Nervousness: How To Overcome It With EFT Tapping For Nervousness

Does EFT Work For Nervousness?

What is nervousness? Why do we feel nervous? And how to use EFT Tapping to overcome it? EFT Tapping for Nervousness has been effective and is simple to administer as well. There are numerous case studies to prove that EFT works on nervousness.

I was waiting at the doctor’s office; anxiously tapping my feet on the ground; taking in short breaths as my heart raced; my palms became clammy with sweat, and an electric current intermittently pulsed throughout my body.

I was nervously waiting for my test results.

My mind, amuck with thoughts of the worst-case “what if” scenarios, countered with an over-arching positive belief, “It’s going to be OK. Everything is going to be OK.”

HOW I USED EFT TAPPING to tackle NERVOUSNESS?

Luckily, I knew Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), having learnt it for myself and taught others about it, I could tap on the tapping points on my upper body and face to soothe myself.

I started using the EFT Tapping Process on myself by gently stimulating the points on the side of the hand, known as the Karate Chop Points and whispered, "Even though I am nervous and I am just so scared as I do not know what the results will show and I do not like going to the hospital and I am thinking about the worst-case scenarios, I deeply and completely love and accept myself."

I repeated this process 2 more times on the side of my hand and then moved to upper body tapping points, while saying the following phrases out loud:

Eyebrow: "So nervous"
Side of the eye: "Really scared"
Under the eye: "So nervous"
Under the nose: "Very scared"
Chin: "Hands clammy"
Collarbone: "Short breaths"
Under the arm: "So nervous"
Thumb: "Worst-case scenario"
Index Finger: "Do not like going to a hospital"
Middle Finger: "Really nervous" "So nervous"
Little Finger: "So nervous"

I tapped on the words 'nervous' and 'scared', and on the symptoms that I was experiencing. For example, clammy hands and short breaths. I just spoke the truth of how I was feeling and used the EFT tapping points to feel calmer.

My legs stopped shaking nervously and my name flashed up on the screen, “Rangana, Room 9.” I picked myself up from the chair in the waiting room, and walked to the doctor's consultation room, feeling calmer.

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Have You Ever Felt Nervous?

Perhaps like me, waiting for your medical reports, biting your nails prior to the board exams, or as the plane is getting ready to take off, you must have felt nervous.

Nervousness can strike during any stressful situation; asking for a raise; or before giving birth, as the grip of the contractions take hold.

It could have even been as you got ready to experience your first kiss. It must have felt awkward as you leaned over, not sure what to do, and then somehow it happened and it was over. The nervousness subsided.

Nervousness is uncontrollable, often accompanied by physical sensations that, rather than detracting from the problem, can amplify it.

Occasionally, nervousness maybe accompanied by stuttering and an inability to communicate.

This feeling is very common and completely normal.

Surprisingly, even award-winning singer, Kelly Clarkson shared, 'I’ve never been more nervous in my life than singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl.' For her, it was the biggest stage that she had ever performed on, with the event being televised to millions.

Every time I get ready to go on stage, I feel the butterflies of nervousness fluttering in my stomach, as they bubble up to my heart, making me feel dizzy and light-headed.

Nervousness and ambition are companions. This can mean you are pushing through your comfort zone to break through your limits.

"Being nervous is not something you should be ashamed of. Nervousness means you care, you really want to do well."

Paula Creamer

SO, WHY DO PEOPLE FEEL NERVOUS?

According to science, in stressful situations, your brain sends a signal from the pituitary gland to the kidneys where your adrenal gland resides.

Once the message from the brain is received, adrenaline is released.

What follows, is the fight-or-flight response, where the heart rate increases, muscles tighten, pupils dilate, and a tingling sensation is felt in the stomach.

This is because blood is redirected from the stomach to the heart and muscles, to help you cope with the stress.

The body cannot discern between stress prior to an interview, versus when under an attack. In the latter, you need blood in your muscles to either pick a fight or flight. However, before an interview, the last thing you want to do is run away.

Nervous feelings are a deliberate side effect of the body’s response to stress and to prepare the body to cope with it.

New To EFT? Learn How EFT Tapping Heals, including Nervousness

Emotional Freedom Techniques (tapping) is clinically proven to lower nervousness, stress, tension, anxiety, past-trauma to enable health, happiness and vitality.

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NERVOUSNESS & ANXIETY?

Nervousness is a natural response to situations and many of us feel it on a daily basis. But as the saying goes, too much of anything is not good for us. So, even though this feeling is common and can be good for us sometimes, it can escalate to something severe if we do not keep it in check.

