EFT tips

1. Be specific – learn more about the importance of being specific here.

2. Treat different aspects – an aspect to a problem or issue is a feature or part of that issue, not necessarily the entire issue. For example, an aspect can be a shift in emotion from fear to anger to sadness or it can be something hurtful someone said to you (one part) the look on their face (second part) and maybe the tone of voice they used too (third part). Experience will reveal different aspects and you will start looking for them automatically to be really thorough in your tapping.

3. Say the 'unsayable' - even if just to yourself - your body knows you feel this way and is manifesting the symptoms – what you deny, disown or repress will show up in your body.

4. Tune in to how you are feeling – you can correct the short circuit in your energy system when you are actually feeling and experiencing it.

5. If you're feeling really upset, continuously tap until you feel calmer, you don't need to say anything as you are already tuned in.

6. Keep tapping on points that feel sore or tender until they feel better, stay on that one point before you move onto the next one.

7. Breathe deeply while tapping. Try the constricted breathing technique to help you do this, often our breathing is the first thing to be effected by stress.

8. Experiment with the karate chop point and the sore spot and see which is more effective at correcting psychological reversal (any objection, conscious or unconscious, that you may have to healing) for you.

9. Say the set up statement very emphatically or shout it if your intensity is not moving after a round or two.

10. The 'right' words are always your words, insert exactly how you feel into the set up statement and repeat the words/feelings that have the biggest charge for you as a reminder phrase.

11. You can use either hand or both hands to tap if you wish and you can switch sides during tapping, approximately 7 taps on each point is sufficient.

12. Tap on how you feel about having the issue/problem, very often this can be a block to making progress with the issue itself.

13. Identify the beliefs or conclusions you came to about yourself as a result of an event, tap on these beliefs too. You will most probably find a pattern between events and the beliefs you hold.

14. State what you really desire, if you hear any objections in your head, like for example "yes, but" these are your true affirmations. You can tap on these to dissolve them, Gary Craig calls these 'tailenders'.

15. Drink water - water conducts electricity so good hydration is important.