Anxiety Mastery - Is It Possible?

I'm Fine

As I sat there witnessing another participant break down in tears, I wondered whether I was the only person there with no issues to work on (yeah, right!). Over the course of the 3 days training, as we learned how to tap and clear the emotions stuck in our bodies, I had struggled to know what to work on as we practised. I was there to learn how to help others, I was fine. (Even if the anxiety I had felt the week leading up to the course had been sky high and had my heart beating out of my chest as I lay in bed trying to sleep, I was absolutely fine!) By the time I got home I was drained, with a pressure feeling in my head. I ignored it, obviously, but that pressure wasn't going anywhere. 5 days later, when I had a moment to myself, I realised the pressure I felt was holding back an avalanche of tears I had been denying. The 3 days of tapping had released them but I had still stubbornly held them in! So I tapped and let them out. The pressure in my head was released and it was then months until I used tapping again for myself.

I'm not fine

I began using tapping with clients immediately, often with life changing results, yet still I didn't consider using it for myself. I was 'too busy' and my anxiety was just normal for me. I had felt anxiety all my life, my mum was the same, it was just who I was. Until one morning, I noticed myself getting worked up about being somewhere on time, when my logical mind stepped in and said 'Hey, you have tons of time, you really need to sort yourself out!'. So for the first time I did. I stopped and I tapped. It took about 3 minutes of tapping to feel calm, then I was able to get ready without feeling frantic. The amazing thing? I noticed the next day when we were running late for a party, I felt nothing! I wasn't phased at all! This is because tapping rewires the brain and can create new neural pathways, so what once used to be a trigger for you, may no longer evoke the same response. 

Lesson learned

So what had I learned? If I allowed myself to acknowledge I was struggling (and not dismiss it), and took just a few minutes out of my day to do something about it, I could feel better not only in that moment, but in similar moments going forward. So really, hadn't I saved time? How many times had I left a birthday present by the door as I dashed my children to a party, and needed to drive back and get it? How many wasted evenings feeling frazzled because my body had been completely overwhelmed and in a constant fight or flight state all day? Tapping became my daily go to, as I have always found life overwhelming, and I have learned shortcuts that I can use on the go so that one day I will feel cool as a cucumber in every situation! I would love to share these with you.

Self-awareness, is it worth it?

When we have been a certain way for as long as we can remember, we just assume that is how we will always be and we adjust life accordingly.

I invite you to consider how it would feel to have complete mastery over your anxiety. What would that mean to you? What have you missed out on through avoidance or distraction?

Tapping sends a signal to the brain to say 'I am safe', so the nervous system switches out of fight or flight and back into the rest and digest state. Hundreds of studies have shown the efficacy of EFT Tapping for all kinds of anxiety, including PTSD. A study found tapping contributed significantly (57%) to lowering anxiety levels and lowered (43%) blood cortisol levels. Tapping can also help with the side effects of stress and anxiety, including evidenced reduction in headaches, insomnia, food cravings, digestive issues, fears, stress and pain levels.

An Invitation

If you would like to add this tool to your self-mastery toolkit, I invite you to join me for my Anxiety Mastery Online Coaching Programme, designed to help you master anxiety and regain control of your life! 

Find out more and register: www.joyfullywell.co.uk

Or follow me on Facebook or Instagram for hints and tips!

Please do get in touch if you have any questions and share this with anyone that you think may benefit.