061 Using Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Help With Strong Reactions as a Highly Sensitive Person with Alison Morris

Feb 18, 2020

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TITLE

Using Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Help With Strong Reactions as a Highly Sensitive Person

GUEST

Alison Morris

EPISODE OVERVIEW

Alison Morris talks about the benefits of using EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques, also known as tapping, to help release stress; calm our nervous system; change brain waves, disrupt fear signals from the amygdala, and to change core beliefs. We demonstrate how to tap on the belief of being too sensitive. Alison talks about the importance of acknowledging, allowing, accepting and having awareness of our feelings, and why as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) this is a powerful tool.

HIGHLIGHTS

Emotional Freedom Techniques
- Also known as EFT or tapping
Use acupressure points
It’s like emotional acupuncture, but without needles
Utilizes meridians, which are energy systems within the body
- In traditional Chinese medicine, meridiansare channels that form a network in the body, through which energy flows
- Rivers of energy
At the meridian in the body, there is more electrical conductivity
EFT can be used to
- Release stress
- Calm the nervous system
- Change brain waves
- Disrupt fear signals from the amygdala (fear or worry)
- Induce epigenetic changes
  - Turn on immune function
  - Turn off inflammation
- EFT has been comparably compared in effectiveness to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  - It works more quickly with fewer sessions
- You can try EFT on everything and anything
- It can help with a troubling memory, something in the present, stress or worry and physical pain
- It can be the most powerful when used on beliefs we hold about ourselves
  - We pick up beliefs before we are six-years-old that become deeply ingrained
  - Who am I?
  - Is the world safe?
- The 4 As of EFT

Acknowledge
1. How we are feeling
2. There are no wrong or bad feelings
3. Feelings of shame, embarrassment, guilt, anger, sadness, etc.
Allowing
1. To feel it
2. Focus on the negative
3. Address what is
4. There is a fear the feeling will never go away
5. Feelings are supposed to be felt; then they move on
Accepting
1. I deeply and completely accept myself
2. You are ok no matter what you feel
3. How I am is fine
4. I honor myself and the way I feel
5. I honor my sensitivity and the gifts that it brings
6. My sensitivity is a superpower

EFT was designed to be a self-help tool
You can tap with a partner or with a therapist or coach who is trained in EFT
Common struggles
- I don’t know what to say or what words to use
- Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to use words if it’s overwhelming or you can’t come up with the words
- Not being specific enough—you will get better results if you are specific
Notice what you are feeling in your body (head, muscles, stomach, jaws)
Possible things to say
- Even thought I haven’t allowed myself to feel for years, and I’m afraid to start feeling…
- People have been telling me not to be so sensitive for years…
- I’m so overwhelmed, and I can’t identify what I’m feelings because it’s such a big mess…
You get to be you
- It’s ok to be angry, swear, scream, cry
You can tap in the car or the shower
It’s just releasing energy
- You may sigh, yawn, cry
- Your focus may get brighter, shoulders drop down, sit up straighter
Before tapping—
- Rate your symptom/distress on a scale of 1-10
- Try to pick something that’s not too intense—maybe something that’s a 4-6 in distress
- Notice where you feel it in your body
- Start with your “set up phrase” and repeat 3x with the karate chop on the side of your hand
  - Even though I …..I deeply love and accept myself
- Use the reminder phrase when you tap on the following (see attached picture)
  - Top of the head
  - Above the eyebrow
  - Outside the eye—side of your face
  - Under the eye
  - Under the nose
  - Above the chin
  - Collar bone
  - Under the arm (where are bra strap would be if you wear a bra)
- It’s helpful to have water nearby so you don’t get dehydrated
- Often if feels like nothing has happened, but changes are happening
- The original protocol is to stay with the negative statements
  - It’s like working on it to heal the wound
  - If the negative feelings are subsiding, you can switch to reparative statements, but you don’t want to rush into this
- You can use tapping to feel honored, safer and to build inner strength

SCRIPT FOR TAPPING

Even though I really hate being so sensitive, I deeply and completely accept myself.

Even though I have felt like a misfit for years because I am so sensitive I deeply and completely accept myself.

