using the stuffed animal as a way to talk about things from a distance
Letting kids tap on their stuffed animal while they talk about their problem (this helps them feel less worried)
Holding their stuffed animal while tapping gives extra comfort since tapping itself helps calm them down
Giving kids the chance to ask their stuffed animal for advice or see what it “thinks” during an EFT session
Personalized EFT Tapping sessions
Looking for support with anxiety or healthy habits? EFT Tapping sessions can also help with related issues like phobias, insomnia, cravings, and even chronic pain.
If anxiety is holding you back from reaching your goals, EFT can support you in feeling calmer and more in control.
Start with a 30-minute initial consultation for just €40 to see how we can work together. Ready to take the next step?
ABOUT Eleni Vardaki
Eleni Vardaki a Therapeutic Coach and Educational Consultant who specializes in EFT Tapping to help with stress, anxiety, and school performance. She offers both in-person and online EFT sessions for adults and kids ages 8 and up who want professional support for anxiety, stress, or reaching their goals.
