When Talking To Yourself Out Loud Helps

Did you ever have a problem or emotion that was so upsetting you wanted to call your best friend because you needed a friendly ear? But what happens if no one answers? You are stuck with your feelings and misery. I have invented a simple activity to help you help yourself when you feel this way. I call it Narrative Tapping. It is based on EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), which is acupressure for the emotions.

Start by tapping on the outside edge of either hand, below the pinky and say to yourself, "I am upset about _____ and want to talk about so I can resolve it." Do this 3 times with feeling.

Then simply tap about 5 to 10 times on each of the following points and keep talking as if you were telling your best friend about your problem. Put 2 fingers on the place where the hair of your eyebrow starts to grow near your nose and tap. Next tap on the bone on the outer edge of your eye socket, then right under the lower eyelid. From there, tap underneath your nose and then under your lower lip. Tap directly under your collarbone, and finally tap on the side of your body about 4 inches under the armpit. You can use both hands and tap on both sides of the face and body or just tap on one side.

With each new sentence, move to another energy point. It is best to talk out loud, so do it when you are alone. Talk as if you were telling your problem to a friend who wants to listen and help you.

I once had a client who was waking up in the middle of the night with a fear of dying. I taught her how to do Narrative Tapping, and as she talked to herself about waking up in terror she tapped her eyebrow point. Then, as she tapped the outside of her eye, she realized that she was about to turn 60. That was scary. She tapped another point under the eye as she told herself that 60 was old. "I don't want to get old," she said as she tapped the next point. "No one will take me seriously."

As she continued to talk out loud and tap she discovered that she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to accomplish new things in her career. "It's too late. Life has passed me by." A moment later, as she moved to a new tapping point she shouted, "It's never too late! Who knows what else I will do in my life."

In a few more minutes she had recognized and released regret and sadness about the past and was looking forward to the future. She accomplished this in less than 5 minutes. Her sleep improved and she went on to do some amazing things in her life and her career.

Be your own best friend and try Narrative Tapping the next time you are frazzled.

Article Source: http://www.dummiesguideto.com

Gloria Arenson, MFT, treats stress, anxiety, trauma, phobias, and compulsions. She has authored How to Stop Playing the Weighting Game, A Substance Called Food, Born To Spend, Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing, Freedom At Your Fingertips and Procrastination Nation. www.GloriaArenson.com

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