Energy Psychology Archives - Page 2 of 15 - Finding the Meaning in Everyday Life

I Can Ignore My Health

Just for today, I can ignore my health. That is a great example of unhealthy thinking. But it is also an example of something most of us really think. If you think it is harmful to your body why do you want to eat it on your birthday, or any other time? I don’t have an answer for you, but I do have a short tapping to get you started.

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I feel entitled to overeat on my birthday, I choose to keep my goals in mind. I feel that I really deserve to blow my diet since it is a special occasion but I choose to consider finding ways to celebrate without hurting my body or my health. Even though there is a possibility that I will “blow it”, I deeply and completely accept myself including the parts of me that want this indulgence.

Eyebrow…It’s my birthday

Side of Eye…I deserve to eat whatever I want

Under the Eye…It doesn’t seem fair to have to say no to food on my birthday

Under the Nose…I want steak or lobster

Chin…I want cake and ice cream

Collarbone…I want pancakes and bacon for breakfast

Under the Arm…How can my day be special without those things?

Top of Head…Of course I could eat all of that but just eat smaller portions

Eyebrow..But I’m not sure that would satisfy me either

Side of Eye…Shouldn’t I be able to have whatever I want on my birthday?

Under the Eye…The answer is yes. But, maybe I should look closer at what I really want.

Under the Nose…Will those foods make me feel good about myself?

Chin…No they won’t

Collarbone…Will overeating make me feel loved?

Under the Arm…No it won’t

Top of Head…I want to choose to find ways to love myself on my birthday without hurting my health

Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now is the time to keep tapping with the answers to some of those questions. What do you really want? How can you show yourself love without hurting your health?

BONUS TAPPING: Name 3 comfort foods. While tapping through the points, describe them in as much detail as you possibly can. Continue tapping while you describe your first memory of these foods. Spend some time thinking about what these foods mean to you, when you crave them the most, and how you feel when you eat them.

Need to learn more about tapping? Click here.

Want more tapping exercises like this one? Click here.

Happy Tapping.

book cover for Don't Diet Reprogramming Your Weight With Meridian Tapping

Those Same 5 Pounds

Have you lost the same 5, 10, or 15 pounds over and over again? You work really hard to get them off, yet you seem to gain them back almost over night. Then, you do it all over again. This sequence of events is addressed in today’s tapping example.

Tapping

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – I’ve lost this same 5 pounds before; however, I choose to be amazed at how easy it will be to keep it off this time. Even though I’ve lost this same 5 pounds before I respect my choice to lose it, or not lose it again. Even though I’ve lost this same 5 pounds before I love and accept myself with or without those 5 pounds.

Eyebrow…I am so depressed

Side of Eye…Because I’ve lost the same 5 pounds before

Under the Eye…Not just once

Under the Nose…But over and over again

Chin…That feels like failure to me

Collarbone…I know it doesn’t have to keep happening that way

Under the Arm…But it feels like this cycle will never stop

Top of Head…I acknowledge my frustration

Eyebrow…I acknolwedge that I am feeling bad about this

Side of Eye…I don’t want to continue the struggle

Under the Eye…I would like to find a way to make this easier

Under the Nose…Stressing out over it won’t help me reach my goal

Chin…I am proud of myself for not giving up

Collarbone…I’d like to keep it off this time

Under the Arm…And I am open to having it be much easier

Top of Head…I love and accept myself, with or without this struggle.

Take a deep breath and let it out gently. How do you feel about the 5 pounds now? This exercise isn’t really about the 5 pounds. Most people’s weight fluctuates and the truth is that the ups happen much more easily for some people than the downs. How we feel about those fluctuations is the real issue and can set us up for even more difficulty. The key to this exercise is asserting that you can love and accept yourself no matter what your weight.

Bonus Exercise

Are you feeling brave? If so, take a look at your stomach. Take a really good look at it from the front, the side, clothed, and naked. Write down the first words that pop into your mind and then tap about those.

Need to learn more about tapping? Click here.

Want more tapping exercises like this one? Click here.

Happy Tapping.

