How can EFT tapping help with anxiety?

Emotional freedom techniques (EFT), also known as psychological acupressure or referred to simply as tapping, can help decrease stress and anxiety symptoms.

The technique can be beneficial for both children and adults. It consists of tapping along the meridian points in your body to help restore balance and treat anxiety, which affects about 40 million adults in the United States alone.

What is EFT tapping? 

EFT belongs to a group of therapies known as energy psychology therapies. These therapies combine imaginal exposure, where you visualize the fear or anxiety, with tapping along pressure points on your body. These points are located along meridians, which are thought to be energy pathways along the body.

EFT uses techniques similar to those found in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), such as:

• building awareness
• reframing your situation
• systematic desensitization, involving gradual exposure

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions globally. It has affected 301 million people as of 2019, including 58 million children and adolescents, according to the World Health Organization. 

Various factors can trigger anxiety, from daily life stressors to chronic health conditions like diabetes. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of EFT in reducing symptoms of anxiety in different scenarios:

• A 2023 study on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health found that EFT helped relieve stress, anxiety, and burnout symptoms.
• A 2022 study found that EFT was effective in reducing anxiety symptoms and improving well-being among elementary school children in Australia.
• A 2019 study found that anxiety symptoms decreased in 40% of study participants who took a 4-day EFT workshop.

Research on EFT hasn’t pointed to any major risks or side effects for this type of therapy.

Steps of EFT tapping

EFT has several steps that generally follow the same sequence and purpose.

These are the steps of EFT tapping:

1. Identify the fear: Begin by thinking about and identifying the fear or situation that is causing you anxiety.
2. Rate how much this fear affects you: Rate the fear with a score from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest, and note down the number.
3. Think of a statement: Come up with a statement to describe what triggers your anxiety, then think of one about self-acceptance. For example, if what’s triggering your anxiety is a family conflict, you can say: “Although I feel anxious about my strained relationship with my mother, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
4. Begin to tap: There are 9 points that you can tap in a sequence. Tap along these meridian points repeatedly as you recite your statement. They include:

• top of the head 
• eyebrows
• side of the eyes
• under the eyes 
• under the nose
• chin
• beneath the collarbone 
• under the arm
• side of the hand

5. Pause and rate how you feel: When you end your tapping sequence, pause and rate how you feel about what’s causing your anxiety. Note down the number.
6. Repeat: You can repeat the steps until your rating number decreases or until you feel better. 

Other benefits of EFT 

Research from 2019 has found that EFT can be effective in the treatment of other health conditions, such as:

• depression
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among war veterans
• chronic pain 

Other treatment options for anxiety

Several other treatment options can help with anxiety, such as medications, therapy, and lifestyle measures.

Speaking with a healthcare professional can help you identify which treatment method is suitable for your needs.

Medication options

Examples of medication for anxiety include:

• serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), which are prescribed to treat depression and anxiety and include medications like citalopram (Celexa) and sertraline (Zoloft)
• tricyclic antidepressants, which are effective at treating depression and anxiety and include medications like clomipramine (Anafranil) and nortriptyline (Pamelor)
• buspirone (Buspar), a medication that can help with the short-term relief of anxiety symptoms

If you need help covering the cost of medications, the Optum Perks free Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Follow the links on drug names for savings on that medication, or search for a specific drug here.

Therapies for anxiety

Therapy is a standard treatment for anxiety. Types of therapies that can help you with anxiety include: 

• CBT: CBT can help you identify, reframe, and change harmful thought patterns that may be causing your anxious feelings. 
• Talk therapy or psychotherapy: Talk therapy can help you understand the root cause of your anxiety and how to manage your worries.

Lifestyle strategies

Several lifestyle strategies can contribute to your overall health and also help to reduce anxiety levels.

Examples include:

• eating a balanced diet 
• exercising regularly for 30 minutes per day for 5 days per week, or a total of 150 minutes per week
• practicing stress-reducing activities, such as yoga and meditation
• doing breathing exercises to reduce stress
• getting enough sleep, a minimum of 7 hours for adults

Summary

EFT, also known as tapping, is a type of therapy that consists of tapping along certain pressure points in your body while reciting a self-affirming statement.

Research has shown that this technique can effectively reduce symptoms of several health conditions, such as:

• anxiety
• stress
• depression
• PTSD

EFT is a noninvasive and quick-to-learn technique that has little to no side effects. But this type of therapy may not be for everyone.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety, consider speaking with a mental health professional. They can help you identify the source of your anxiety and determine the best treatment option for you.