Getting Clear with EFT: Banishing Niggling Negative Emotions

Dec 12

Written By Ananga

One of the many great things you can do with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is clear your head and settle those niggling negative emotions and experiences that can pile up and get you down. For improved sleep and focus try this quick ten minute exercise for dumping what’s on your mind and settling to sleep with a lighter mental load.

photo by: adactio FLICKR (CC)

Step 1: Write it Down

People often puzzle over how to start when using EFT. By writing out your thoughts first, the puzzle is solved and it's easy to get going. Here’s how to do it.

Simply grab a piece of paper and a pen and divide the paper into to columns. Write at the top of the left column “How it was”, now set a timer for 2 minutes and scribble your way down the page like a shopping list. Don’t think, don’t plan or ponder, just write a quick list of anything that happened today that you weren’t happy about. When the 2 minute’s is up, stop.

Next, set the timer for another two minutes. Pick one thing from your list that stands out to you, one thing you’d like to settle. With your remaining time write a couple of quick short statements about how you feel about it in the right column. Again, don’t ruminate over it, just write it like it is for you. When the timer goes off, stop writing. Look at your two short statements that describe your feelings over your chosen item and put a ring around the one that instinctively feels most accurate to you. Again, do it quickly, this is a gut reaction thing, pick one and ring it. You’re done!

photo by: Ayala Moriel FLICKR (CC)

Step 2: Tap it Through

Now you’re ready to get calm and resourceful by tapping through your chosen item from your list.

To make a start simply pick the statement you chose and use it for your set-up statement. For example, “Even though xxx didn’t consider a word I said, I accept myself.”

Say it aloud to yourself as you rub the set-up area, or “sore spot”. Do this three times and then move on to the first point in the tapping statement, say a short version of your statement and tap the first point, take a deep breath and let it out slowly, now start tapping the next point as you remind yourself of your shortened statement again, take another deep breath and move on to the next point, and the next, continue until you have made your statement and tapped at all the remaining points.

When you get to the final point in the sequence take another deep breath and slowly let it go. Now check in with yourself. Look back at that circled statement on your list and see how you feel differently about it now. What did you learn? Are you done with it, or do you need to tap it through again?

It only takes a minute or two to tap the EFT sequence through, so be sure to keep going until you feel really settled and calm about your chosen item.

Keeping Clear Resourceful

Using EFT regularly like this is a great way to diffuse stress and anxiety before things build up and start spoiling your quality of life. You can clear hurts, anxieties, resentments, worries over work, you can clear anything you choose. All it takes is a little time and practice and before you know it you’ll be clearing issues on the go.

photo by: hyku FLICKR (CC)

What’s Next?

Other articles you might find of interest:

EFT - Medicine's Major Miss

Master Negative Emotions, Stress & Pain with EFT

New Study Looks at How Negative Emotions Imprint Your Memory

Further Resources:

The Art & Science of Emotional Freedom - EFT eBook & Quick Start MP3s

Ananga