Emotions are an integral part of the human experience, influencing our thoughts, behaviors, and overall well-being. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), often referred to as “tapping,” is a unique and holistic approach to addressing emotional challenges and promoting psychological well-being.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a psychological acupressure technique that combines elements of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. Developed by Gary Craig in the 1990s, EFT is based on the premise that emotional and psychological distress is caused by disruptions in the body’s energy system. By stimulating specific acupressure points while focusing on emotional issues, individuals can release negative emotions and restore emotional balance.
EFT is grounded in several core principles that guide its practice:
The Body’s Energy System: EFT is rooted in the belief that the body has an energy system comprising meridians or pathways through which energy flows. Disruptions or blockages in this energy flow can lead to emotional and psychological issues.
Emotional Stress as a Disruptor: EFT posits that emotional stress and trauma can disrupt the body’s energy system, leading to negative emotions, beliefs, and physical symptoms.
The Meridian Tapping Process: EFT involves tapping on specific acupressure points on the body while focusing on the emotional issue at hand. This tapping process is believed to clear energy blockages and alleviate emotional distress.
Acknowledgment and Acceptance: EFT encourages individuals to acknowledge and accept their emotions, even if they are negative or distressing. This acceptance is a crucial step in the healing process.
Affirmations: Positive affirmations are often used in conjunction with tapping to reframe negative beliefs and emotions into more positive and empowering ones.
The Basic Tapping Sequence
The EFT tapping process involves a specific sequence of steps:
Identify the Issue: Begin by identifying the emotional issue or problem you want to address. This could be anxiety, stress, phobias, trauma, or any negative emotion.
Rate the Intensity: On a scale of 0 to 10, rate the intensity of the emotional issue. This serves as a baseline for tracking progress.
Setup Statement: Create a setup statement that acknowledges the issue and expresses self-acceptance. For example, “Even though I have this anxiety, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
Tapping Sequence: Tap on specific acupressure points while repeating the setup statement and focusing on the issue. The primary points include the top of the head, eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin, collarbone, and under the arm. The sequence is typically repeated several times.
Reassessment: After completing the tapping sequence, reassess the intensity of the issue. Ideally, the intensity should decrease.
Positive Affirmations: Finally, use positive affirmations to reinforce the desired emotional state. For example, “I am calm and at peace.”
Scientific Support for EFT
EFT has garnered increasing attention from researchers and mental health professionals. While more research is needed to fully understand its mechanisms, some studies suggest that EFT can be effective in addressing emotional and psychological issues. Here are key findings:
Reduction in Anxiety: Research has shown that EFT can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety. A study published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease found that EFT led to a 39% reduction in anxiety levels among participants.
PTSD and Trauma: EFT has been used to address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related symptoms. A study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress reported that EFT was associated with a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms.
Depression: Some studies suggest that EFT may be effective in reducing symptoms of depression. While more research is needed in this area, initial findings are promising.
Pain Management: EFT has been explored as a complementary approach to pain management. It has been used to alleviate both physical and emotional pain.
Stress Reduction: EFT has been shown to reduce stress levels and promote relaxation. It is often used as a self-help tool for stress management.
While these studies indicate the potential benefits of EFT, it is important to note that individual responses to EFT can vary. Additionally, EFT is often used in conjunction with other therapeutic approaches and should not be considered a standalone treatment for severe mental health conditions.
Practical Applications of EFT
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can be applied in various areas of life and mental health. Here are some practical applications:
1. Stress Reduction
EFT is a powerful tool for managing stress and anxiety. It can be used to alleviate everyday stressors and promote relaxation.
2. Trauma Recovery
EFT is increasingly used in trauma therapy to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences, including PTSD.
3. Phobia Treatment
Individuals with phobias can use EFT to reduce the intensity of their phobic reactions. It can be particularly helpful in treating specific phobias.
4. Pain Management
EFT can be employed as a complementary approach to managing both chronic and acute pain. It helps individuals cope with the emotional aspects of pain.
5. Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
EFT can boost self-esteem and self-confidence by addressing underlying negative beliefs and self-doubt.
