We each have an in-built stress response, it is there to protect us against threats that may be of harm to us. You may know it as the “fight, flight or freeze response”.
You will have one that is your main stress response, for me mine is flight. If you think about it for a moment which is your stress response?
Are you Fight, Flight or Freeze?
No matter which one is your main stress response, it is important to recognise how it shows up for you. When it shows up, why it shows up and of course how you can calm that stress response?
In this article I am going to teach you an antidote that is self-applied so you can put it into use anytime you notice your stress response been triggered.
Tap & Breathe
Tap and Breathe is a technique from EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and helps to calm your stress response. The amygdala is the emotional centre of your brain and in times where your brain perceives a threat it will trigger the fight, flight or freeze response.
EFT Tapping is a fast and effective way to let your amygdala know that you are safe and it can stand down. I refer to the amygdala as our internal smoke alarm, it sends a signal when it determines there is a threat imminent.
Just like a smoke alarm, that beeping can cause all sorts of problems, tap and breathe is your very own antidote to calm your stress response.
How to Tap & Breathe
This technique is as simple as it sounds, you simply tap on each of our tapping points (see image below) and inhale and exhale. No words are needed, just tap and breathe.