I Feel Shame About My Eating

One of the most frequent comments I get about tapping is that people don’t know where to start. They know, or have some basic idea, what the problem is but they get all hung up on the words. It is worth repeating – the words themselves are not magic. Tapping without words still works. I always encourage people to start where they are. After you start tapping, inspiration will come. The following tapping models how to tap about feeling shame about eating. It starts with the very basic setup “Even though I feel ashamed about my eating” and uses the reminder phrase “This eating shame.”

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I feel ashamed about my eating I choose to love and accept myself anyway. Even though I feel ashamed about my eating, I choose to love and accept myself unconditionally. Even though I feel ashamed about my eating, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.

Eyebrow…This eating shame

Side of Eye…This eating shame

Under the Eye…This eating shame

Under the Nose…This eating shame

Chin…This eating shame

Collarbone…This eating shame

Under the Arm…This eating shame

Top of Head…This eating shame

So you might look at this and think, “She just repeated the same thing over and over.” That’s right! You can make a lot of headway just repeating that phrase if it really is what you are feeling. Then, when you start feeling or thinking something different, tap on that. Keep repeating until you feel a shift. In my experience, something always comes up. It might be a memory of when someone else shamed you about your eating. I can share with you that when I did this one about 10 times a memory popped up of someone specifically saying to me “You should be ashamed of yourself.” That was my next thing to tap on in order to release the shame.

Need to learn more about tapping? Click here.

Want more tapping exercises like this one? Click here.

Happy Tapping.

Frustration

I have discovered that one of my triggers for mindless eating is frustration. Frustration is defined as a negative emotion that occurs because of the inability to change or achieve something. When I am in that state I seek relief through any means necessary, and fortunately (or unfortunately) I have found that food works – at least for a little while. In that instance, tapping about the food cravings doesn’t seem to work. Instead, I needed to tap on the feeling of frustration in order to break the pattern.

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – I’m frustrated, not just about one thing, but about many things. I don’t like this feeling. I can’t seem to fix the things that I’m frustrated about, so I want something sweet and delicious to make me feel better. Even though I am feeling frustrated by all of these things, I choose to manage the real issue, not just cover it up with a sugar high. Even though I am feeling frustrated and just want it to magically go away, I choose to remain open to solutions instead of causing another problem with poor food choices. Even though I really want to eat sweet things right now, I choose to release the frustration instead.

Eyebrow…I’m frustrated

Side of Eye…This frustration

Under the Eye…I’m really feeling frustrated

Under the Nose…I’m frustrated

Chin…This frustration

Collarbone…I want this frustration to just go away

Under the Arm…I’m frustrated

Top of Head…This frustration

Eyebrow…I’m so frustrated

Side of Eye…But I am open to seeing options

Under the Eye…I am frustrated

Under the Nose…But I am open to seeking solutions

Chin…I am frustrated

Collarbone…But I choose to allow an easy resolution

Under the Arm…I am frustrated

Top of Head…But I choose to take care of myself without relying on food

Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. By giving your emotion a voice and acknowledging how you feel and how you are responding it breaks the pattern and gives you the freedom to address the real issue that is frustrating you from a place of clarity and calm.

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Fear of Public Speaking

Fear of public speaking is a big one for many people. Even the thought of tapping about it can feel overwhelming. It is not always necessary to confront fears and anxieties head on. We could tap about the physical sensations of fear such as a knot in the stomach, lump in the throat, queesiness, sweaty palms, tense muscles, or difficulty breathing. We can tap about the mental processes or thoughts that we become of aware of such as not believing that we can handle the situation, thinking that we are going to “lose it”, or hating the feared object. We can also tap on past experiences with the feared object or situation.

Although it sounds quite odd, you can also tap about future experiences with the feared object or situation. You can envision yourself in the future facing your fear or phobia. You might include data about how comfortable you are and how you intend to think and feel in the situation.

Say this problem statement aloud, “I have a fear of public speaking.” Rate the intensity that you experience when saying this statement on the 0-10 point scale and record your rating.

