A few years back I was completely exhausted by constant brain fog and chronic fatigue.
My brain fog was so severe that I was waking up every single morning confused about where I was, not remembering how I'd got into bed and feeling like I’d drunk three bottles of wine the night before. Of which I had not (to clarify!).
An holistic health practitioner suggested I tried the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping.
Despite initially considering the treatment a waste of time, I reluctantly gave it a try as a last resort to clear my brain fog. Here's what happened.
What is the Emotional Freedom Technique?
EFT sits under the umbrella of holistic treatments, and despite remaining relatively unknown by the masses, its popularity as a healing modality is growing.
There’s no shortage of famous faces singing its praises, with even Prince Harry a convert.
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The Emotional Freedom Technique entails gently self-tapping various points on your face and body (the ends of your meridian lines), in order to clear blocks or built-in pockets of trauma.
Having tried a myriad of holistic treatments, tapping feels like a missing piece of my happiness puzzle.
What does EFT help with?
The Emotional Freedom Technique is said to calm anxiety, treat phobias, unlock traumatic memories, clear panic, heal PTSD, depression, addictions and so much more.
What happened when I tried EFT?
Within the first 10 to 15 minutes of our session, I felt as if someone had cleared my vision and I could see again. The fog lifted and I felt complete clarity in my mind.
I burst into tears and couldn’t believe how different I felt, free from confusion and the most ‘normal’ I had felt in a long time. Nothing I had ever tried had had such an immediate effect on a symptom that had otherwise felt incurable.
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Fast-forward to today, on my new mission for increased happiness and health – I decided to try another session. I’ve always been curious as to whether that first session was a wonderful placebo, or whether EFT is as powerful as it claims to be. I booked in with Georgia Wood, an EFT practitioner and yoga teacher in South London.
Why did I try EFT again?
During a current very chaotic and stressful period in my life, I have recently begun to experience anxiety for the first time.
Having never suffered before, I've been experiencing the physical sensations of panic while my mind races at 100 miles an hour.
Despite being equipped to deal with the rational side of my brain, knowing that it’s being overwhelmed and I’ll get through it, it’s the physical sensations I can’t seem to control.
After a 10-minute consultation with Georgia, I knew I was in capable hands. Our first session took place on Zoom, and after 15 minutes of discussing how I was feeling and why I thought that way, we began.
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Repeating phrases after Georgia, and following her lead on the screen, I began by gently ‘tapping’ a point on my head. We followed this same pattern – Georgia speaking and tapping with me copying her – and moved down through various points on my face and to my collarbone.
When we started the session, I reported feeling 8/10 anxiety. I felt initially conscious that this method wasn’t going to work on me and that it would be a waste of everyone’s time, as the tapping does feel strange to begin with.
Logically my mind couldn't understand how the process would help me feel calm, but we kept going as I was desperate to find something to help. We repeated this process for 20 minutes, with the phrases getting shorter and still following the methodical tapping process.
It wasn’t a sudden shift, but as soon as we stopped, I noticed the anxious ‘bubbling’ feeling I had been experiencing had lessened almost to the point of non-existence. I was down to a 3/10 – in such a short space of time. I still can't explain how/why it works, but there’s no doubt in my mind as to its effectiveness as a treatment.
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How does tapping work?
There’s something about accessing your memories and connecting your thoughts to your body, that allows you to process and release stored tension, fears and worries.
Through the process, you’re able to reframe and rewire the conditioned negative response of the brain – which is why it’s so effective for letting negative thought patterns and behaviours go
It’s the brain's natural neuroplasticity which allows it to change and adapt, even later in life.
Georgia’s incredibly calming, nurturing nature really helped to support the change and allow space for any emotions that arose.
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The most brilliant part of EFT is that you can do it anywhere at any time. Since our session, whenever I have felt that niggly bubbling feeling rising in my chest, I follow the pattern taught by Georgia and am able to relax as it relinquishes control.
I will five to 10 minutes in the bathroom or at home whenever I need. So often when we struggle with anxiety, panic, phobias and fears – we can feel out of control when they start to rise as we aren’t always well-equipped to deal with them.
Since our session I have recommended friends for trouble with sleeping, night terrors, panic disorders and heartbreak – it seems there’s nothing EFT can’t help with.
Book a session with Georgia Wood
