Try This…
Stress is a massive issue for many people at the moment.
It was a massive issue BEFORE Covid, but lockdowns have had the effect of giving it a shot of steroids.
Now, some stress (in short bursts) is actually very good for you. But long, drawn out, chronic stress that you end up wading around in – like stress soup – is very bad.
Bad for your mental and for your physical health.
It will negatively impact your immune system, prevent proper digestion, lay down belly fat, increase blood pressure, affect sleep (when your healing happens) and so much more.
And when you’re stuck in chronic stress it’s so hard to get out of. Why?
Because stress is your body going into the fight/flight response. Blood is routed away from your brain and into your limbs – so you can fight or flee.
The result of blood leaving the brain?
Difficulty thinking. Difficulty problem solving. Brain fog.
And because you can’t think of solutions to what is causing the stress…you get more stressed.
Because you can’t see or find a way out of the stress…you get more stressed.
Vicious. Circle.
It’s the same theory for when you don’t have the thing or life you want.
There’s something you want, or there’s a way you want to live your life – but you can’t seem to get it. This is frustrating to say the least. It can also destroy your confidence and leave you living a life that is well below par.
Here’s the thing. Humans are creatures of habit. You keep doing what you’ve always done…and so you get what you’ve always gotten.
If you want a different result you have to change something. You have to do something differently.
Simple right?
Actually no.
A change of habit feels uncomfortable, often scary and your brain doesn’t like it. It sends it into the stress response – because it can’t tell the difference between real and perceived danger.
Your brain’s job is to keep you alive and safe – so it will actively work against you when you try to make those changes that take you out of your “comfort zone”.
This often presents itself as your Inner Voice; the chatter that goes on behind your eyeballs, giving you all sorts of reasons why you shouldn’t attempt this change. Maybe paralysing you from moving forward. Maybe just subtly distracting you so you don’t even realise you’ve been knocked off course.
Now this isn’t because your brain is bad. It really does believe it’s working for your best interests – it’s trying to protect you. Unfortunately, this mis-guided self love can really get in your way and hold you back.
It can also keep you in that stress state.
If only there was a fast and effective technique for reducing stress! For allowing your intelligent, problem solving brain to come back online! For finding and releasing limiting beliefs that keep you in the stress vicious circle!
Well, I’m really pleased to tell you that – THERE IS! Woohoo!
You may not have heard about it because it’s only recently started hitting the mainstream. If you have heard about it you may have discounted it cos it looks, quite frankly, utterly woo woo.
So, what is it?
I’d like to introduce you to EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), often called Tapping.
See, it’s even got a silly name.
But don’t be fooled by its appearance. It’s EXTREMELY effective at reducing stress. Fast.
There are several studies that support this too.
The latest one, by Peta Stapleton, PH. D., involved 3 groups of people who had their cortisol levels (a stress hormone) measured via their saliva before receiving 3 different interventions.
The first group spent an hour reading magazines.
The second group were given an hour of psychoeducation (info on stress).
The third group received an hour of EFT.
After the hour, the first group experienced an INCREASE in cortisol of 2%.
The second group experienced a reduction of 19% (this is around the usual rate of decline when the cause of the stress is removed).
But the third group, the group who had done an hour of EFT, experienced a WHOPPING 43% decrease of cortisol.
43% – after just 1 hour!
Imagine the positive impact that would have on your mental and physical health. The impact it would have on your life!
80-90% of the choices we make are based on emotions. Would you rather be making potentially dubious choices from a state of stress…or potentially better choices from a place of empowerment?
I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of ONE good decision I’ve made from a place of stress!
EFT gives you the freedom and ability to change your emotional state.
Emotional freedom gives you the power to make better choices.
That’s huge. That’s massively empowering. Yet so many people aren’t aware of it. Or if they are aware of it, aren’t doing it.
Yes…it looks a bit woo woo.
Yes…you’ll feel a bit silly to start with.
Maybe your Inner Voice will tell you that you don’t need it; that your life is already moving along how you want it to. That you’re not being slowed down or held back by internal resistance and so this really isn’t for you.
You may choose to believe that. However, nothing is so good that it can’t get better and the potential benefits of EFT make it well worth giving this odd looking process a try.
What have you got to lose?! Other than stress of course!
To Tapping Into Your Personal Power
Claire x