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I have this fear of public speaking, I accept myself with all of my problems and limitations. Even though I feel ridiculous being so afraid of public speaking, I choose to be awed and amazed at how easy it will be for me in the future. Even if I never completely get over this fear of public speaking, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway.

Eyebrow…I am afraid of public speaking

Side of Eye…I am afraid of public speaking

Under the Eye…I am afraid of public speaking

Under the Nose…I am afraid of public speaking

Chin…I am afraid of public speaking

Collarbone…I am afraid of public speaking

Top of Head…I am afraid of public speaking

Karate Chop Point…Even though I get a lump in my throat when I begin to speak in public, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway. Even though I tense up and get a lump in my throat every time I try to speak in public, I choose to feel confident – no matter what. Even though this lump in my throat makes it very difficult for me to speak in public, I accept myself anyway with all of my problems and limitations.

Eyebrow…I am terrified of public speaking

Side of Eye…I always get a lump in my throat

Under the Eye…That is a horrible feeling

Under the Nose…I get tense

Chin…Anticipating that lump in my throat

Collarbone…Really terrifies me

Under the Arm…I know I am going to choke

Top of Head…Literally and figuratively

Eyebrow…I have been terrified of public speaking

Side of Eye…I always tense up

Under the Eye…But a part of me knows

Under the Nose…That the lump isn’t real

Chin…It’s just my body trying to protect me

Collarbone…It’s my body’s outdated way of trying to keep me safe

Under the Arm…I needed that in the past

Top of Head…But I’m not sure I need that anymore

Eyebrow…I can find new ways of being safe

Side of Eye…I am open to exploring what I need now

Under the Eye…I am looking forward to widening my comfort zone

Under the Nose…Terrified of public speaking

Chin…Getting tense

Collarbone…This lump in my throat

Under the Arm…I needed these things before

Top of Head…But not any more.

Take a deep breath and let it out gently. Notice what you feel. Write down any memories about specific public speaking events that popped up so you can tap away that trauma too.

Want more tapping? Click here.

I’m Angry About My Body

People have many different emotions about their body. Although there are some people who are completely satisfied with their weight and appearance, I don’t personally know very many. What I hear more often is people that are angry about their weight and body. Unfortunately, being angry with yourself doesn’t generally lead to resolution and change. That’s where tapping can help.

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I feel angry about the way my body looks, I deeply and completely love and accept myself right now. Even though I feel angry about the way my body looks, I am open to the possibility that I could feel differently about this tomorrow. Even though I feel angry about the way my body looks, I choose to take inspired action rather than reacting to this negative emotion.

Eyebrow…I am so angry

Side of Eye…I hate the way my body looks

Under the Eye…And I did this to myself

Under the Nose…I am so angry about the way my body looks

Chin…Doing anything about this feels almost impossible

Collarbone…This anger isn’t very healthy for me

Under the Arm…And probably makes it even harder to lose weight

Top of Head…I acknowledge my anger

Eyebrow…I acknowledge my challenges

Side of Eye…I accept who I am, even with this less than perfect body

Under the Eye…I have been so angry

Under the Nose…I have been angry about my body’s appearance

Chin…And I blame myself for it

Collarbone…That means I’ve been angry with myself

Under the Arm…I accept where I am right now

Top of Head…And I look forward to a future where I can accept my body too.

Take a deep breath and let it out gently. At first glance it may seem that we haven’t changed anything with this tapping. This is a necessary starting point for creating any lasting change around weight and body issues. It is absolutely essential to first accept the truth of where we are openly and honestly, and without blame or shame. From that place of acceptance, miracles can happen.

Want more tapping? Click here.

Hiding My True Nature

How comfortable are you with letting other people see the real you? Is your social image very different from your private image? Are you hiding your true nature? Many people say there is a difference, but to varying degrees. Some people are afraid to let others get too close, usually because they fear rejection. The following tapping can help us get clarity about the issue and is a good starting point with this topic.

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I am afraid to let others see the real me, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway. Even though I am afraid to let others know me too well, I love and accept who and what I am. Even though it is scary to let anyone get close enough to really know me, I love and accept myself.

