Where do you go when you want to get away from it all?
Where do you escape to when life gets too much?
Do you need to go to a physical place to get that sense of peace and quiet?
I used to love going to a particular beach and sit staring out at sea to contemplate life and think, when I needed that space. I no longer live right by the sea, so I have a particular spot in a park that I go to which is right by a river and some wonderful trees. For me whenever I feel I want to stop the world I feel I need to connect with nature. I feel being in nature I connect to my true self and can allow my thoughts to settle and gain some clarity and inner peace.
But we can also create this kind of space within us. We can create our own inner sanctuary where we can go when we need to escape at any time. It might be based on an actual place we have been or seen. Or we can be completely creative and create a space completely from our imagination.
What does the landscape of your inner sanctuary look like? Is it a beach, a lake, a river, a mountain or a desert? Or is it a city scene? Are there any other people around or you are alone? Are there birds or animals there?
You don’t even have to limit yourself to one sanctuary, you could have several depending on your mood and needs at the time you want to get away from it all. Or it could be one sanctuary where the seasons change the landscape around you.
The important thing is that you create a space where you feel calm and connected with yourself. A place where you can feel inner peace. A place where you can think and gain clarity. A place where you can go whenever you need to get away from it all. A place that is just yours.
inner sanctuary
Use this inner sanctuary at times of stress or anxiety. Use it whenever you feel overwhelmed by life and you need time alone. Use it when you need to make a decision or contemplate choices. Use it when you want to feel connected to yourself.
I love using my inner sanctuary to help me escape from the world and connect to myself.
I would love to hear about your experiences with your inner sanctuary.
Many people report that when they are upset, worried, scared, anxious etc they hold their breath. This is not something we do consciously but we often become aware of it after a little while. What we are less aware of is when we do it without realising it. We very often breathe too shallowly anyway and again most people aren’t aware of doing it. So a good practice to take up is to do some deep breathing every day.
Pick something that you will remember easily such as checking your breathing every time you go to the bathroom or answer the phone. Then just spend a minute or two focusing on your breathing. Breathing in and out slowly and deeply through your nose. Whenever you notice your breathing throughout your day, choose to breathe slowly and deeply.
Make it a habit to check your breath regularly throughout your day. This is an easy way to reduce stress and anxiety and increase our energy levels.
Anxiety feels awful. You know that thinking about it makes it worse. You dread the anxiety escalating into a panic attack. You end up worrying about having anxiety or having a panic attack. Which in itself can bring on an attack!
Then you start to avoid certain situations and spend more time at home because it is easier than going through all that anxiety. The anxiety or worrying about the anxiety is very draining. It literally wears you out and you feel exhausted. Life becomes less enjoyable.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Learning EFT can really help you take control of your life again. You can use EFT to relax and calm your mind and body. You can reduce your symptoms e.g. fast beating heart, sweating, churning or knotty stomach, feeling sick, feeling like you will pass out etc. You can work on the triggers of your anxiety. This part is key. Working with a Practitioner can help you get to the underlying cause of the anxiety.
Figuring out when it started, what was going on in your life then etc. We can work very gently with any traumatic memories from your past with the movie technique. Working on these past memories helps clear out this stuck energy. Your body can then learn that it is safe now and let these symptoms go.
Tapping every day, helps restore calm and puts you back in control. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
Even though I hate this anxiety and it feels so awful, I’m willing to accept myself anyway
Even though I hate feeling so sick because of this anxiety, I’m ok right now
Even though I can’t even go out for a meal without feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, I’m open to accepting myself anyway
Even though I shake like a leaf and my stomach churns in knots, every time I go out shopping, I love and accept myself anyway
Even though I worry about having a panic attack every time I have to go out and I feel so exhausted afterwards that I just want to lie down and go to sleep, I accept myself anyway
Tapping really can help as long as you are persistent and work on both your symptoms and the triggers that cause the anxiety. It is possible to enjoy life again and plan things that you avoided in the past.
Are your children about to leave the nest? Are you questioning who you will be now that your children are leaving home? The Mother role is diminishing and it can make you re-evaluate who you are, who you want to be and what you want to do with your life. Maybe you haven’t worked or only worked limited hours when your children have been at home and you are now considering whether to go back to work or work longer hours. Or maybe you’re considering re-training for a new career.
If that sounds like you, then you might like to tune in to your body and see what messages it is trying to tell you. Do you feel tension or tightness anywhere? Notice what is going on in your body and ask it if it has a message for you.
