By R. Hazelwood
As a formerly shy, very self-conscious person, I wanted a way to practice EFT that no one could see. This eventually grew into a daily practice, and may even have saved my life. I have developed a technique of silent EFT.
[Note: RH came up with silent tapping for her anxiety herself, though this is a technique others have developed; it is also called “Mental Tapping” or “Mental EFT.”]
All you need to do is imagine yourself tapping the points while you say the phrases in your head. This method can be incredibly effective for in-the-moment difficulties where you cannot tap out loud, although still use the conventional way whenever possible. Silent tapping first came to me when I was having trouble sleeping.
Tapping beforehand while listening to audios or meditations did not really help, because they just got my thoughts going. Then I started the practice of silently tapping as soon as I crawled into bed.
If something troubled me during the day, I would tap on that. It would often turn into a daisy chain of events. I would stop myself from following the really upsetting thoughts.
If I got myself thinking too much, then I would immediately simplify to:
“Even though I have ‘this stuff’, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
I might do a few specifics at first, but when the edge was off of them, I would usually fall asleep immediately.
If my mind was too busy, I would just silently tap on gratitude: “
Thank you God/Universe/Spirit for my dog sleeping next to me, I’m grateful for the beautiful sky today, I’m grateful for my home, I’m grateful for this soft bed, etc.”
That would take my mind off of my troubles so that I could sleep peacefully.
Silent EFT tapping also was incredibly helpful (and perhaps life-saving) during a traumatic experience I had at the hospital. I had just had brain surgery that day and was in a huge amount of pain and fear.
I had done some tapping ahead of time for the surgery itself (which went beautifully), but had neglected to tap for the recovery. In the middle of the night, the nurses came in, turned on the bright lights, talked loudly, threw me on a gurney, and bounced me down the hallways to the MRI machine.
I could not even lift my head, but I was having a huge panic attack.
Luckily, I had EFT. In the MRI you have to stay very still, and I was not about to move and have to be in there any longer, so I was grateful I was practiced at silent (and still) tapping.
At first, I tried to tap directly on my terror, but it was at a 10 and was not budging (perhaps due to the recent surgery to my right frontal lobe). So I switched to gratitude tapping. I could not gratitude tap on things like my son, and my husband, and home, because it triggered me into sadness I was going to die and lose them.
I could barely breathe at the time. So I tapped on safer things that would not trigger me.
“I’m grateful for sunsets and sunrises. Thank you for the beach and the warmth of the sun. I’m grateful I can take a deep breath. I’m grateful that I have a warm blanket. I’m grateful I’m alive.”
I don’t remember what all I tapped on during the 40 or so minutes in that loud, banging machine alone. I do remember that it calmed me right down, and I was able to breathe normally and stay still the entire time.
My pain level SUD number, which had been at a 10 out of 10, also went down noticeably.
When you have the EFT routine down pat, give silent EFT a try. You can even just stay on one point if your attention is divided. Words are not necessary, if you don’t have them.
Just step into the feeling, and imagine you are tapping. If something does not respond to it, then save that trauma for when you have privacy and time to tap normally
