With many expensive types of therapies and products that are claimed to benefit you, it is no wonder people are curious about facial tapping. It has gotten even harder to connect with doctors and therapists one on one, distancing us more from health professionals. Learning self-care techniques is not a trend; it is a way of life and healing. Learning which is easy to do at home is more of a benefit to you as you commit to online learning and meetings.
EFT tapping is emotional acupressure that emphasizes specific areas of the face and verbal mantras to relieve stress and anxiety and promote energy. It uses two fingers and light pressure to target an area of the body. Using it with talk therapy increases awareness and improves regulation.
Self-care routines have gotten a lot of attention and for a good reason. More and more people are discussing what techniques work, how they work, and ways to incorporate them into busy lifestyles. I was curious about facial tapping and decided to learn more about it after it worked so well for me. Facial tapping is a new and fun discovery, and I am excited to share it with you!
What is EFT?
Eft stands for emotional freedom technique. Emotional freedom techniques are self-care techniques done at home that use energy psychology to improve mood and balance. While it is controversial, plenty of people do it, and there are no side effects. It is an all-natural way to combat stress, depression, and sadness through mindfulness. For more ideas on natural self-care tips, please read this article.
It is a form of acupressure, similar to massage therapy and acupuncture. It also uses cognitive-behavioral therapy and talk therapy components to be attentive to a problem or challenge you are experiencing. Focused on the meridians, it works by improving energy flow, or Qi energy traveling through the body.
Facial tapping is fun, relaxing, and calms your nerves. You can tap your face in the shower or as you apply moisturizer to your face! It is a form of mindfulness and can help you become closer to your body if you feel distant.
Tapping with verbal mantras helps combat negative thoughts and feelings because you are reassuring yourself of your worth or value before negative thoughts pounce on your light.
How does EFT work? Why is it effective?
Facial tapping uses two to three fingers and light pressure. In Chinese medicine, specific areas of the body are used to promote energy flow called meridians. In acupuncture, they insert needles into your skin to promote energy flow. This is also called Qi, or Chi.
Facial tapping is similar because you are tapping areas of the face that alternative doctors understand impact the Qi. Specific areas of the body can be tapped, or used during acupuncture, to increase energy flow and self-awareness.
Tapping is very easy! When I first saw how simple it was, I had to try it. You have to put your two to three fingers together, know where to tap and tap! Think of tapping on a person’s arm if they are in your way. There are charts on the meridians, and in many places, energy can flow throughout your body, but for this post, you can focus on the face if you are overwhelmed to understand it better.
Where do you tap with EFT?
Tapping is done on the face and other parts of the body. Tap areas of your face –middle of the forehead, chin, undereye area, cheeks, and temple– while verbally repeating something that suits your mental needs that promotes acceptance and love. This will help you stay grounded, present, and focused.
Use two or three fingers to tap the different areas of the face and try different patterns and tempos. Use a short rhythm to tap if you would like and try in any way you want that feels good for you. I tap quickly with gentle pressure on many areas of my face and forehead.
The video below describes different techniques, areas, and statements to incorporate into your routine. Different areas of the body include the hands, top of head, chest, and sides.
Can EFT tapping help you emotionally?
Facial tapping and other forms of body tapping can help combat depression, addiction, sadness, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, physical pain, sleep disorders, and obsessive patterns.
Studies on the subject prove that people who use this therapy are veterans, university students, and participants of talk therapy. There is evidence that tapping works. This therapy is considered controversial, so the more documented proof that it works for people, the more widely known it will become and considered viable health treatment.
What are the right words to say with EFT tapping– verbal mantra ideas
“I am loved. I am worthy. I am safe.” — my favorite.
The best natural stress relief tips- self-care ideas – Mission Momplex
If you are overwhelmed by responsibilities, you could try listing your worries, “Groceries. Work. School.” If your kids are making you feel crazy, as they often do, try saying, “I am stressed out. I love my kids. Please choose love.” If you are feeling tired, you could say something like, “I woke up. I am here. This is now.”
After watching a few different mental health professionals’ videos describing what to say, I have learned that they use lengthy statements in sequence. These are longer, more drawn-out verbal techniques, and I definitely see how they are useful for this therapy when given the time.
A doctor, Dawson Church, said,
“I release anything and everything that stands between me and my highest potential.”
EFT Tapping For Beginners: How to Start Your Day with Tapping – YouTube
While I like the idea of long paragraph-style affirmations, I often have trouble incorporating longer statements into my routine. I have found that shorter, fast-paced sentences work best for me because I hurry to shower, make lunch, or help my kids to bed.
If you have the time to spend, try watching one of the videos linked in this article to follow along. Learn what other people say to understand how positive affirmations can help you be fully aware of your problems so you can shift your worry into full-body acceptance.
Suppose you want to try tapping and can’t find the time. Start brief mantras and work your way into longer positive affirmations. It might be helpful to learn that self-care strategies take a long time to master, and starting small is definitely better than giving up. I will keep trying, and you should too!
How often do you tap with EFT?
Tap as many times as you want wherever you want. When you begin a tapping routine, it is easy to get confused about when to do it, where to tap, and for how long. Start with what makes your feel comfortable and increase the number of times you tap to see if you can benefit from it even more or decrease tapping if you feel alright. Depending on your state of mind, you could feel very anxious or just a little out of wack. The goal is that it is used as a routine for self-care and anxiety relief, so please, try not to overthink it! This will stress you out more.
Tap wherever you want –bed, shower, car– whenever you can –morning, afternoon, midnight– as many times as you want. You may find that remembering to do it once a week works for you while finding mantras and places to tap that work for you. Once you find your rhythm and groove, try doing it more often and see if that feels right.
Designate particular areas to do it, so you always associate those areas with self-care and cleansing. Bathing, for example, is a great place to tap and drink hot tea. I always tap and drink tea during baths. Right before bed might be more of your jam if you are trying to improve your bedtime routine. Think of the same place every time to be sure you are actually doing it and not just thinking of doing it. Try to do it in an area you always visit to ensure you can try it weekly or even daily.
When I started tapping, I was really, really stressed. I was doing mindfulness routines almost 5 times a day to feel grounded and present. Starting strong meant I had to feel better before even considering decreasing my time with my routine. Eventually, it turned into a meaningful, healthy habit that I now do once or twice a day, out of habit, and not five times out of desperation.
Everyone is different. Your routine should be special and meaningful to you and fit into your lifestyle!
Does the tapping in EFT really work? Evidence-based?
More and more doctors and researchers find that tapping is an effective treatment for symptoms like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, compulsive habits and behaviors, and mood disorders because it decreases cortisol. There is even a study that proves cortisol decreased via saliva.
People get focused on finding evidence that proves that alternative medicine works without trying it for themselves. I understand we want to be safe and ensure that we aren’t wasting time, money, and energy. If you judge an alternative therapy that clearly has no side effects and costs no money, you may be missing out on something that will help you feel good.
Take exercise, for example. Many doctors and most people understand that walking is healthy, inexpensive, and helpful for health. If we focus too much on finding white papers that prove it is useful for self-care, we might forget to walk outside to get the mail. That will stress you out later when you are compiling your bank statements to pay bills or looking for that application that was supposed to be sent.
Consider whether finding evidence will truly benefit you and ask yourself whether you are in danger of doing this treatment. If you think it looks silly or is considered quackery, you may need to decide whether your own judgments are getting in the way of finding self-care habits that work for you.