6. Performance Enhancement
Athletes, artists, and performers use EFT to overcome performance anxiety and improve their focus and self-belief.
7. Personal Growth and Development
EFT can be a valuable tool for personal growth, helping individuals overcome limiting beliefs and emotional barriers.
The Role of a Certified EFT Practitioner
While EFT can be practiced as a self-help technique, many individuals benefit from working with a certified EFT practitioner. A practitioner brings expertise and guidance to the process, ensuring that the tapping is focused on the most relevant issues. They can also provide emotional support and facilitate deeper exploration of emotional challenges.
The Future of EFT
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) continue to gain recognition as a holistic approach to emotional and psychological well-being. As research in this field expands, EFT may become more integrated into mainstream mental health practices. Its non-invasive nature and focus on self-acceptance make it an appealing option for individuals seeking emotional healing and personal growth.
Conclusion
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) offer a unique and holistic approach to addressing emotional and psychological challenges. Grounded in the principles of acupressure and modern psychology, EFT has the potential to promote emotional healing, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being. Whether used for self-help or in conjunction with a certified EFT practitioner, this versatile technique empowers individuals to tap into their emotional freedom and unlock a brighter, more balanced future. As research in this field continues to evolve, EFT may play an increasingly significant role in the realm of emotional and mental health.
Key Highlights of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT):
Holistic Approach: EFT, also known as tapping, combines ancient Chinese acupressure with modern psychology to address emotional challenges and promote psychological well-being.
Core Principles: EFT is based on principles such as the body’s energy system, emotional stress as a disruptor, the meridian tapping process, acknowledgment and acceptance of emotions, and the use of positive affirmations.
Basic Tapping Sequence: The tapping process involves identifying the emotional issue, rating its intensity, creating a setup statement, tapping on specific acupressure points while focusing on the issue, reassessing intensity, and using positive affirmations.
Scientific Support: Research suggests that EFT can reduce anxiety, alleviate PTSD symptoms, potentially help with depression, manage pain, and reduce stress levels.
Practical Applications: EFT can be applied in various areas, including stress reduction, trauma recovery, phobia treatment, pain management, boosting self-esteem, performance enhancement, and personal growth.
Role of a Certified Practitioner: While EFT can be self-administered, working with a certified practitioner provides expertise, guidance, emotional support, and deeper exploration of emotional challenges.
Future Outlook: As research in this field expands, EFT may become more integrated into mainstream mental health practices due to its non-invasive nature and focus on self-acceptance.
Conclusion: EFT offers a unique and holistic approach to addressing emotional and psychological challenges, empowering individuals to tap into their emotional freedom and unlock a brighter, more balanced future.
Convergent thinking occurs when the solution to a problem can be found by applying established rules and logical reasoning. Whereas divergent thinking is an unstructured problem-solving method where participants are encouraged to develop many innovative ideas or solutions to a given problem. Where convergent thinking might work for larger, mature organizations where divergent thinking is more suited for startups and innovative companies.
The concept of cognitive biases was introduced and popularized by the work of Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in 1972. Biases are seen as systematic errors and flaws that make humans deviate from the standards of rationality, thus making us inept at making good decisions under uncertainty.
Second-order thinking is a means of assessing the implications of our decisions by considering future consequences. Second-order thinking is a mental model that considers all future possibilities. It encourages individuals to think outside of the box so that they can prepare for every and eventuality. It also discourages the tendency for individuals to default to the most obvious choice.
Lateral thinking is a business strategy that involves approaching a problem from a different direction. The strategy attempts to remove traditionally formulaic and routine approaches to problem-solving by advocating creative thinking, therefore finding unconventional ways to solve a known problem. This sort of non-linear approach to problem-solving, can at times, create a big impact.
Bounded rationality is a concept attributed to Herbert Simon, an economist and political scientist interested in decision-making and how we make decisions in the real world. In fact, he believed that rather than optimizing (which was the mainstream view in the past decades) humans follow what he called satisficing.
The Dunning-Kruger effect describes a cognitive bias where people with low ability in a task overestimate their ability to perform that task well. Consumers or businesses that do not possess the requisite knowledge make bad decisions. What’s more, knowledge gaps prevent the person or business from seeing their mistakes.