Eyebrow…Afraid to let others see the real me

Side of Eye…Hiding my true nature

Under the Eye…Afraid to let others see the real me

Under the Nose…Hiding my true nature

Chin…Afraid to let others see the real me

Collarbone…Afraid to let others see the real me

Under the Arm…Afraid to let others see the real me

Top of Head…Fear of rejection if they really knew me

Eyebrow…Fear of rejection if they really knew me

Side of Eye…Fear of rejection if they really knew me

Under the Eye…Fear of rejection if they really knew me

Under the Nose…Fear of rejection

Chin…I’m trying to only let them see some of me

Collarbone…The parts I think are most acceptable

Under the Arm…I’ve been hiding my true nature

Top of Head…From them, and maybe also from me.

Take a deep breath and let it out gently. What did you notice? Did you become aware of which parts you think are acceptable to share and which ones you feel you need to hide? Write them down. Next to each of them, write down a few thoughts or memories that might explain how you have learned to value parts of yourself and reject other parts. That would be your starting point for some really awesome tapping.

Chocolate – NOW!

There are those days when I just have the strong urge and I need chocolate NOW! They don’t happen as often as they used to, and I can usually tap my way past it. This is one version of the tapping that I use to manage those strong cravings.

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I really want chocolate right now, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway. Even though chocolate isn’t part of my food plan right now, I acknowledge that I want it anyway. Even though I am craving chocolate right now, I choose to look for other ways to take care of my emotions first. I accept my cravings. I accept my emotions. I am open to clarity.

Eyebrow…I really want chocolate right now

Side of Eye…The craving is very strong

Under the Eye…Chocolate is the only thing that will fix it

Under the Nose…Fix what?

Chin…It will make me feel better

Collarbone…It will fix the problem

Under the Arm…I don’t even know what the probhlem is

Top of Head…Then how do I know chocolate is the answer?

Eyebrow…I am open to clarity about my emotions

Side of Eye…It won’t really fix the problem

Under the Eye…It does taste good

Under the Nose…It is ok to eat chocolate because it tastes good, but not to manage my emotions

Chin…I am glad I have tapping to handle these strong emotions

Collarbone…I choose to remain in control of my eating

Under the Arm…I can manage my emotions in many ways

Top of Head…I like chocolate but I am learning to love myself with or without it

This tapping is usually enough to take the edge off of the craving, but hopefully leads to recognition of the underlying emotion that caused the strong craving. At the nose point we asked ourselves, “Fix what?” The answer to that question is a source for additional tapping and greater long-term relief.

Want more tapping about diet, health, and exercise? Check out Don’t Diet: Reprogram Your Weight With Meridian Tapping.

Wanting More Attention

This tapping seemed appropriate since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. It is a day that highlights both the good and the not so good about being in a relationhip. Although we seem to want intimate relationships, they can be quite stressful. This is an area where people tend to judge whether their feelings are justified PRIOR to deciding to tap. I urge you to begin tapping without judgement.

Say this statement aloud “My husband (boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, significant other, etc) never pays enough attention to me.” Rate the intensity on the 0-10 point scale and record your rating.

Tap on your karate chop point and repeat these setup statements. “Even though my husband doesn’t pay attention to me the way I want him to, I deeply and completely love and accept myself. Even though my husband has been a selfish jerk lately and hasn’t paid much attention to me, I deeply and completely love and accept myself. Even though I want more attention from my hsuband and I don’t know how to get it from him, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”

Eyebrow…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Side of Eye…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Under the Eye…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Under the Nose…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Chin…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Collarbone…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Under the Arm…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Top of Head…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Take a deep breath and let it out gently. Continue with the following reminder phrases at each of the tapping spots

Eyebrow…My husband never pays enough attention to me

Side of Eye…And I need his attention

Under the Eye…It feels like he doesn’t care about me at all

Under the Nose…I do all kinds of things for him

Chin…But he doesn’t do anything for me

Collarbone…I know that is not really true

Under the Arm…He does things for me

Top of Head…Just not the things I want him to do right now

Eyebrow…I’m not getting what I want from him

Side of Eye…And, rather than tell him what I want

Under the Eye…I want him to guess

Under the Nose…That’s not working so well for me

Chin…I want his attention and I’m afraid to just ask for it

Collarbone…I wonder what it is that I really want or need right now?

