This post contains excerpts from The Tapping Solution for Parents, Children and Teenagers.
Tapping with your Child: Anxiety Disorders
Ryan had been struggling academically and socially since starting his second year of middle school. Noticing his distress, and an avid “tapper” herself, his mother asked if he’d be willing to tap with her one day. Although reluctant, he eventually agreed to try it.
While Tapping, Ryan shared that several kids had been teasing him during lunchtime. They tapped through how that teasing made him feel, and then again on some of the times when he’d felt ostracized. After several rounds, he relaxed noticeably.
In the days that followed, his mom noticed that he was coming home from school in a much better mood.
Over the following weeks, Ryan and his mom continued to tap together. As those weeks turned into months, his grades improved. He also found several “lunch buddies” at school. All of it together changed his entire experience at school.
This story is such a great example of how powerful Tapping is at alleviating the intense social pressures children often face at school, pressures which can be particularly intense once they reach middle school. Thanks to the Tapping he did with his mom, Ryan no longer dreaded going to school. In fact, he began to thrive on all levels. What a difference!
Thanks to Tapping, many people find that anxiety disorders are easier to manage. Regular Tapping can lead to reduced medication, improved confidence and a better ability to adjust to new and different situations.
Before we look at using Tapping on your child’s anxiety disorder, let’s do some Tapping first on your experience.
Adult Tapping: Releasing Anxiety about Your Child’s Disorder
When your child has an anxiety disorder, you may find yourself needing to be hypervigilant, always anticipating challenging situations. That additional effort, however important, can cause you to feel extra stress. Let’s do some Tapping now on letting go of that stress so you can be more present when you tap with your child.
To begin, imagine a situation that is likely to cause your child’s anxiety to magnify. Does that cause you to feel anxious, full of dread or just plain exhausted? Rate your own emotional response to this imagined situation on a scale of 0 to 10.
Take a deep breath, and let’s begin by Tapping 3 times on the Karate Chop point:
Karate Chop (Repeat 3 times): Even though it’s always so stressful trying to anticipate my child’s anxiety, I love myself and accept how I feel.
Eyebrow: All this stress
Side of Eye: All this energy
Under Eye: Always trying to protect my child from their anxiety
Under Nose: Always anticipating challenges they’ll face
Under Mouth: All this anxiety about trying to protect them
Collarbone: It’s exhausting sometimes
Under Arm: So much anxiety about their anxiety
Top of Head: It takes so much energy
Eyebrow: So much anxiety about my child’s anxiety
Side of Eye: It’s exhausting
Under Eye: So much anxiety
Under Nose: Letting myself feel it now
Under Mouth: And letting it all go
Collarbone: Letting myself feel it now
Under Arm: And letting it all go
Top of Head: I can release this stress from my mind and body
Eyebrow: I can trust that it will all work out
Side of Eye: It’s so stressful sometimes
Under Eye: But I can let that stress go now
Under Nose: Releasing this stress from my mind and body now
Under Mouth: Letting myself relax
Collarbone: Feeling quiet and calm
Under Arm: Allowing my mind and body to relax fully now
Top of Head: Feeling peace in mind and body now
Take another deep breath, and rate the stress you feel about your child’s anxiety on a scale of 0 to 10. Continue Tapping until you get the desired relief.
Now that you’ve had a Tapping experience, let’s look at how to use Tapping with your child on their anxiety disorder.
Note: As always, when Tapping with your child, tailor your words to your child’s age and experience.
You can find these tapping diagrams, along with many other free resources, by visiting our collection of parent and teacher items here.
Child Tapping: Overcoming Social Anxiety
It’s best to tap on specific situations or scenarios, so choose a social situation or scenario that your child can imagine or remember.
Next, ask your child to rate how anxious—or icky, nervous etc.—they feel when they think of it, either on a scale of 0 to 10 or by extending their arms wide apart, showing their anxiety on a “this much” scale (use this if your child is not yet able to understand the concept of a 0 to 10 scale). They can hold their arms far apart to show a larger number, or “very” nervous, or hands closer together to show “less” nervous.
Then begin Tapping:
Karate Chop (Repeat 3 times): Even though I feel nervous when I think about <situation here>, I’m great!
Eyebrow: So nervous/anxious
Side of Eye: I don’t like feeling this way
Under Eye: Makes me feel awful inside
Under Nose: I don’t like it
Under Mouth: What if they don’t like me?
Collarbone: What if they tease me?
Under Arm: So nervous
Top of Head: That’s okay
Eyebrow: I’m great!
Side of Eye: And everything’s okay
Under Eye: I’m great!
Under Nose: I don’t need to worry
Under Mouth: I’m awesome!
Collarbone: People like me
Under Arm: I can relax now
Top of Head: I’m great!
Eyebrow: I can have fun
Side of Eye: I can feel good
Under Eye: I’m great!
Under Nose: And everything’s okay
Under Mouth: I can feel happy inside now
Collarbone: I can feel calm inside now
Under Arm: I’m great!
Top of Head: And everything’s okay
Again have them rate their anxiety on a scale of 0 to 10, or using the “this much” method of measurement. Keep Tapping until they get the desired relief.
Can I use Tapping for…?
In The Tapping Solution for Parents, Children and Teenagers you can learn how Tapping can be used for many of your child’s needs, such as attentiveness, impulsivity, social concerns, and MANY more!
Whether your child, or student, is dealing with common social issues, school-related anxiety, or a specific diagnosis, this book will support you in understanding your role and providing specific tools to encourage success and lifelong achievement.
The best part is that with every purchase of this book, 100% of the proceeds, in perpetuity, will be donated to The Tapping Solution Foundation to continue bringing free EFT Tapping resources to schools and families, and providing trauma relief around the world.
Until next time…
Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
