You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Emotional Issues’ category.
We all know that eating at least 5 a day helps us stay healthy. But what if we just don’t enjoy fruit or vegetables that much? What if we don’t naturally look for fruit when we are hungry & seek instead something sweet & chocolatey?
Keeping it fruity
Well there is hope! EFT can be very useful when it comes to helping us choose healthy foods. Generally chocolate and cakes etc give people some sort of comfort. You might like to look at what drives you to eat this kind of comfort food. You can use tapping to help you identify the triggers to this kind of eating.
In the meantime, here’s a tapping script that can help you choose to eat more fruit and vegetables.
Tap on the Karate Chop whilst repeating three times:
- Even though I don’t naturally reach for fruit, I’m open to accepting myself anyway
- Even though I’d rather eat a chocolate bar than an apple, I’m ok
- Even though I’m finding it hard to eat fruit and vegetables, I accept my feelings about this
Eyebrow: I just don’t think about eating fruit
Side of Eye: I’d rather eat a chocolate bar {or your comfort food}
Under Eye: I find it so hard to eat fruit and vegetables
Under Nose: It’s so easy to reach for a cake instead
Chin: I just don’t fancy eating fruit
Collarbone: Why is it so hard for me to eat healthily
Under Arm: It’s so hard to eat enough fruit and veg
Top of Head: I don’t naturally look for fruit to satisfy my hunger
Eyebrow: I’m open to letting it be easier
Side of Eye: Maybe I can enjoy fruit more
Under Eye: Maybe if I plan things better, I’ll enjoy eating fruit more
Under Nose: What if I started enjoying fruit more
Chin: I know I’d feel healthier if I ate more fruit
Collarbone: Maybe I can choose different fruit
Under Arm: What if I felt satisfied after eating some fruit
Top of Head: I wonder if I can enjoy fruit more
Repeat using your words where appropriate. Ask yourself some questions like:
What does chocolate {or insert your comfort food} do for me?
Why do I need to feel comforted by food?
What am I trying to comfort with food?
Remember to tap on any emotions that come up until you feel they have been fully addressed. You can use the choices method to help you choose to eat more fruit and veg. E.g. Even though I still naturally choose other food, I choose to reach for fruit more often.
Keep tapping!
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk
Guest Blog
Alternative Medicine Therapies and Cancer: Emotional Freedom Technique
According to recent estimates by the World Health Organization, cancer in its various forms is the cause of 13.3% of deaths worldwide, 19.3% of deaths in the United States alone (1). Over 1.5 million new cases are diagnosed every year in the United States. Particularly prevalent in the United States is mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects the protective lining of internal organs, predominantly the lining of the lungs, heart, abdominal cavity, and testes. Excessive use of asbestos in architecture during the 1970s and 80s has been linked to the high incidence of mesothelioma in the United States, with death rates increasing significantly each year (2). Despite various pharmacological, chemotherapeutic, and surgical therapies for cancerous growth, including mesothelioma, the prognosis of the disease is very poor.
In light of the low success rate for current medical treatments of cancer, much research in alternative medicine therapies has begun in recent years. The motivation for study in these alternative therapies is to find an effective combination of clinical and psychological treatments of cancer. Such combinations of alternative medicine with current medical treatments may lead to a better mesothelioma prognosis. One particularly promising alternative medicine therapy is the Emotional Freedom Technique, abbreviated EFT. Developed by Gary Craig two decades ago, EFT is a psychotherapeutic method of relieving the psychological and emotional consequences of disease, such as fear and anxiety. In essence, EFT is a non-invasive manner of triggering and desensitizing acupressure points located all over the body, causing a holistic betterment of the psyche and emotional condition. Proponents of EFT emphasize the benefits of its “energy psychology” approach in aiding cancer recovery.
