Tap Away Your Worries

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By Janine Fitzgerald | June 17, 2011

So there I
was: sitting on an airplane returning
from the Hamptons. I was reading a
magazine to pass the time when I came across an article that describes a
tapping technique that promises to turn off anxiety. Practitioners of Emotional Freedom Techniques
(EFT), or tapping, claim that it is a simple and easy trick to make stress
instantly subside. While I had heard of
this technique before, I had never tried it in the past. But I figured since I was on a plane, I had
nothing better to do. And truth be told,
I am a “nervous Nelly” in general.

I go on to
read that EFT was developed in the 1990s by Stanford University engineer Gary
Craig and involves remembering an unpleasant thought while simultaneously
tapping a series of acupressure points.
Dr. Roger J. Callahan, an expert in the field, claims that it changes
one’s thoughts and energy fields, which in turn help to reduce fear, anxiety,
and stress. Clinical psychologist Fred
P. Gallo states, “Whenever you think about a stressful experience, the brain activates
an alarm response in the amygdale, the part of the limbic system that governs
emotions.” Stimulating acupressure
points calms the amygdale, leading to an increase in endorphins and GABA waves
and a reduction of cortisol.

So what’s the
verdict? I begin tapping about seven
times on each of the points listed. I
continued for no more than five minutes, and what do you know? I almost fell asleep which is something that’s
near impossible for me to do on a plane.
Therefore, this is something that I’d recommend to my wellness clients,
considering that most of them set goals that involve stress reduction.