Under the Arm…Asking for what I want or need is the best thing I could do

Top of Head…I feel relieved to realize that my husband does pay attention to me and I choose to feel empowered to ask to have my needs met.

Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Check the intesnity of your original problem statement, “My husband never pays enough attention to me.” Notice any changes and make notes for future tapping. This is a complex topic and likely to need some additional tapping to resolve all of the aspects. This tapping is an adaptation of one found in Tap It Away: 10 Minutes to Freedom With EFT.

Not Feeling Respected Because of Politics

Believe it or not, this is a very old tapping exercise, but it seems appropriate for today’s social climate. It was included in a chapter about current stressors in my first book Tap It Away: 10 Minutes to Freedom with EFT. This tapping is about the intense emotions people experience when talking about politics.

Some people may actually be afraid to do this tapping because they equate the decrease in intense emotions with lack of conviction. Tapping on the intense emotions will not take away your conviction but it will allow for better control and more ease around others that may believe differently than you do.

The story begins with Joe, a normally reasonable and mild-mannered man who was having difficulty at family gatherings because his political views were radically different from those of other family members. Joe and his wife actually dreaded holidays such as Thanksgiving where there was extended contact that allowed ample time for such discussions. Joe really wanted to be able to control his emotions better when family members disagreed with him, failed to listen to his views, or even provoked him to just get a reaction. Tapping was a perfrect tool for the situation.

Is this scenario something you can relate to? Let’s tap.

Say this problem statement aloud, “I can’t handle it when other people don’t respect my political views.” Rate the intensity (or truth) of this statement on a 0-10 scale (10 is very true). Write down your number.

Say these setup statements while tapping on the karate chop point: Even though I can’t handle it when other people don’t respect my political views, I deeply and completely love and accept myself. Even though I get really angry when other people don’t agree with my political views, I deeply and completely love and accept myself. Even though it feels like other people aren’t respecting my political views when they disagree with me, and I don’t handle it very well, I deeply and completely love and accept myself and all of my feels on this subject.

Eyebrow…I can’t handle it when other people don’t respect my political views

Side of Eye…I get pretty upset when others disagree with my politics

Under the Eye…It is dangerous to discuss politics with anyone that doesn’t agree with my view

Under the Nose…Because I can’t handle it

Chin…I’m so sure that my political views are right

Collarbone…That I can’t handle it when anyone has a different opinion

Under the Arm…I can’t handle it when anyone can’t see the value of my political views

Top of Head…I can’t handle any challenge to my political views without getting very upset

Take a deep breath and let it out. Check the intensity of your original problem statement “I can’t handle it when other people don’t respect my political views.” Record your new rating. Continue tapping with these statements until your intensity rating is low. Once your rating is below a 3 or 4, feel free to move on to the positive affirmation reminder phrases below.

Eyebrow…Even though I can’t handle it when other people don’t respect my political views right now

Side of Eye…I am trying to maintain an open mind

Under the Eye…Even though I haven’t been able to handle it as well as I would like in the past

Under the Nose…I am open to feeling more comfortable with challenges to my views in the future

Chin…Even though I’m pretty convinced that I am right

Collarbone…I am trying to be okay with others’ opinions

Under the Arm…Even when I feel they are wrong

Top of Head…I love and respect my own views and calmly allow allows to have their views.

Take a deep breath and let it out gently. Check the intensity of your original problem statement “I can’t handle it when other people don’t respect my political views.” Write down your new rating.

If politics is one of your stressors, be sure to notice what additional thoughts and feelings come up and write them down for future tapping. It may be important for you to tap on those additional issues.

Would you like more examples of tapping about every day stressors? Check out Tap It Away: 10 Minutes to Freedom With EFT.