Occam’s Razor states that one should not increase (beyond reason) the number of entities required to explain anything. All things being equal, the simplest solution is often the best one. The principle is attributed to 14th-century English theologian William of Ockham.
The Lindy Effect is a theory about the ageing of non-perishable things, like technology or ideas. Popularized by author Nicholas Nassim Taleb, the Lindy Effect states that non-perishable things like technology age – linearly – in reverse. Therefore, the older an idea or a technology, the same will be its life expectancy.
Antifragility was first coined as a term by author, and options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Antifragility is a characteristic of systems that thrive as a result of stressors, volatility, and randomness. Therefore, Antifragile is the opposite of fragile. Where a fragile thing breaks up to volatility; a robust thing resists volatility. An antifragile thing gets stronger from volatility (provided the level of stressors and randomness doesn’t pass a certain threshold).
Systems thinking is a holistic means of investigating the factors and interactions that could contribute to a potential outcome. It is about thinking non-linearly, and understanding the second-order consequences of actions and input into the system.
Vertical thinking, on the other hand, is a problem-solving approach that favors a selective, analytical, structured, and sequential mindset. The focus of vertical thinking is to arrive at a reasoned, defined solution.
Maslow’s Hammer, otherwise known as the law of the instrument or the Einstellung effect, is a cognitive bias causing an over-reliance on a familiar tool. This can be expressed as the tendency to overuse a known tool (perhaps a hammer) to solve issues that might require a different tool. This problem is persistent in the business world where perhaps known tools or frameworks might be used in the wrong context (like business plans used as planning tools instead of only investors’ pitches).
The Peter Principle was first described by Canadian sociologist Lawrence J. Peter in his 1969 book The Peter Principle. The Peter Principle states that people are continually promoted within an organization until they reach their level of incompetence.
The straw man fallacy describes an argument that misrepresents an opponent’s stance to make rebuttal more convenient. The straw man fallacy is a type of informal logical fallacy, defined as a flaw in the structure of an argument that renders it invalid.
The Streisand Effect is a paradoxical phenomenon where the act of suppressing information to reduce visibility causes it to become more visible. In 2003, Streisand attempted to suppress aerial photographs of her Californian home by suing photographer Kenneth Adelman for an invasion of privacy. Adelman, who Streisand assumed was paparazzi, was instead taking photographs to document and study coastal erosion. In her quest for more privacy, Streisand’s efforts had the opposite effect.
As highlighted by German psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer in the paper “Heuristic Decision Making,” the term heuristic is of Greek origin, meaning “serving to find out or discover.” More precisely, a heuristic is a fast and accurate way to make decisions in the real world, which is driven by uncertainty.
The recognition heuristic is a psychological model of judgment and decision making. It is part of a suite of simple and economical heuristics proposed by psychologists Daniel Goldstein and Gerd Gigerenzer. The recognition heuristic argues that inferences are made about an object based on whether it is recognized or not.
The representativeness heuristic was first described by psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. The representativeness heuristic judges the probability of an event according to the degree to which that event resembles a broader class. When queried, most will choose the first option because the description of John matches the stereotype we may hold for an archaeologist.
The take-the-best heuristic is a decision-making shortcut that helps an individual choose between several alternatives. The take-the-best (TTB) heuristic decides between two or more alternatives based on a single good attribute, otherwise known as a cue. In the process, less desirable attributes are ignored.
The bundling bias is a cognitive bias in e-commerce where a consumer tends not to use all of the products bought as a group, or bundle. Bundling occurs when individual products or services are sold together as a bundle. Common examples are tickets and experiences. The bundling bias dictates that consumers are less likely to use each item in the bundle. This means that the value of the bundle and indeed the value of each item in the bundle is decreased.
The Barnum Effect is a cognitive bias where individuals believe that generic information – which applies to most people – is specifically tailored for themselves.
First-principles thinking – sometimes called reasoning from first principles – is used to reverse-engineer complex problems and encourage creativity. It involves breaking down problems into basic elements and reassembling them from the ground up. Elon Musk is among the strongest proponents of this way of thinking.
