July 5, 2011 by Cathy Vartuli

When I Try to Learn or Take an Exam My Mind Goes Blank!

How can I use tapping to work on learning disabilities, problems with recall, and exam phobias? When I try to learn something new, or show someone what I’ve learned, I go blank! — Irene

When I Try to Learn or Take an Exam My Mind Goes Blank! 1When we’re in primitive brain it’s harder for us to learn. Do you feel tense or scared when you try to learn something? If so, what experiences did you have that taught you learning is frightening, overwhelming, really hard, or painful?

Did someone judge you harshly in the past? Did a teacher not make herself clear so you had trouble following her instructions? Perhaps you blamed yourself or decided you just aren’t smart in that area?

If you tap on those particular experiences, you may find yourself relaxing and naturally learning more easily.

Can you see that if you felt trapped and froze when you were in a classroom or taking a test in the past (and the memory remains vivid and painful to you now)… your body will re-activate that feeling whenever the situation feels similar. This makes letting new information in and explaining what you know for an exam really hard… until you discharge the old traumas. Tapping is an effective way to do just that.

While there are lots of other reasons learning can be hard or testing can be a challenge, past experiences which still feel painful are a great place to start. Tapping to let your primitive brain know you’re safe and you are present out of your own choice (if that’s true)… can help you relax enough to make both learning and test taking much easier. Tapping can also help you to understand what else might be in the way of you feeling surprisingly calm and confident.

Karate Chop: Hi Primitive Brain. I know you’re scared. You want to protect me, and I appreciate it. But you are safe right now and it’s okay to learn and share.

Even though I’ve been judged harshly in the past, and that hurt so much a part of me froze… I have better boundaries now and it’s okay to share what I know and let new information in.

Even though a part of me think this is dangerous, and that teacher does look a little scary…there are not tigers or bears here to eat me. It’s safe to relax and absorb the information. It’s safe to tune into the exam and clearly share what I know.

Top of the Head: It did hurt in the past.
Eyebrow: I starting to understand why a part of me is still scared.
Side of the Eye: I’m sorry it hurt back then.
Under the Eye: I can set better boundaries now.
Under the Nose: I can make sure the teachers are respectful and caring.
Chin: And I can tap on those old experiences.
Collarbone: I thought learning had to be hard.
Under the Arm: What if it doesn’t?

Top of the Head:I don’t like doing things that scare me.
Eyebrow: So I thought I was bad at learning.
Side of the Eye: What if I’m smarter than I thought?
Under the Eye: What if I was just scared and frozen?
Under the Nose:It’s hard to learn when you’re frozen in fear!
Chin: But I’m tapping right now to heal those old hurts.
Collarbone: What if learning could be surprisingly fun?
Under the Arm: What if I could learn a new way of learning?
Top of the Head: I can release the fear and allow my brain to learn all it wants!

Take a deep breath.

When I Try to Learn or Take an Exam My Mind Goes Blank! 2How does that feel? Did your body relax? If so, great! If not, or if you’re getting a lot of memories about times when learning new material or taking exams was painful or embarrassing, write them down and tap through the ones that stick out. We recommend using Inner Tapping to clear those painful memories and give you more freedom to relate acquiring new knowledge with feeling of confidence, curiosity, and appreciation.

If you want to have expert help with your specific issues and blocks around learning and exams, our Group Coaching Program has a forum where you can share where you stumble, and we’ll help you identify the root causes and give you suggestions for tapping. And our coaching call are a great place to tap on your particular frozen memories. You don’t have to do this alone! It’s more fun together… so join today!

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