Even though I really wish sometimes that my sensitivity would just go away. I deeply and completely accept myself.

Now we're going to take fingers again either hand we're going to go right to the very top of the head. Like where a puppet would come from, you know, string would come up from the top of a puppet’s head, and just tap lightly while we say what's called a reminder phrase.

I hate being so sensitive.

All right, we're going to the eyebrow point which is the edge of the eyebrow closest to your nose. Again, you can use either hand or both hands, but just for now let's just use one hand, just tap lightly with two or three fingers.

I hate being so sensitive.

We follow to the outside of the eye just on that bone gently don't poke yourself in the eye.

I'm tired of being such a misfit.

Follow that bone underneath your eye. You know just an inch or two below.

I really hate being so sensitive.

Now we go to under the nose, that little indentation between your nose and your upper lip.

I hate being so sensitive.

The chin point which is above the chin, below the lower lip in that little indentation.

I'm so tired of being so sensitive.

Then we go to the collarbone point. So if you find your collarbone your clavicle and trace it sort of to the middle point where the two of them kind of almost come together, drop down an inch, and then go to one side, about two inches and you'll find a kind of a notch like an indentation in there. And that is technically the collarbone point. What I like to do though, just to keep it a little bit simpler is to take all five fingers and go all the way across your chest, below your collarbone. That way you make sure you get that point.

I'm so tired of being so sensitive.

Then finally we're going to do the underarm pit. This one looks a little weird. About four inches below your armpit. Where a bra strap would cross, you can curl one hand arm up on one side to reach it. Are you can reach across your chest to tap under your arm on the other side of your body, if that makes sense.

I hate being so sensitive.

Okay, so that's one round of tapping. So let's go back through now a little bit more quickly. Now that we know where all the points are.

GUEST BIO

Alison Morris is a certified EFT practitioner who loves helping people understand how they respond to stress and how EFT or tapping can help them quickly and effectively release whatever has them stressed - whether a memory, a physical symptom, or a fear of the future. Alison has focused mostly on helping parents of children with serious emotional and behavioral challenges, many of whom are Highly Sensitive People, through her work at Full Potential Parenting.

PODCAST HOST

Patricia Young works with Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) helping them to understand their HSP traits, and turning their perceived shortcomings into superpowers. Patricia is passionate about providing education to help HSPs and non-HSPs understand and truly appreciate the amazing gifts they have to offer. Patricia works globally online with HSPs providing coaching. Patricia also facilitates online groups for HSPs that focus on building community and developing skills (identifying your superpowers, boundaries, perfectionism, dealing with conflict, mindfulness, embracing emotions, creating a lifestyle that supports the HSP, communication and more).

LINKS

Alison’s Links

Website--http://full-potential-parenting.com

Facebook--https://www.facebook.com/FullPotentialParenting/

YouTube--https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbvovgDdQFAaosog6di9XiQ/videos

Highly Sensitive Person self-test--https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/

Patricia Carrington, PhD The Choices Method--https://patcarrington.com/introducing-the-choices-method/

Gary Craig EFT Tapping--https://www.emofree.com/

I wasn’t able to include the sheet for tapping (sorry). If you go to the closed fb group (link below), the diagram is already posted there. Alison and I will be making a video and I will post a link in the group for you.

Patricia’s Links

HSP Online Course--https://unapologeticallysensitive.com/hsp-online-groups/

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Website--www.unapologeticallysensitive.com

Meetup-- https://www.meetup.com/Unapologetically-Sensitive-Meetup/

Facebook-- https://www.facebook.com/Unapologetically-Sensitive-2296688923985657/

Closed/Private Facebook group Unapologetically Sensitive-- https://www.facebook.com/groups/2099705880047619/

Instagram-- https://www.instagram.com/unapologeticallysensitive/

Youtube-- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOE6fodj7RBdO3Iw0NrAllg/videos?view_as=subscriber

e-mail-- unapologeticallysensitive@gmail.com

Show hashtag--#unapologeticallysensitive

Music-- Gravel Dance by Andy Robinson www.andyrobinson.com