You can release negative emotions and lift your spirits by simply tapping parts of your body
Heard of tapping? It’s been hailed as ‘emotional first aid’ – a way to combat stress, anxiety and fear by applying gentle pressure on your body’s ‘energy hotspots’. Even Prince Harry is at it – post ‘Megxit’, the royal was filmed using ‘tapping’, also known as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), in conjunction with other alternative therapies, as part of his treatment for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and to process the loss of his mother.
‘There’s evidence of humans tapping on their bodies as a form of self-soothing going as far back as 5,000 years,’ says tapping specialist Poppy Delbridge*. ‘It’s proven that it can swiftly reset, neutralise and de-stress us.’ In fact, tapping can reduce levels of the ‘stress hormone’, cortisol, in the body by a whopping 43%**. Here’s how to tap your way out of emotional distress…
Power in your hands
‘Tapping allows us to safely and quickly shift trapped energy in our bodies – and it’s natural,’ says Poppy. Once you know how to do it, the simple act of tapping various points of the face and body with your hands can be done anytime, anywhere. Tapping is used all over the world to treat a whole range of concerns from, insomnia, anxiety and pain, to helping with weight loss, phobias, anger issues and addiction, says Poppy.
How it works
EFT uses the meridian tapping points from Chinese medicine – similar to acupuncture, says Poppy. ‘But you don’t need to know huge amounts about the points to use tapping, the real trick is to accept that energy is at the heart of everything.’ It’s believed that energy flows through our meridian lines and this energy needs to be balanced in order to maintain good health. It’s thought tapping stimulates the points, accessing your body’s energy and helping to send signals to the part of the brain that controls negative emotions. When put to the test, tapping reduced anxiety by 40%, depression by 35%, pain by 57% and cravings by 74%, found a study***.
When to try tapping?
You could tap in the morning so you start the day feeling grounded, or at night to help you sleep. Make it a daily habit by tagging it onto something you already do, such as when in the shower.
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