I’m curious… what are the things that cause you stress on a daily basis? What seems to come up 3-5+ times per week as you move through your day that annoys, angers, depresses, or even scares you? The stresses you choose can be big, small, or even silly. It doesn’t matter. If you experience it as stress, you are not alone.
I believe we can use EFT to help us alleviate daily stresses. I’ll give you an example. Although our house has 3.5 bathrooms, we all seem to use the master bathroom for baths and showers. Many times, the OTHERS in the house will leave dirty clothes behind the door. Can you imagine!!! Well, I am sure you can see how I would get annoyed and want to lecture on the proper location for dirty clothes. I spent many a shower of my own rehearsing how I needed to tell the rest of the family to stop doing this. Of course, nothing I said or threatened changed this, at least for long.
When I was first learning EFT, I noticed this daily stress of mine and decided to tap on it:
“Even though I am really, really annoyed at the rest of the family for this HUGE PILE of dirty clothes behind the door, I choose to find it surprisingly relaxing to ignore them or even take care of them myself.”
The change was strikingly quick. I lost all annoyance, and when I walked into my own closet, strewn with several days of tossed off clothes, I laughed (and tapped) a bit at my own hypocrisy. We all have our preferences. We all think we know what would make life (and other people) perfect. And sometimes we are exposed to disgusting intrusions or wastes of energy (like all the email spam). But even with those, when we remove the stress to our energy system, we often find surprising solutions that ease the situation.
Here’s what to do:
1) Make the list of your daily stresses.
Be as specific as possible! Rather than a general topic like “my kids,” use items like: when the kids fight over the computer, when the three-year-old keeps tugging on me when I want some space, or when the kids argue with me over cleaning their room. Instead of “traffic,” a more specific stress list might include: that stupid red light on Canal Street that only lets through 3 cars each cycle. Get the idea? Be specific. If you are short of time, just choose one or two stresses for your list.
2) Consider stresses in all aspects of your life, that come up repeatedly, 3-5+ times per week.
Follow your day from the sound of your alarm clock, morning routine, family interactions, getting to/from work, work and co-worker issues, pets, computers, etc. Some of these may seem silly, and some may feel unkind or “unspiritual.” Include them anyway! I assure you, I have been silly, petty, and unkind enough in my life to not hold anyone to some unrealistic standard. One of the ways you can make EFT more effective is by acknowledging precisely how (even profanely) upsetting the stressor is.
3) For each item on the list, briefly answer the question: “How do I react when I have this stress?”
How do I behave towards myself? Towards others? What sounds do I make (sigh, groan, tut-tut, scream)? Where do I feel it in my body? Be as specific as possible for each stress. Example: “When I find that the lights were left on in the family room all night, I sigh, feel like we just wasted money, that I’m the only one who cares…” You know, the full drama.
4) Tap on these specific stresses until you feel a shift
Go though the stresses, how you feel about them, the different emotions, the body sensations. Use EFT with persistence and diligence. You should see and feel a shift. If you do not, the stress might be best handled on one of our team teleconferences or in a private session.