EFT, in conjunction with other drug or surgical therapies, can improve cancer prognosis by complementing biological treatment with psychological improvements. Cancer is an emotionally taxing ailment, and current chemotherapy and surgical procedures only exacerbate this emotional drain. Thus, it is plausible to claim that alternative medicine therapies like EFT can prove to be extremely effective in the future as a complementary cancer treatment option. The outlook for such combination therapies is promising in providing an all-encompassing treatment for one of the most malignant diseases on the planet.
References:
1. http://www.who.int/gho/mortality_burden_disease/causes_death_2008/en/index.html
2. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@nho/documents/document/acspc-024113.pdf
Molly Hartwick
Molly Hartwick is a blogger and cancer advocate for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. You can reach her by email at mhartwick9@gmail.com.
Thanks to Molly for a great article. If you would like to contribute a guest blog, please get in touch. Louise
7 weeks ago my neighbour’s house burnt down the ground. My house has some fire damage & quite a bit of smoke and water damage. We were the lucky ones. The neighbours lost everything! I mean everything! I’m very grateful that my house is still standing and that most of my possessions can be saved. The past 7 weeks have involved lots of moving about from hotel to hotel. One week we were moved 3 times! I’ve been in survival mode all this time and finally it is coming to an end. We have finally moved into a rental house for the duration of the remedial works which is estimated at 6 months.
I have used EFT all through this journey. I was tapping my fingertips the actual night of the fire and it helped me stay (relatively) calm. I’ve used it since for the trauma that I went through. I’ve used it for all the emotions that have come up. I will continue to use it as now that we are settled in one place, I feel my emotions are coming up ready to be dealt with. I will be kind to myself and allow myself to feel all these feelings. They need to be heard. EFT is great at allowing you to face up to your emotions and be able to handle them.
Some of this tapping I will do alone, some with my partner. I will also be tapping with my wonderful EFT buddies. I know that with their patient, caring support I will be looked after and helped through this unsettling period of my life. Amen to that and to EFT!
My Broadband should be re-connected soon and I am looking forward to blogging more often once again.
Keep tapping
Louise
07866 013637
I’d like to share my gratitude for EFT. EFT has really changed my life for the better. I know that any challenge I face does not have to overwhelm me or fill me with anxiety or fear. I can tap on it.
I know that when I feel a bit stressed, I can tap it away.
I know that when I feel upset or harassed or even right pissed off, I can tap on it.
I know that when I don’t feel like tapping, I can even tap on that too!
I’m grateful I have this amazing flexible tool at my fingertips anytime I need it.
I’m grateful I can tap away my fear, anxiety, anger, guilt, stress, sadness, pain etc.
I’m grateful that EFT allows me to really feel my feelings, to acknowledge them and accept them, without judgement.
I’m really grateful to have EFT in my life. I hope that you learn this amazing tool and use it for your benefit like I have.
Keep tapping
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk
Lately my clients have been people who are highly sensitive. I find I can relate to these clients very well as I am highly sensitive myself. I, like many sensitive folk found it hard growing up. I was told:
- You’re too sensitive
- Stop taking things so seriously
- Toughen up
- You should have thicker skin
- Don’t take things to heart so much
I thought it was wrong to be so sensitive. I wasn’t “normal”.
This means that I grew up with this big stigma. I tried to play down my sensitive side. I would cry at movies my friends didn’t seem bothered by. I would always try & hide the fact that I had cried, unless one of my friends had cried too & then it would be “ok” for me to admit that I had cried too. I have even been known to cry at adverts but would not admit that to anyone!
I need time alone every day. That must mean I am some kind of freak surely! Ok, maybe it means that I’m ok when my partner goes away & I have to spend time alone. I enjoy my own company and relish this quiet time to myself.
I have done a lot of tapping about this and now realise that being highly sensitive is actually a good thing. Especially as an EFT practitioner. It makes me more empathetic. I understand my clients on a deep level.