Here is a script you can use to help you during this transitional time.
Tap on the Karate Chop whilst repeating three times:
Even though I hate change and I still want to be a Mom to my kids, I’m willing to accept myself anyway
Even though part of me doesn’t want my kids to leave, I don’t know who I’ll be when they are gone, I’m open to accepting myself anyway
Even though I’ve been needed for so long, now it feels like my kids don’t need me anymore and I don’t know how to handle that, I accept my feelings about this anyway
Eyebrow: I hate change Side of Eye: Change is scary Under Eye: I don’t know who I’ll be when my kids leave home Under Nose: I’ve been a Mum for so long Chin: I don’t know what I’ll do when my kids leave Collarbone: I like to be needed Under Arm: Part of me doesn’t want them to leave Top of Head: What will I do when they leave home
Eyebrow: I feel this worry in my shoulder Side of Eye: My shoulder is frozen in fear and worry Under Eye: Who will I be when they leave? Under Nose: This is so hard Chin: I don’t know how to handle them leaving Collarbone: How will I handle having all this extra time Under Arm: I’m frozen in fear of this change Top of Head: I’m not sure what I’ll do with my life now
Eyebrow: I’m open to feeling different about this Side of Eye: What if I could feel excited about the opportunities I have Under Eye: Maybe I can feel less scared and worried Under Nose: I’m open to finding this easier Chin: What if I could see this as an opportunity for me Collarbone: Maybe I’ll enjoy the extra time I’ll have Under Arm: What if I found it easier to handle this situation Top of Head: I’m open to letting it be easy to let my kids go
Use your words where appropriate to really tune in to how you feel. Keep tapping until you no longer feel so scared or worried. I’d love to hear your feedback, so please leave a comment.
It is that busy time of year again! There is always lots to do – presents to buy and wrap, food to prepare, parties to attend, work to complete, family to visit etc. We can feel like we are being pulled in all different directions and like there is not enough hours in the day! We often feel overwhelmed and stressed and can get so caught up in the material things that we forget the spirit of Christmas (and I’m not talking about the alcoholic variety).
Christmas tree
So take some time out, sit down for a few minutes and do some tapping. Here is a tapping script that can help you. Write down your score on a scale of 0 – 10 first (where 10 is maximum stress/overwhelm etc).
Setup:
Tap on the Karate Chop whilst repeating three times:
Even though I’m so stressed about Christmas and everything I have to do, I still deeply and completely accept myself
Even though I still have loads of shopping to do, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Even though I feel overwhelmed by my to-do list, I love and accept myself anyway
Eyebrow: I’m stressed about Christmas Side of Eye: I’m so overwhelmed by my to-do list Under Eye: I’ve got way too much to do Under Nose: And not enough hours in the day Chin: I’ll never get it all done Collarbone: Why didn’t I start earlier? Under Arm: I always leave it to the last minute Top of Head: It’s always a rush and panic at the end
Eyebrow: I wish I could plan things better Side of Eye: Why do I have to do everything anyway? Under Eye: I feel so stressed, I’ve got so much to do Under Nose: I don’t have the time to buy all the presents, Chin: all the food, prepare the house, do the wrapping Collarbone: It’s all too much for me to do Under Arm: I hate feeling so stressed about Christmas Top of Head: I can’t enjoy myself because I’ve got too much to do
Eyebrow: I’m open to thinking about this differently Side of Eye: What if could prioritise my to-do list Under Eye: Maybe I can get some help off my family Under Nose: Maybe I can take some time out to prioritise Chin: What if I can feel calmer about my to-do list Collarbone: Maybe I can get it all done if my family helps me Under Arm: What if I enjoyed getting some help Top of Head: I’m open to enjoying myself as I do all these things
Use your words where appropriate to really tune in to how you feel. Keep tapping until you feel calmer and more centered.
EFT is always there for us right at our fingertips, ready to help us when we need it. Remember that you need to look after yourself this Christmas. Making some time every day (even for 5 minutes) will help you stay calm and able to cope with all the extra things you need to do at this busy time of year.
It is that busy time of year again! There is always lots to do – presents to buy and wrap, food to prepare, parties to attend, work to complete, family to visit etc. We can feel like we are being pulled in all different directions and like there is not enough hours in the day! We often feel overwhelmed and stressed and can get so caught up in the material things that we forget the spirit of Christmas (and I’m not talking about the alcoholic variety).