The ladder of inference is a conscious or subconscious thinking process where an individual moves from a fact to a decision or action. The ladder of inference was created by academic Chris Argyris to illustrate how people form and then use mental models to make decisions.
Goodhart’s Law is named after British monetary policy theorist and economist Charles Goodhart. Speaking at a conference in Sydney in 1975, Goodhart said that “any observed statistical regularity will tend to collapse once pressure is placed upon it for control purposes.” Goodhart’s Law states that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.
The Six Thinking Hats model was created by psychologist Edward de Bono in 1986, who noted that personality type was a key driver of how people approached problem-solving. For example, optimists view situations differently from pessimists. Analytical individuals may generate ideas that a more emotional person would not, and vice versa.
The Mandela effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people remembers an event differently from how it occurred. The Mandela effect was first described in relation to Fiona Broome, who believed that former South African President Nelson Mandela died in prison during the 1980s. While Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and died 23 years later, Broome remembered news coverage of his death in prison and even a speech from his widow. Of course, neither event occurred in reality. But Broome was later to discover that she was not the only one with the same recollection of events.
The bandwagon effect tells us that the more a belief or idea has been adopted by more people within a group, the more the individual adoption of that idea might increase within the same group. This is the psychological effect that leads to herd mentality. What in marketing can be associated with social proof.
Moore’s law states that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years. This observation was made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965 and it become a guiding principle for the semiconductor industry and has had far-reaching implications for technology as a whole.
Disruptive innovation as a term was first described by Clayton M. Christensen, an American academic and business consultant whom The Economist called “the most influential management thinker of his time.” Disruptive innovation describes the process by which a product or service takes hold at the bottom of a market and eventually displaces established competitors, products, firms, or alliances.
Value migration was first described by author Adrian Slywotzky in his 1996 book Value Migration – How to Think Several Moves Ahead of the Competition. Value migration is the transferal of value-creating forces from outdated business models to something better able to satisfy consumer demands.
The bye-now effect describes the tendency for consumers to think of the word “buy” when they read the word “bye”. In a study that tracked diners at a name-your-own-price restaurant, each diner was asked to read one of two phrases before ordering their meal. The first phrase, “so long”, resulted in diners paying an average of $32 per meal. But when diners recited the phrase “bye bye” before ordering, the average price per meal rose to $45.
Groupthink occurs when well-intentioned individuals make non-optimal or irrational decisions based on a belief that dissent is impossible or on a motivation to conform. Groupthink occurs when members of a group reach a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the alternatives and their consequences.
A stereotype is a fixed and over-generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. These beliefs are based on the false assumption that certain characteristics are common to every individual residing in that group. Many stereotypes have a long and sometimes controversial history and are a direct consequence of various political, social, or economic events. Stereotyping is the process of making assumptions about a person or group of people based on various attributes, including gender, race, religion, or physical traits.
Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Murphy’s Law was named after aerospace engineer Edward A. Murphy. During his time working at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949, Murphy cursed a technician who had improperly wired an electrical component and said, “If there is any way to do it wrong, he’ll find it.”
The law of unintended consequences was first mentioned by British philosopher John Locke when writing to parliament about the unintended effects of interest rate rises. However, it was popularized in 1936 by American sociologist Robert K. Merton who looked at unexpected, unanticipated, and unintended consequences and their impact on society.
Fundamental attribution error is a bias people display when judging the behavior of others. The tendency is to over-emphasize personal characteristics and under-emphasize environmental and situational factors.
Outcome bias describes a tendency to evaluate a decision based on its outcome and not on the process by which the decision was reached. In other words, the quality of a decision is only determined once the outcome is known. Outcome bias occurs when a decision is based on the outcome of previous events without regard for how those events developed.
Hindsight bias is the tendency for people to perceive past events as more predictable than they actually were. The result of a presidential election, for example, seems more obvious when the winner is announced. The same can also be said for the avid sports fan who predicted the correct outcome of a match regardless of whether their team won or lost. Hindsight bias, therefore, is the tendency for an individual to convince themselves that they accurately predicted an event before it happened.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
