The Art of Listening

The Art of Listening

“How EFT Can Help with Anxiety, Overwhelm, and Food Struggles”

“How EFT Can Help with Anxiety, Overwhelm, and Food Struggles”

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), or tapping, is a powerful tool to calm your nervous system, reduce emotional stress, and address deeper issues like anxiety, overwhelm, binge eating, and food cravings. Let’s take a closer look at how EFT supports these challenges.

1. EFT for Anxiety

Anxiety often feels like being stuck in a never-ending loop of worry, fear, or racing thoughts. It activates your body’s “fight-or-flight” response, keeping your nervous system in overdrive.

How EFT Helps:

• Calms the brain’s fear center: Tapping sends signals to the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for fear, to lower its activity.

• Reduces physical symptoms: Many people notice reduced muscle tension, slower heart rates, and deeper breaths after tapping.

• Increases emotional balance: By addressing the root cause of anxiety (e.g., specific fears or situations), EFT helps you feel safer and more in control.

Example: If you’re anxious and not sure of the reason follow the guide below:

Tapping points: 

SH - Side of hand 

SE -Side of eyebrow

SE - Side of eye

UN- Under nose

C- Chin

CB- Collarbone

UA- Under Arm

TH- Top Head 

Take a deep breath and check how anxious you feel on a scale of 0-10. Tap SE and say: 

‘Even though I feel anxious, I accept it’s how I am feeling right now .’ ‘Even though I feel tense I am willing to accept myself.’ Even though I feel afraid I honour my feelings. 

Tap through the points, acnkowledging how you feel now and how you’d like to feel instead. I am stressed right now.’ ‘ It feels really difficult.’ ‘ I allow my body to release this tension.’ I am safe. I can feel calm.’’ I allow my body to relax.’ 

2. EFT for Overwhelm

Feeling overwhelmed often happens when everything feels like “too much,” leaving you frozen or unable to focus. This state is linked to dysregulation in the nervous system.

How EFT Helps:

• Regulates your stress response: Tapping helps bring your body out of “fight-or-flight” and back into balance.

• Provides immediate relief: A few minutes of tapping can help you regain a sense of calm and clarity.

• Breaks tasks into manageable steps: By calming the overwhelm, EFT can help you focus on one thing at a time without feeling paralyzed.

 Follow the guide below using the example or your own words. 

Take a couple of deep breaths  and check the level of anxiety from 0-10. Then tap: 

 Side of hand : Say, ‘Even though I don't know where to start, I accept this. Even though I feel overwhelmed, I am willing to accept this is a difficult space to be in. Even though I feel overwhelmed right now I honour this feeling. 

Tap through the points while saying frases and word that come up as you tap. Eg. 

Side of eyebrow: ‘I can take things one step at a time.’

Side of eye: ‘ I am struggling right now.’ 

Under eye: ‘ I don’t like to feel this way.’ 

Under nose: ‘ It’s like I the to-do list is endless. 

Chin : ‘I wish I could manage this feeling right now.’ 

Collarbone: ‘Maybe there is something small I can do to help myself.’ 

Under arm: ‘ I can take things one step at a time.’

Top of head: ‘I can start with x,y,z.’ 

Continue the sequence saying what comes up for you until the intensity of the feeling reduces. 

3. EFT for Binge Eating

Binge eating often happens as a way to cope with difficult emotions or stress. It’s not just about food—it’s about using eating to soothe or distract from discomfort.

How EFT Helps:

• Addresses emotional triggers: Tapping helps identify and release the emotions (e.g., stress, sadness, guilt) that drive binge eating.

• Breaks the urge in the moment: When you feel the need to binge, tapping can help calm the nervous system and reduce the intensity of the craving.

• Rebuilds self-compassion: Many people feel guilt or shame after binge eating, which only fuels the cycle. EFT encourages self-acceptance, breaking this pattern.

Example: Use tapping when you feel the urge to binge, saying, “Even though I feel this overwhelming urge to eat, I choose to release this feeling and treat myself with kindness.” Follow the guide above using your own words.

4. EFT for Food Cravings

Cravings can feel powerful and uncontrollable, but they’re often tied to emotional needs or stress rather than physical hunger. If you are not experiencing physical hunger and still have a food craving you can try tapping. 

How EFT Helps:

• Rewires your brain’s response: Tapping helps reduce the brain’s attachment to certain foods as a source of comfort or reward.

• Creates space for mindful choices: By calming the craving in the moment, EFT gives you the chance to make intentional decisions about eating.

• Releases guilt around cravings: EFT helps you approach cravings without judgment, reducing the shame that can come with them.

Example: 

Side of Hand: “Even though I really want to eat {insert food name} right now, I choose to let go of this craving and focus on what I truly need.” Even though I have this intense craving right now I choose to continue tapping to discover what I need. Even thought the craving is intense right now, I choose to ride it out with a deep breaths. 

Side of eyebrow: This feels really intense. 

Side of eye: It find it so difficult to stop. 

Under eye: I accept that I am am struggling right now.

Chin: It is ok to struggle and I honour my struggle right now. 

Colllarbone: I am human and all humans struggle from time to time.

Under Arm: Maybe I can learn something with this craving.

Top of head: What is it saying? 

Side of eye: I am open to be curious and learn from it. 

Keep taping the sequence. Notice what comes up as you tap and say it out loud as you tap. End the sequence when  the intensity of the craving reduces and you feel calmer.  Well done! You have just learned to managed a craving. 

Why EFT Is So Effective for These Challenges

• It works on a mind-body level: EFT not only addresses your thoughts and feelings but also calms your body, breaking the cycle of emotional stress.

• It’s quick and portable: You can use EFT anywhere, whether you’re at work, at home, or feeling triggered in the moment.

• It creates lasting change: Over time, EFT helps rewire emotional patterns, so you respond differently to anxiety, overwhelm, or food-related stress.

With regular EFT practice, you can create more calm in your life, feel more in control of your emotions, and break free from the cycle of stress and binge eating. Alternatively, if you would like to work with me I would love to hear from you. Head over to the contact page and drop me a message.