If you are highly sensitive, then I suggest you do some tapping to help you come to terms with it and accept that it is actually a good thing. Here are some suggestions:
- Even though I’m highly sensitive, maybe that’s ok
- Even though I was always told to toughen up and get thicker skin, maybe I’m ok just the way I am
- Even though I was always told I’m too sensitive and take things to heart too easily, what if this is a good thing for me
- Even though I was always told not to be so sensitive and that spending time alone is wrong, what if everyone else is wrong and I know what I need
I cannot tell you how much better I felt after I worked on this.To feel ok in your own skin is so important!
Let me emphasise that again – to feel ok in your own skin is so important!
I feel so grateful that EFT allowed me to do this.
If you are highly sensitive then I suggest that you work with someone who really understands you and is highly sensitive themselves.
If you want to explore this issue yourself, Rue Hass, EFT Master has a wonderful website and book for Highly Sensitive People.
I cannot recommend working on this issue highly enough if you are highly sensitive.
Get tapping – you will feel so much more comfortable and ok with yourself if you work on this issue.
Keep tapping!
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk
This weekend seems to have flown by. Whilst I got a lot done, I feel that there is so much more I needed to/could’ve/should’ve done! But I also acknowledge that I needed some down time too, like enjoying a film at the cinema & a nice meal with my partner. The weather had its part to play too and didn’t comply with my plans to be in the garden all weekend. Well we have to learn to adapt and adjust in these situations. But we can be left with feelings of frustration, anger, guilt etc.
We can use EFT to help us deal with these feelings and also enable us to be more flexible about our plans so that we can go with the flow more easily. Try statements like the following:
- Even though I didn’t get everything done that I needed to this weekend and I feel frustrated, I’m open to accepting myself anyway
- Even though I feel guilty for taking some time off and enjoying myself, I love and accept myself
- Even though I wish I could’ve got a lot more done this weekend, I accept that I’m not superwoman/man
- Even though there just wasn’t enough time to fit everything in this weekend, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
- Even though I didn’t manage to fit everything in this weekend, I acknowledge that I need some down time too
Remember to keep tapping until you feel better about how your weekend turned out.
Keep tapping!
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk
How often have you had self doubts? Many people beat themselves up all the time with their self doubts. We often give ourselves a much harder time than we do other people. If this sounds like you then here is a tapping script that can help.
Write down the level of your self-doubt on a scale of 0 -10 before you start (10 being maximum self-doubt).
Tap on the Karate Chop whilst repeating three times:
- Even though I have all these self doubts, I’m open to accepting myself anyway
- Even though I doubt my abilities all the time and give myself such a hard time, I’m open to being kinder to myself
- Even though I beat myself up all the time constantly doubt myself and my abilities, I accept my feelings about this anyway
Eyebrow: I doubt myself all the time
Side of Eye: I can’t do anything without doubting how I’ve done
Under Eye: I seem to beat myself up with my self doubts
Under Nose: I have all this negativity
Chin: I doubt my abilities constantly
Collarbone: Why do I have all these self doubts?
Under Arm: I can’t seem to think positively about my abilities
Top of Head: I can’t recognise when I’ve done a good job
Eyebrow: All this self-doubt
Side of Eye: I beat myself about how I’ve done
Under Eye: I analyse how I did and always think I could’ve done better
Under Nose: I beat myself up
Chin: I have all these self doubts
Collarbone: It seems like I’m always doubting myself
Under Arm: I give myself a hard time with all this self-doubt
Top of Head: I wonder why I seem to always doubt myself and my abilities
Eyebrow: Maybe I can feel better about myself
Side of Eye: What if I could be kinder to myself
Under Eye: What if I trusted my abilities
Under Nose: Maybe I can believe in myself
Chin: Maybe I can let these doubts go
Collarbone: What if I believed in myself
Under Arm: What if it was easier than I thought
Top of Head: Maybe I don’t have to doubt myself all the time
Do you doubt yourself in certain situations more than others? What purpose does your self-doubt serve? What would you lose if you didn’t doubt yourself any more? Remember to keep tapping on the different aspects of your self-doubt.
