If you’re feeling stressed lately, you’re not alone: A recent WalletHub study found that 77 percent of adults are stressed, and that Georgia is one of the most stressed states in the country, with factors such as health, family relationships, finances, and work considered. While therapy and medication are two of the most prevalent ways to reduce stress and anxiety, there is one often underutilized method that’s been scientifically proven to reduce stress quickly: tapping, or Emotional Freedom Technique.
The technique combines acupressure and psychology to balance the body and reduce stress, often immediately. Melissa Lester, LCSW, is a Sandy Springs-based psychotherapist who uses tapping in her private practice, as well as in her work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Georgia School Counselors Association, and Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, among other organizations.
“Tapping activates the 10 largest energy channels in the body where Western science has proven that energy travels fastest,” she explains. “By tapping, you can quickly process what hasn’t been processed, such as trauma or stress, and bring the nervous system back into a natural state of calm and relaxation, going from activation to deactivation.” According to Lester, tapping can help reduce blood pressure, cortisol, anxiety, and physical pain severity.
While Lester and other professionals incorporate it into their practices, it can be done anytime, anywhere, with the help of free resources like apps and videos online. To do it, sit comfortably and close your eyes. Then, gently tap points across the face and body as guided by an instructional video, such as the eyebrows, under the eyes, and collarbone, while listening to and repeating affirmations. Online tapping resources will guide you where to tap and when, and some sessions can last as few as three minutes.
Lester uses it clinically to help with things such as interrupting cravings for substance abuse patients or intercepting panic attacks, or those suffering from PTSD. But she is adamant that it can be done anywhere by anybody in times of need. “You can do it in a parking lot or bathroom stall at work, anywhere you need to slow down your nervous system,” she says.
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