So take some time out, sit down for a few minutes and do some tapping. Here is a tapping script that can help you. Write down your score on a scale of 0 – 10 first (where 10 is maximum stress/overwhelm etc).
Setup:
Tap on the Karate Chop whilst repeating three times:
Even though I’m so stressed about Christmas and everything I have to do, I still deeply and completely accept myself
Even though I still have loads of shopping to do, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Even though I feel overwhelmed by my to-do list, I love and accept myself anyway
Eyebrow: I’m stressed about Christmas
Side of Eye: I’m so overwhelmed by my to-do list
Under Eye: I’ve got way too much to do Under Nose: And not enough hours in the day
Chin: I’ll never get it all done Collarbone: Why didn’t I start earlier?
Under Arm: I always leave it to the last minute
Top of Head: It’s always a rush and panic at the end
Eyebrow: I wish I could plan things better Side of Eye: Why do I have to do everything anyway?
Under Eye: I feel so stressed, I’ve got so much to do Under Nose: I don’t have the time to buy all the presents,
Chin: all the food, prepare the house, do the wrapping
Collarbone: It’s all too much for me to do
Under Arm: I hate feeling so stressed about Christmas
Top of Head: I can’t enjoy myself because I’ve got too much to do
Eyebrow: I’m open to thinking about this differently Side of Eye: What if could prioritise my to-do list Under Eye: Maybe I can get some help off my family Under Nose: Maybe I can take some time out to prioritise
Chin: What if I can feel calmer about my to-do list
Collarbone: Maybe I can get it all done if my family helps me Under Arm: What if I enjoyed getting some help
Top of Head: I’m open to enjoying myself as I do all these things
Use your words where appropriate to really tune in to how you feel. Keep tapping until you feel calmer and more centered.
One thing that is guaranteed in this world is change. Sometimes it’s a change that we want and welcome. Other times we have changes forced upon us and we fight them. Even when it’s a change we want, we can experience resistance and negative emotions. How do we deal with all of that? EFT is there for us as usual, right at our fingertips. Here’s a tapping script that you might find useful to help you cope with change.
Tap on the Karate Chop spot on either hand whilst repeating out loud these 3 setups (or change the words to suit your situation):
Even though this change feels so hard and uncomfortable, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Even though I didn’t want this change and I don’t want to have to deal with it, I deeply and completely accept who I am and how I feel
Even though this change feels so difficult and I want things to stay the way they are, I choose to accept who I am and how I feel
Eyebrow: This change is so difficult and uncomfortable Side of eye: I’m so upset by this change Under eye: I don’t want this change Under nose: I didn’t choose this change Chin: Changes never work out for me Collarbone: I’m so resistant to this change Under arm: I wish this change didn’t have to happen Top of head: Why can’t things stay the same?
Repeat the above several times or change the words to suit how you feel, until you feel a reduction in the intensity. If you feel ready you can tap on these statements which focus on the solution:
Eyebrow: Maybe this change will be easier Side of eye: Maybe this time the change is for the best Under eye: What if this time it’ll be easier Under nose: What if things work out ok for me this time Chin: What if things go my way Collarbone: What if it turns out even better than I expected Under arm: What if it does work out for me Top of head: What if this change turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to me
Repeat the tapping as necessary and use your own words where appropriate. Tap on the specific changes that are happening in your life and how you feel about them, until you feel calmer and able to handle the situation.
Even though I’m worried of having a panic attack and not being able to handle it I choose to know I can get through it and feel normal again quickly
Even though I can’t handle having a panic attack and just want to take a tablet and go to bed to sleep it off, I choose to know it will pass and I can get through it
Even though I hate the feeling in my legs when I’m feeling anxious and having a panic attack I choose to get through it quickly and feel calm and normal again easily and quickly
Eyebrow: I worry I’ll have a panic attack
Side of Eye: I hate having these panic attacks
Under Eye: I wish I didn’t have these panic attacks
Under Nose: I hate feeling anxious
Chin: I can’t stand my legs feeling like jelly
Collarbone: I want to take a tablet and sleep it off when it starts
Under Arm: I just want to get away from these feelings
Crown of head: I just want it to be over
Now tap on the positives:
Eyebrow: I choose to be able to handle these strange feelings
Side of Eye: I know I’m ok even though I feel like this
Under Eye: I can get through this easily
Under Nose: My legs will feel normal again quickly
Chin: I know these feelings will pass quickly
Collarbone: It’ll all be over soon and I’m ok anyway
Under Arm: I choose to be able to handle these panic attacks
Crown of head: I can get through these panic attacks easily and quickly
If you’ve ever had a sleepless night you realise just how important sleep is. It is often only when we don’t have things that we realise just how important they are. Sleep is like that. We take it for granted. Yet it is so valuable for our health and well-being.
You may lie awake at night, worrying about money, your job, your relationship, your family or your health. Or you could find yourself drifting off to sleep ok, only to wake up a few hours later and not be able to get back to sleep.
Firstly, I’d recommend trying the obvious things – avoid mental stimulation before going to bed i.e. no TV, computer etc. Avoid drinking coffee or any other stimulants at least a few hours before your bedtime. Ensure your bedroom is a dark enough and a comfortable temperature etc.
It can be useful to keep a notebook and pen beside your bed. Jot down any thoughts that are going through your mind. It can feel like the proverbial hamster in a wheel otherwise with the same thoughts going round and round your head all night.
Insomnia
You can also address your worries, stress, anxiety etc with EFT before you go to bed. Here are some examples you might want to try:
Even though I lie awake in bed every night, worrying about my finances, I still deeply and completely accept myself
Even though I toss and turn every night because I’m stressed at work, I have too many responsibilities and I just can’t cope, I’m still ok
Even though I can’t sleep because I’m so worried that my marriage is failing and I just can’t talk to my husband/wife, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Even though I lay awake each night worrying about my Mother’s health and I don’t know if she’ll make it through this year, I love and accept myself anyway
Whatever it is that you are worrying about be really specific. Tap a few rounds on what you do at night when you are not sleeping. Here’s an example:
Even though I can’t sleep and I lie there tossing and turning all night long, I’m ok right now
Even though I keep checking the clock to see how much sleep I’m missing out on, I still love and accept myself anyway
Even though I lie there listening to every noise, wondering what it is, I accept my feelings about this anyway
Eyebrow: I can’t sleep at night Side of eye: I lie there tossing and turning Under eye: I keep checking the clock Under nose: To see how much sleep I’ve missed Chin: I think I’ll never get to sleep Collarbone: My mind races at night Under arm: It feels like I’m awake all night Top of head: I feel so lonely lying here with no-one to talk to
Eyebrow: I hate not sleeping Side of eye: I feel so tired Under eye: I really want to go to sleep Under nose: But I can’t stop worrying about ……………… Chin: I listen to all the noises Collarbone: I wonder what they are Under arm: I can’t get comfortable Top of head: I keep getting up to go to the toilet
Eyebrow: Maybe I can write down how I feel Side of eye: I could write down all my worrying thoughts Under eye: I wonder if I’m worrying too much Under nose: What if I could get a good nights sleep Chin: Maybe I can stop worrying Collarbone: What if I could just focus on my breathing Under arm: Maybe I can get really comfortable Top of head: What if I did some deep breathing and felt really relaxed
Remember to tune in to how you feel and be specific as possible.
I hope that the script and ideas help you get a good nights sleep!
The temperature has dropped, the nights are drawing in and the leaves are falling. Autumn is definitely here! If you hate the season change you are not alone. Many people get affected by it. We want to carry on doing what we have all year, yet we don’t seem to have the same energy levels.
Many of us feel like hibernating as we don’t fancy going out in the cold, dark and often wet evenings. The days will seem even shorter when the clocks go back at the end of the month. At this time of year, some people suffer from SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD symptoms include low energy levels, mood changes, depression, anxiety, loss of concentration, overeating and sleep problems.
We may start craving stodgy, comfort food and put on a bit of weight. One thing is for sure, our ancestors were much more in tune with the seasons than we are. Lets face it – they had to be. They didn’t have the resources and technology that we have that allow us to work into the night, lit by artificial lights etc.
So one of the things that you may want to try doing is to listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Slow down if you feel your energy levels are dropping. Wrap up warm and eat more soups and stews!
You can also try some tapping statements to help you adjust. Here are a sample of setup statements that you may want to try.
Even though I hate the clocks going back and I find the dark nights so depressing, I still deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Even though I don’t want to go out because it’s so dark and cold, I accept my feelings anyway
Even though I feel like hibernating when autumn starts, I love and accept myself
Even though my energy levels drop in the autumn and I get frustrated with myself, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Even though I feel so down because it gets dark so early and I really crave sunlight, I’m ok
Even though I don’t want to slow down but my energy levels force me to, what if I could listen to my body’s needs
Even though I can’t do all the things I want to in the autumn, I’m open to accepting that
Even though my body feels so sluggish in the autumn and winter, I’m open to accepting this
Even though I crave stodgy, comfort food, what if I ate what my body needed
Even though I put weight on at this time of year because I eat stodgy comfort food, I love and accept myself anyway
Even though I feel so lethargic and I don’t have the energy to do much, I accept my feelings anyway
Even though I have to change my lifestyle because of this seasonal change and I hate doing it, I accept my feelings about it
I hope these statements have inspired you to do some tapping and release these feelings about the onset of autumn!
Autumn colours
Try to look at the positive things about this time of year – the beautiful fall colours, catching up on your projects (e.g. sorting out your photos, reading, painting), enjoying the foods you don’t fancy in the summer (soups, stews and pies) and enjoying a slower pace of life.
In the midst of a recession it is not surprising to hear that a lot of people are having money worries right now. Many people are feeling very stressed about money and whilst I can’t guarantee your income will increase with tapping, you can deal with the associated stress, anxiety, fears and other emotions that come up.
Money Worries
From a law of attraction point of view what we focus on is what we get. So if you are constantly focusing on lack of money then that is what you get. I’ll include some suggestions to address that, after the tapping script.
Firstly, assess how you are feeling. On a scale of 0 – 10 how do you feel about not having enough money? 10 being the most stressed/worried/scared etc. Write down the emotion(s) you feel too, scoring each one if there are multiple feelings.
Even though I don’t have enough money right now and it is such a struggle to keep up with all the bills, I still deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Even though money is so tight, there’s never enough, I accept my feelings about this
Even though I’m so stressed because we just don’t have enough money coming in and it’s getting worse every month, I still love and accept myself anyway
Eyebrow: There isn’t enough money coming in Side of eye: I’m so stressed about money Under eye: I’m scared we can’t pay all the bills every month Under nose: I hate having these money worries Chin: I have sleepless nights because of money Collarbone: My stomach churns at night because I’m worrying about money Under arm: I’m scared because we never have enough Top of head: I’m working really hard and there still isn’t enough
Eyebrow: I don’t know what else to do Side of eye: It’s so draining worrying about money all the time Under eye: I’ll never have enough money Under nose: I hate struggling to pay the bills Chin: I never have any luxuries Collarbone: It’s hard enough just paying for the essentials Under arm: I’m so fed up of all this money stress Top of head: This money stress is a burden on my back
Eyebrow: I’m open to letting this money stress go Side of eye: Worrying about money is not helping Under eye: I’m open to changing these feelings today Under nose: What if I can let go of this fear about money Chin: What if I can feel calmer about money Collarbone: Maybe I can sleep peacefully at night Under arm: Maybe I can let this stress in my stomach go Top of head: I’m open to feeling calmer about money
Repeat the tapping, until you feel calmer and your scores are down to zero. As usual use your words where they are more appropriate.
What message are you sending to the Universe? Notice when you say things like:
I can’t afford it
We don’t have enough money for that
That is too expensive
By saying these things we are sending the message of lack to the Universe. Try changing your responses to a more positive response, e.g.
I have other priorities for my money at the moment
We’re keeping some money aside for X
I’ve seen a better value product somewhere else
Gently remind yourself to focus on what you do have, rather than what you don’t. Keep on tapping on all those negative money emotions!
Fear of what I hear you say? Success? I know most people are familiar with fear of failure. What is often surprising though is that a lot of people also have a fear of success. So how do you go about dealing with that fear of success? Firstly, you need to understand what success means to you and the expectations you associate with it.
Fear of success
Think about past times in your life and the specific events when you were successful. Now if any of those upset you then use EFT to clear out the negative emotions. Try the movie technique to clear out any negativity from those events. Many people actually sabotage themselves so that they don’t achieve their success. EFT can really help you clear out this self sabotaging behaviour.
Try the following questions and write down what comes up for you…
Success means ……………
I fear success because ……………
I don’t deserve success because ……………
Last time I was successful …………… happened
Being successful means I’ll have to ……………
Being successful means I won’t be able to ……………
Being successful means I’ll have to give up ……………
Being successful means I’ll lose ……………
I sabotage myself by doing ……………
You can now use this information and do some tapping. So, if for example, you are worried that if you are succesful you won’t have enough time for your family then tap on that. If you think you’ll have so much pressure on you to keep up that success that it will drain you until you crash and burn, then tap on that. If you think you don’t deserve to be successful, then tap on that. Tap, tap, tap!
Here is a sample tapping script that you can use. Score your fear before you start tapping (where 10 is maximum fear).
Even though I have this fear of success, I’m open to changing that today
Even though I’m really frightened I’ll be a success and that will put so much pressure on me that I’ll crash and burn, I acknowledge and accept my feelings
Even though I’m so scared I’ll be a success and then I’ll have no time for my family, I’m open to finding the right balance in my life
Eyebrow: I have this fear of success Side of eye: It seems strange to fear success Under eye: I’m scared I’ll have all this pressure on me Under nose: I don’t want to get so busy that I have no family life Chin: What if the pressure is too much for me Collarbone: What if I feel overwhelmed Under arm: I’m scared of success Top of head: I’m scared I’ll have no time for my family and they’ll resent me
Eyebrow: I don’t deserve success Side of eye: There will be too much pressure on me to keep this success going Under eye: I’ll get overwhelmed Under nose: I’m not good enough to succeed Chin: I’ll feel guilty that I’m not giving enough to my family Collarbone: I don’t want to succeed and then find it all too much to handle Under arm: I’m scared of sustaining this success Top of head: What if my family hate me for doing so well
Eyebrow: I’m open to letting this fear go Side of eye: I want to clear out all these doubts Under eye: I’m open to changing this fear today Under nose: What if I can enjoy my success Chin: What if I can find the right balance between success and family life Collarbone: Maybe my family will support me Under arm: Maybe I do deserve to be successful Top of head: I’m open to enjoying my success
Remember to use your words where appropriate. Re-check your score and keep tapping and adjusting your statements until you are down to zero. Tap on all the different aspects of your fear. Test your results when you think you are finished. Visualise yourself being successful and check that no negatives come up. If they do, then do some more tapping.
I will leave you with this amazing quote from Marianne Williamson:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
One of the first things that happens when we are stressed is that we start breathing very shallowly, only using the top of our lungs. We often don’t breathe deep enough in general and when we get stressed this becomes even worse. You can check how you are breathing by simply placing one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Either lay down, sit or stand comfortably as you do this. Notice whether your chest hand or your stomach hand is rising as you breathe normally. To breathe effectively your stomach area should rise more than your chest as your diaphragm expands.
To counter stress one of the simplest things you can do is to breathe! There are several different breathing exercises you can do and here is one of the simplest and most effective.
Firstly sit in a comfortable position and place your hands in your lap. You will be breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth in this exercise. Place the tip of your tongue on the soft tissue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there during this exercise.
Breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of 4
Hold your breath for a count of 7
Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 8. When you exhale, make a soft “whoosh” sound
This is 1 round. Repeat again 3 times, making a total of 4 rounds
The important thing is the ratio of 4:7:8. The out breath is twice as long as the in breath. You can make the breaths shorter, ensuring you stick to the ratio. Ensure you only do 4 breaths each time you practice this exercise initially. With time you can increase it to 8 breaths.
4-7-8 Breathing Exercise
This exercise has a natural calming and tranquilizing effect on the body. Use it whenever you feel stressed, feel tension in your body, before you react to a situation and in bed to help you go to sleep. It is a quick and effective exercise to do and can be done anywhere.
“Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.” Andrew Weil, M.D
Repeat this exercise at least twice a day and whenever you feel you need it.
Are you going through some moving stress? Have you found the house you want to buy? Maybe you’ve really fallen in love with it and set your heart on it. Or maybe you’re holding yourself back just in case it doesn’t go through. It isn’t easy either way. With the current recession, lack of available mortgages, wondering whether the house prices are going to fall even further. It all causes us stress. Then you have the whole hassle of the move itself. All that packing, organising, change of address and on the list goes.
I want this house
This tapping script is targeted at that stressful time when you’re trying to buy your house and you have that uncertainty, fear and trepidation about whether it will or won’t happen. Before you start, rate your score on a scale of 0 – 10 where 10 is maximum intensity.