When nervousness takes up a more severe form, it is known as anxiety, which could turn into a disorder.

Although these two words are often used as synonyms for one another, they are quite different. Some of the differences between anxiety and nervousness are:

Nervousness arises due to particular situations. For example, you feel nervous before an exam or an interview; while anxiety sometimes emerges out for no reason at all. It can creep up on us out of nowhere, and we might not even figure out why.
Nervousness is short-lived. Since it occurs only during a specific event, it stays with us only for that duration, but anxiety is long-lasting and constant.
Since we feel nervous only during some situations, it does not affect us too much. However, people with anxiety are likely to engage in self-harm and/or self-destructive thoughts due to the unbearable weight of this intense feeling.
When it comes to nervousness, you can lower the symptoms by talking about it to your friends or family. You can even manage it by coping methods like meditation, sleeping or EFT Tapping. But anxiety, especially prolonged one, might need more support from a qualified professional.

HOW TO OVERCOME NERVOUSNESS WITH EFT TAPPING?

Accept Nervousness; It’s Natural

Nervousness is something that every human being faces. It is not something to panic about. It is a natural symptom of feeling stressed.

Believe In Yourself

I remember my friend, Fatima, sharing that when she was learning to drive, and was feeling very nervous, she would remember the words of her brother, “You can do this!” and she kept telling the same words to herself, over and over again.

Just Do It

This is Nike’s tagline, or as the author, Susan Jeffers would say, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Just go out and do what you want without overthinking. In spite of the many “ifs” and “buts,” have trust and faith in yourself and do it anyway!

Prepare And Practice

Nervousness can creep in when you might not have prepared enough before an interview or a presentation. I coach my trainers to prepare as well as practice. I remember, the first time I had to share Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) with a group of strangers, I was nervous.

So, what I did, was practice with my friend in Germany over Skype. She gave me feedback and also encouraged me, which made me feel a lot calmer and more in control.

Journal Writing

Put a pen to the paper and write down your deep thoughts on what you are feeling nervous about. The act of getting it all out in a journal is a healthy mental outlet, thus making you feel calmer from inside.

Meditation

Experts have proven that meditation can reduce the negative effects brought about by nervousness. In case you are not able to focus on meditation, I love these 2 processes that I can use on myself to calm nervousness and feel more in control. The first is the 'Finger Holds' based on Jin Shin Jyutsu; the second is '6 Count Breathing'.

Use The EFT Tapping Process To Tap Out Nervousness

EFT Tapping works by tapping on the body's energy meridians to reduce the nervous symptoms and restore calm. It can be learnt with a professionally qualified trainer and once learnt you can use the process on yourself or become a Certified EFT Practitioner to help others overcome their nervousness, stress, tension, and anxiety.

With EFT & Nervousness in mind, it's best to work in layers; starting with the surface symptoms, and then the real reason you feel nervous for. Usually, there is a deeper root cause, for example, a fear that something bad will happen, or a desire to do well and to not fail.

This process which involves tapping on the energy points, while saying phrases out loud, is clinically proven to lower stress, anxiety, tension, and fear.

Feeling Nervous? Learn EFT Tapping To Help Yourself

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Sleep

Lack of proper sleep can also make you feel nervous as your brain needs enough rest to function at its optimal best. If the brain does not get enough rest, it is unable to process the information properly and starts to generate stress hormones, which creates nervousness and anxiety.

Shake It Off

When you feel nervous, just stand up and shake it off. Shake your arms and legs, and breathe in and out. You can also imagine placing the nervousness in the palm of your hands, lifting your hands from behind your back and over your head, and dropping your hands down with a "whoosh" sound.

EFT TAPPING FOR NERVOUSNESS

EFT Tapping for Nervousness is an alternative therapeutic method, which has been proven to be long-lasting and effective. The procedure of EFT Tapping for Nervousness is as follows:

Step 1

Take A Quick Temperature Check

Identify and explore more about what triggers your nervousness by asking the following questions:

What or who is it that makes you nervous?
What triggers the nervousness you face?
What calms you down when you feel nervous?
Where in the body do you feel this nervousness?

You could be nervous just before writing your exams, or maybe when you are at the dentist for a consultation. Perhaps, a hug from your mom before you start for your exams, or maybe drinking some water can help you calm down.

Step 2

Identify The Physical Sensations

Identify physical sensations that are associated with nervousness. You can explore by asking questions such as:

How are you feeling?
Where in the body do you experience this nervousness?
What is the colour, texture, size, and shape of the nervousness?
Where in the body do you feel this nervousness?

Measure the level of nervousness by asking: "On a scale of 1 to 10, what number is the nervousness at, where 10 is high and 1 is not high at all."