Keep tapping!
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk
Sometimes we feel yuck and know that tapping can help us. Yet we don’t do it! Why is that? Is is some form of self-sabotage? Is it that we don’t think we deserve to feel better? Or is it that we don’t have the time to do it? Well we can always make time when something is important.
What if we don’t think EFT will help in this case? Or is it that we simply want to “wallow” in our feelings for a while. I have done that in the past and got really annoyed with myself! I feel really upset and think I’m not going to do anything about it. I’m going to sulk into these feelings for a while. Then I annoy myself and think I must do something about this!
Well perhaps some tapping about not tapping is in order. Try:
- Even though I don’t seem to want to tap about this, I’m open to accepting myself anyway
- Even though I’m sabotaging myself, what if I could get out of my own way
- Even though I seem to want to wallow in these feelings rather than tapping, I acknowledge and accept these feelings
- Even though I think tapping won’t help, what if I was pleasantly surprised by the results
- Even though I don’t think I deserve to get over this, what if I could be kind to myself and help myself
- Even though I don’t have time to work on this right now, what if I could make the time
Sometimes we just have to acknowledge and accept our feelings. Tapping is perfect to help us do this. Sometimes we have to wallow for awhile. EFT is always there for us when we are ready!
Keep tapping.
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk
Anxiety feels awful. You know that thinking about it makes it worse. You dread the anxiety escalating into a panic attack. You end up worrying about having anxiety or having a panic attack. Which in itself can bring on an attack!
Then you start to avoid certain situations and spend more time at home because it is easier than going through all that anxiety. The anxiety or worrying about the anxiety is very draining. It literally wears you out and you feel exhausted. Life becomes less enjoyable.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Learning EFT can really help you take control of your life again. You can use EFT to relax and calm your mind and body. You can reduce your symptoms e.g. fast beating heart, sweating, churning or knotty stomach, feeling sick, feeling like you will pass out etc. You can work on the triggers of your anxiety. This part is key. Working with a Practitioner can help you get to the underlying cause of the anxiety.
Figuring out when it started, what was going on in your life then etc. We can work very gently with any traumatic memories from your past with the movie technique. Working on these past memories helps clear out this stuck energy. Your body can then learn that it is safe now and let these symptoms go.
Tapping every day, helps restore calm and puts you back in control. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
- Even though I hate this anxiety and it feels so awful, I’m willing to accept myself anyway
- Even though I hate feeling so sick because of this anxiety, I’m ok right now
- Even though I can’t even go out for a meal without feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, I’m open to accepting myself anyway
- Even though I shake like a leaf and my stomach churns in knots, every time I go out shopping, I love and accept myself anyway
- Even though I worry about having a panic attack every time I have to go out and I feel so exhausted afterwards that I just want to lie down and go to sleep, I accept myself anyway
Tapping really can help as long as you are persistent and work on both your symptoms and the triggers that cause the anxiety. It is possible to enjoy life again and plan things that you avoided in the past.
Keep tapping
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk
It was reported this week that depression rates are up in the UK by 40% since 2007. Wow! More and more people are turning to antidepressants, many of which have side effects.
Antidepressants can help you feel better initially but often the effect wears off and the dosage needs to be increased. Whilst I am not anti antidepressants per say, they do not address the underlying issues. This is where EFT can help. Working with an experienced practitioner is highly recommended for issues like depression. With help you can discover the underlying issues and work through them to create lasting changes.
EFT as a technique is always there for you when you need it, so it is perfect to use by yourself at home in between sessions with your practitioner. There is a great article about ways of helping tackle depression by Dr. Mercola. He recommends among other things exercise (important for boosting your endorphins), diet and getting enough sunshine (for Vitamin D levels).
If you are suffering from depression, do get help. It doesn’t have to be a journey you do alone.
Keep tapping
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk
