Another way to deal with anxiety. Over the past several months, I’ve been using a new (to me) technique in my practice to help people deal with anxiety and other intense emotions. It’s not really new at all, as my trainer has been using it for more than 30 years! It’s called the Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT. It involves using gentle pressure points to produce relaxation and calming for both the body and the mind.
A little science lesson: The pressure points used in EFT are places on the face and hands where there are many nerve endings. When gently touched, these nerve endings send a message to the vagus nerve, which in turn sends a message to the amygdala (the part of the brain where the fight-or-flight response happens) telling it gently to put on the brakes and calm down. We sometimes use realistic words and thoughts to try to calm ourselves, but when we’re really amped up, the words don’t work! That’s because the thinking part of the brain (cortex) temporarily disconnects so that all the energy can be used to either fight or flee. However, when we activate the EFT calming points, we’re using our bodies the way they were designed to produce actual physiological calming of the brain, which in turn calms our emotions.
Now to the technique: Here’s a link to the video of my trainer, Robin Bilazarian, demonstrating EFT.
Below is a summary of the points she demonstrates, using my words to describe them:
- Crease of the hand
- Top of the head
- Over the eyebrow
- Outer corner of the eye
- Under the eye
- Under the nose
- Under the lip
- Collarbone
- Under the arm
- Between the knuckles (Robin calls this the gamut spot)
- Heart hold (both hands on chest)
With or without the words. You can use the phrasing she shares in the video, or you can simply activate the series of calming points without the words when you’re trying to unwind or go to sleep. (She taught both methods in the live seminar.) Very gently touch each calming point for about one breath, and go through the whole series 3 times. Most people notice when they have completed the EFT series that they feel more relaxed than they did a few minutes ago. If you’re still somewhat anxious, try another 3 rounds to bring it down even more. One caution: don’t do too many rounds if you have to drive, as it can make you sleepy.
If you’d like to learn more about this technique, or discuss something else that concerns you, I would be happy to meet with you personally. Just give me a call at 636-234-0035 and we’ll schedule a time to talk. My office is conveniently located in downtown Washington Missouri across from the Old Dutch Restaurant.
I look forward to helping you feel better!
Katie Walker
Board Certified Licensed Professional Counselor
636-234-0035