Even though I really want that house, it’s so perfect for me/us, I accept my feelings about this
Even though I’m scared this house purchase will fall through, I’m open to remaining calm
Even though it is so stressful not knowing if we will get this house and I’ll be really disappointed if we don’t, I accept all my feelings anyway
Eyebrow: I’m so stressed about this house Side of eye: I really hope we get it – it’s my perfect house Under eye: I’m so scared it will all fall through Under nose: I hate feeling all this stress Chin: I wish I knew if we were going to get this house Collarbone: I really love this house and will be devastated if we don’t get it! Under arm: I can’t stand this waiting game Top of head: It’s so stressful not knowing if we’ll get this house or not
Eyebrow: I just can’t cope with the thought that we’ll lose this house Side of eye: We’ve looked at so many houses and this is the only one I want Under eye: I just won’t cope if it all falls through Under nose: I have this big knot in my stomach Chin: I wish it would all hurry up and go through Collarbone: Why is it taking so long? Under arm: I wake up at night in a cold sweat about this house Top of head: I can’t stand this stress, it’s making me feel ill
Eyebrow: I’m open to staying calm Side of eye: I guess worrying about it doesn’t really help Under eye: Maybe I can feel a bit calmer Under nose: What if I could let this stress go Chin: I really want this house Collarbone: Maybe I can remain positive Under arm: What if it all goes smoothly Top of head: Maybe it will all work out ok
Now take a deep breath and check your score again. Repeat the tapping until your score comes down to zero. Remember to use your words if they are more appropriate to you.
There are many different aspects about moving that cause us stress and anxiety. In future blogs I will address these aspects.
Is clutter the bain of your life? It’s all that stuff that you mean to sort out one day. Except that one day never seems to come does it? You know the kind of stuff right? Your magazines, photos, paperwork, bills, the kids toys, old gadgets, presents, clothes, knick knacks etc. It gets sorted into piles and left until another time. Then time passes and you get used to walking around that pile or even moving it off the dining table so you can eat and then pop it back again when you’re done.
Clutter
It takes an effort to clear our clutter. It takes energy. It takes our emotions for quite often there are sentimental feelings about our clutter.
This isn’t the only type of clutter though. We have email clutter – just think when was the last time you had a good sort out of your inbox? Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of emails that you get? It could be time to de-clutter your inbox and free yourself of those negative feelings when you check your email.
There is also thought clutter too. When we get overwhelmed by different ideas and thoughts. So you can also de-clutter your mind and write your ideas and thoughts down to free you to be more inspired.
If the idea of de-cluttering makes you break out into a sweat then use EFT or Emotional Freedom Techniques to help you with this resistance.
Try the following setup statements:
Even though the thought of de-cluttering makes me break out into a sweat, I accept myself anyway
Even though it takes too much energy and I feel emotionally drained after de-cluttering, what if I found it easy and felt energised afterwards instead
Even though I keep putting off de-cluttering because of the hassle factor, I know how much better I’ll feel after I’ve done it
Tap through your resistance. Tap on any emotions you feel about de-cluttering such as anxiety, fear or sadness about letting your things go.
As well as feeling less overwhelmed yourself you can help out other people. You can donate things to charity, recycle or swap items easily through different websites. Just think how good you’ll feel when you’ve de-clutttered your home and inbox. Your energy and inspiration can flow easily!
One of the major causes of our stress these days is our work. It is estimated that 16.7% of people who worked in 2009 thought their job was very or extremely stressful (Psychosocial Working Conditions survey). Of course, this stress doesn’t just affect our working life but our home life too. Many people suffer strained relationships as a result of their work stress.
So what to do? I recommend learning EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) or tapping as it is commonly called. This technique is easy to learn and can be done any time you feel stressed. Just taking 5 minutes to tap during a toilet break can really reduce your stress levels. If you don’t know how to tap just yet then take a look at my “What is EFT?” page. Below is a tapping script which can help you reduce your stress level right now.
Before you start, score your stress level on a scale of 0 – 10 (10 is maximum intensity). Once you have your score, tap along:
Even though I’m so stressed, I have way too much to do and I’ll never get it all done, I accept my feelings about this
Even though I’ve got too much on my plate and I just can’t cope, I accept myself anyway
Even though I’ve been given way too many responsibilities, no-one could cope with this workload, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Eyebrow: I’m so stressed right now Side of eye: I’ve got too much to do Under eye: I’ve got way too much for one person to handle Under nose: I can’t cope with this workload Chin: No-one could cope with this amount of work it’s ridiculous Collarbone: I’ve got too much on my plate Under arm: I’ve got way too many responsibilities Top of head: I’m so stressed and I just can’t cope any more
Eyebrow: I don’t want to let anyone down Side of eye: I feel I should be able to cope better Under eye: I’m letting myself down Under nose: It’s just too much work to handle Chin: The deadlines are too tight and not realistic Collarbone: I’ll never get it all done Under arm: I’m so overwhelmed Top of head: It’s too much to cope with
Eyebrow: I’m open to letting this stress go Side of eye: Maybe I can delegate some tasks Under eye: What if I could prioritise easily Under nose: Maybe I can release all this tension and think clearer Chin: What if I could stop for five minutes and calm my breathing down Collarbone: Maybe I can focus and work more efficiently Under arm: Maybe I can cope better Top of head: I’m open to letting this stress and overwhelm go
Now take a nice deep breath and re-assess your score. If you are down to 0 then you are done. If not keep on tapping and address any other aspects until you feel calm and in control once again.
