EFT Tapping and Nature Touch for Anxiety

Clearing the Clouds: Understanding What Anxiety Really Is

In our fast-paced world, the term “anxiety” gets thrown around a lot, often misunderstood or misrepresented. It’s time we clear the cloud and grasp what anxiety truly is—and what it isn’t.

What Anxiety Is Not

First and foremost, let’s debunk some common misconceptions. Feeling sad, moody, or upset? That’s not anxiety. Experiencing disappointment? That’s not anxiety either. Anxiety isn’t something you can simply shrug off or categorise as just a mental issue. It’s a complex, often overwhelming experience that affects both mind and body.

What Anxiety Truly Is

So, what is anxiety? Imagine being caught in a storm of “what-ifs” and worst-case scenarios, where your mind fixates on all the things that could go wrong in the future. This constant state of dread and anticipation—of suffering due to imagined outcomes—is at the heart of anxiety. It’s not just a mental battle; it’s physical too. Your body can feel the weight of anxiety, leaving you mentally impaired, paralyzed by fear, and unable to live your life to the fullest.

The Silent Killer

Anxiety is often called a silent killer for a reason. It creeps into our lives, sometimes so subtly that we don’t even realise we’re suffering. It robs us of joy, peace, and the ability to experience life fully, whether we’re aware of it or not.
Recognizing anxiety for what it truly is—a powerful, often invisible force—is the first step towards managing it. It’s about understanding that anxiety isn’t just an emotional response; it’s a real, physical condition that can significantly impact our lives.

Parenting and Anxiety: A Closer Look at the Roots

When we talk about anxiety, it’s crucial to explore where it all begins—often, it traces back to our childhood and the way we were parented. Understanding the different types of parenting styles can shed light on how certain approaches can inadvertently sow the seeds of anxiety in a child’s mind.

The Roots of Anxiety

Too much of anything can be harmful, and this is especially true in parenting. Both Authoritarian and Uninvolved parenting styles are particularly prone to fostering anxiety in children.

• Authoritarian Parenting: When parents are overly strict, condemning, or comparing their child to others in the name of correcting behaviour, it can break the child’s trust. The child no longer feels safe or secure, as they are constantly under pressure to meet unrealistic expectations. This loss of a sense of safety can deeply embed anxiety within the child, leading to a fear of failure, judgement, or disappointment.

• Uninvolved Parenting: On the other end of the spectrum, a lack of involvement or attention can be equally damaging. When a child feels neglected or overlooked, they may begin to internalise feelings of worthlessness or insecurity. This absence of support and validation creates a void where anxiety can easily take root.

The Red Flags in Parenting

Condemning or comparing a child is a significant red flag in parenting. These actions, often disguised as attempts to correct behaviour, can damage a child’s self-esteem and sense of security. When a child’s trust in their parents is broken, particularly the trust that they are safe and loved unconditionally, anxiety finds fertile ground to grow.

As these experiences persist into adulthood, the unresolved fears and insecurities from childhood often manifest as anxiety. It’s a cycle that can be difficult to break, but awareness is the first step. By recognizing the impact of our parenting styles, we can create a nurturing environment that fosters not just compliance, but also emotional well-being and resilience in our children.

Pressure to Perfect

The pressure to be perfect is often handed down to us by our parents, environment, and culture, like a baton in a race. We’re taught to strive for perfection, to be the fastest, the greatest, the smartest, and the best. But here’s the truth: it’s you who chooses to keep running on that track, holding tightly to the baton of perfection.

The power to drop that baton lies in your hands. You can choose to step off the track and start living a life free from labels and unrealistic expectations. Embrace the freedom that comes with imperfection, and allow yourself to live authentically, without the weight of needing to be perfect.

Letting Go of Anxiety: A Journey of Consistent Effort and Change

Letting go of anxiety isn’t a quick fix—it’s a continuous, intentional process that requires dedication and hard work. While change is inevitable, the key is to direct these changes toward cultivating an anxiety-free lifestyle. But where do we start? Do we need to change our mindset, our approach, or something deeper within ourselves?

Before diving into self-reflection, let’s first examine our external environment. As I’ve mentioned before, too much of anything can contribute to anxiety. Here’s how you can make subtle yet impactful changes to your surroundings and daily habits to help alleviate anxiety:

1. Simplify Your Environment:

• Colour Scheme: Our surroundings have a profound impact on our mental state. Too many bold or contrasting colours in your home can create visual noise, which can, in turn, elevate anxiety. Simplify your colour palette to three calming hues. Consider shades of blue, green, or soft neutrals, and avoid the use of red, which can be overly stimulating and trigger anxiety.

2. Practise Rhythmic Breathing:

• Breathing Techniques: Incorporating rhythmic breathing into your daily routine can help regulate your nervous system. By focusing on slow, deep breaths, you can calm your mind and reduce the physiological symptoms of anxiety. Whether it’s through meditation, yoga, or simply taking a few minutes to breathe deeply, this practice can make a significant difference.

3. Grounding in Nature:

• Barefoot Walks: Grounding, or walking barefoot on natural surfaces like grass, sand, or soil, is a powerful way to connect with nature and release built-up stress. This simple act allows you to absorb the earth’s calming energy, helping to dispel heavy emotions and providing instant relief from anxiety.

Understanding EFT and the Nine Key Tapping Points

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a form of psychological acupressure that involves tapping on specific meridian points on the body to help alleviate emotional distress. While there are 12 major meridians corresponding to internal organs, EFT primarily focuses on nine key points:

1. Side of Hand (“Karate Chop” – KC): Corresponds to the small intestine meridian.
2. Top of Head (TH): Linked to the governing vessel.
3. Eyebrow (EB): Connects to the bladder meridian.
4. Side of the Eye (SE): Associated with the gallbladder meridian.
5. Under the Eye (UE): Relates to the stomach meridian.
6. Under the Nose (UN): Another point on the governing vessel.
7. Chin (Ch): Tied to the central vessel.
8. Collarbone (CB): Corresponds to the kidney meridian.
9. Under the Arm (UA): Linked to the spleen meridian.

How to Perform EFT Tapping:

1. Setup: Start by tapping the side of your hand (KC) while simultaneously reciting your setup phrase three times. For example, “Even though I’m sad my mother is sick, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

2. Tapping Sequence: After setting up, move on to tapping the following points in this order, seven times each:

• Eyebrow (EB)
• Side of the Eye (SE)
• Under the Eye (UE)
• Under the Nose (UN)
• Chin (Ch)
• Beginning of the Collarbone (CB)
• Under the Arm (UA)

3. Final Point: End the sequence by tapping the top of your head (TH) point.

4. Reminder Phrase: While tapping each point, recite a reminder phrase to keep your focus on the issue you’re addressing. For example, if your setup phrase was about feeling sadness over your mother’s illness, your reminder phrase could be, “The sadness I feel that my mother is sick.” Repeat this at each point.

5. Repetition: Complete this tapping sequence two or three times to fully engage with the emotional issue.

Being self-reliant is crucial in overcoming mental disorders or emotional burdens. It’s about embracing self-responsibility. Remember, help is available, but only if you reach out and ask for it. Don’t hesitate to seek support; speak to a trusted friend or a supportive mentor, and take charge of your journey.

Now that you’ve learned techniques to manage and conquer anxiety, approach them with unwavering faith and, most importantly, with consistency. The path to healing and growth is in your hands—commit to it fully, and you’ll find the strength to overcome any challenge.