Step 3

Start Tapping On The Side Of Your Hand (Karate Chop)

Tap on The Karate Chop using the setup statement, for example:

“Even though I feel nervous about exams and I can feel it in my stomach, it’s at a number 8, blue in colour, and it makes my palms go cold, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”

(Repeat 3 times)

Step 4

Then Tap On The Facial And Upper Body EFT Tapping Points While Using particular Phrases

Use the identified phrases to tap on the facial, upper body, and finger EFT Tapping Points:

Eyebrow: I am nervous about …..
Temple: I feel it in my …..
Under eye: It’s at a number …..
Under nose: It makes me feel …..
Chin: It’s in my ….. at a number …..
Collarbone: It makes me feel …..
Under the arm: So …..
Thumb: So …..
Index Finger: Nervous because …..
Middle Finger: I feel it in my …..
Little finger: So …..

Step 5

Complete The Sequence By Tapping On The Side Of Your Hand Again

Close the sequence by coming back to the EFT Karate Chop Tapping Points and repeating the setup statement once:

“Even though I feel nervous about exams and I can feel it in my stomach, it’s at a number 8, blue in colour, and it makes my palms go cold, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”

Step 6

Breathe And Relax

Take a gentle breath in and out, and have a sip of water.

Step 7

Test Yourself

Test the intensity of the nervousness. Ask yourself the following questions:

What number is the nervousness at now?
What happened?
How does it make you feel now?

If the nervousness has reduced to a level that you’re happy about, you can stop and close with positive tapping. If you feel the number could come down a little more, begin again from the first step.

Note: You can also tap on memories, and associated emotions that come up.

Step 8

Close With Positive Tapping For Nervousness

Identify positive tapping sequences to close the EFT Tapping for nervousness:

You can close with the following sequence,

“Even though I have this nervousness about exams, that was then and this is now, I am open to the possibility of feeling relaxed now.”

Repeat as often as needed, and you can stop when you feel relaxed.

DOES EFT TAPPING FOR NERVOUSNESS WORK?

Now, Emotional Freedom Techniques are clinically proved, and are approved alternative therapeutic methods, that allow us to get rid of all the built-up negative and toxic energy in ourselves.

This is an intervention and is very helpful when it comes to fixing your mental or physical problems. As mentioned previously, nervousness and anxiety are often used as synonyms, even though they differ. Nevertheless, both of them are also quite similar and sometimes go hand-in-hand.

Nervousness is a symptom of anxiety. The only difference is that, while nervousness tends to stay for a specific situation and goes away quickly, anxiety lasts for a longer amount of time and requires treatment.

Symptoms of anxiety and nervousness also seem to be a little similar, such as

Feeling fear or panic
Problem in sleeping
Fidgeting
Nausea or fatigue
Racing pulse
Tingling sensation/ butterflies in the stomach
Shortness of breath

Just like EFT for Nervousness is helpful for the short term feeling, there is a very effective EFT Tapping for Anxiety, that happens to be helpful for getting rid of this intense and often, unbearable feeling. This anxiety, as well as nervousness relieving technique, stimulates the body's energy and ability to let go or overcome any sort of trauma or unwanted event that the individual has faced previously.

EFT tapping is something that you could consider trying, if you feel like you are ready to let go of things that have been bothering you and need professional help. The technique will help you grow personally, and make you feel better about yourself.

EFT tapping for Nervousness, and EFT tapping for Anxiety has been quite helpful to army veterans, students having test anxiety, women who have undergone surgery, dental patients, and so many other individuals, who were facing any difficulty trying to cope with their feelings of nervousness.

If you feel like your nervousness is escalating to something that you are unable to handle, you need to consider consulting a professional for it, because avoiding the feeling will only make it worse.

So, the next time you’re nervous, just accept it, focus on your conscious mind and take that step!

Love,

Dr. Rangana Rupavi Choudhuri (PhD)

P.S. Want to discover if EFT is right for you? Book a Complimentary Discovery Call.

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In summary, you need to handle your feelings with acceptance and a conscious mind. Nervousness is something that we have all experienced at least once in our lives. It happens to be a good thing, because it allows us to be self-aware and makes sure we give our best at whatever we have to do at that point in time. However, if it increases to an extent that you are not able to handle it, consider seeking professional help once you are comfortable and have accepted that you require it.

References:

Disclaimer: The information on this website is purely for educational purposes and does not in any way replace the requirement for medical and psychological diagnosis and treatment. Please do seek professional medical and psychological diagnosis and advice for all medical and mental health conditions. It is advised to always book any consultations with qualified professionals.

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