Remember – if you are facing stress every day then you need to address it every day. Do a bit of tapping every day and you’ll be well on your way to a calmer life.
Ok so you’ve booked your summer holiday. Got your bags packed, your tickets and passport at the ready. You get to the airport in plenty of time and that’s where it all starts to go wrong! Your flight has been delayed and you begin to feel the stress kick in.
Departures
Several years ago this exact thing happened to me. I must admit that I completely freaked out and didn’t handle it at all well! Our flight was delayed which meant we missed our connecting flight. We then had to fly a different route with an extra stop over. I was really stressed by this stage and didn’t handle all the extra security at Miami airport at all well. By the time we reached our destination, we were 12 hours late and our luggage was missing. We had 2 hours sleep before starting our tour and I was in a right mood! My boyfriend managed to calm me down (God bless him!). We were without our luggage for 3 days and it took me until the end of the holiday to see the funny side. It would’ve been a whole lot easier if I had had EFT to calm myself down. Well thankfully now I do! My boyfriend is very grateful too!!!
You can stay calm and enjoy your holiday even though it doesn’t go exactly as you planned it would. You just need to do a bit of tapping.
Tap on each individual thing that could go wrong with your holiday. Starting with the one that would stress you or upset you the most.
Examples include:
Stressing whilst packing
Getting lost on the way to the airport
Arriving late at the airport
Flight being delayed or cancelled
Missing your connection
Lost luggage
Missing the bus to the resort
The hotel not being what you expected
Getting food poisoning
Use a different setup statement and reminder phrase for each of these different aspects and keep tapping until you have covered them all.
Here is a tapping script that covers the flight being delayed, your luggage going missing and the hotel being sub-standard. These are some of the most common things that can go wrong and stress you out before your holiday has really begun.
Setup: Tap on the Karate Chop whilst repeating three times:
Even though I really want the whole holiday to go smoothly and it will stress me out if anything goes wrong, I’m open to the possibility that I can remain calm no matter what happens
Even though I want this holiday to be perfect, I’ve been waiting all year for it and I just can’t handle anything going wrong, I accept myself and my feelings anyway
Even though I want the holiday to go smoothly and that there are no flight delays, lost luggage or sub-standard accommodation, I’m open to dealing with any mishaps calmly and rationally
Eyebrow: I want this holiday to be perfect Side of Eye: I’ve waited the whole year for this holiday Under Eye: It’s so important that I be able to relax on this holiday Under Nose: If anything goes wrong it will spoil it all Chin: I hope the flight is on time Collarbone: It will stress me out if it is delayed Under Arm: It has to go perfectly otherwise I can’t switch off Top of Head: If my luggage goes missing, I’ll feel so anxious I won’t enjoy my holiday
Eyebrow: I just can’t cope if the accommodation isn’t what I expected Side of Eye: If my bags get lost I’ll stress right out Under Eye: I want this holiday to go smoothly otherwise it’ll be ruined Under Nose: I hate it when something goes wrong Chin: If the hotel isn’t up to my standards, I’ll want to go home Collarbone: It’s so frustrating if the flight is delayed Under Arm: If the holiday doesn’t start perfectly I’ll feel stressed and I won’t enjoy myself Top of Head: I get so upset if the flight is delayed
Eyebrow: I’m open to remaining calm no matter what Side of Eye: What if I could just relax if the flight was delayed Under Eye: Maybe I can enjoy my holiday if my luggage goes missing Under Nose: Maybe the flight being delayed just won’t affect me Chin: What if I could remain calm even if my luggage went missing Collarbone: Maybe I can cope if the hotel isn’t up to my standards Under Arm: What if I can relax and enjoy this holiday even if it isn’t perfect Top of Head: I’m sure I can focus on having a good time anyway
Use your words where appropriate to really tune in to how you feel. Remember to keep tapping until the issue has fully resolved.
