Health Anxiety Relief With EFT Tapping
Health anxiety can feel overwhelming and all-consuming, often leaving you caught in loops of worry about symptoms, sensations, or what might be wrong in your body. This gentle EFT tapping session is designed to support you in moments of health anxiety, helping to calm anxious thoughts, ease physical tension, and create a greater sense of safety in your body. EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques) combines light tapping on acupressure points with mindful awareness to help regulate the nervous system and reduce fear-based thinking, especially when your mind is scanning for symptoms or jumping to worst-case scenarios. You don’t need any prior experience with EFT tapping to follow along. You’re welcome to return to this practice whenever health anxiety feels heightened. This session is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a qualified medical professional if you have health concerns.
Transcript
Health anxiety can feel so overwhelming and it can leave you feeling really fearful and disconnected from your sense of safety in the body.
This session offers a really compassionate space to gently release some of that anxiety and guide you towards feeling a bit calmer and steadier.
We're going to begin by just checking in,
So notice how intense that health anxiety feels right now and give it a number from zero to ten,
With ten being the most intense anxiety you've ever felt and zero being completely neutral.
To get this number you might like to think of a recent time that you checked your symptoms online or felt worried or anxious about your health or body.
So just notice how intense that anxiety feels and make a mental note and we're going to be checking in again at the end.
I'm going to guide you through this tapping,
Okay,
We're going to do this together.
So let's get started with a nice deep breath in through the nose and slowly exhale whenever you're ready,
Just letting go a little bit on the exhale and then just coming into this space feeling yourself,
You know,
Seated on the chair or bed,
Your feet on the ground,
Feeling what's supporting you and then begin tapping on the side of the hand.
You're going to be repeating what I say either in your mind or out loud and please do feel free to gently adjust any of the words so that they feel true for you.
Even though I have this health anxiety and it's weighing on me,
I show up with compassion for myself,
Even though I feel anxious about my body and these sensations,
I acknowledge how hard this feels and it does feel hard or doing really well.
Final time on the side of the hand,
Even though I feel stuck in this loop of fear about my health,
I deeply and completely love,
Honour and accept myself or I'm learning to.
Side note,
We are all learning.
Now moving to the eyebrow point,
I'm scared about my health.
Side of the eye,
I keep thinking about my symptoms.
Under the eye,
I worry something is wrong with me.
Under the nose,
I feel this anxiety in my body.
So you can just tune in here as we tap under the nose.
Where are you feeling this in your body?
Maybe your chest,
Your throat,
Your stomach.
Just tune in and notice,
We're not trying to change anything or judge anything,
Just notice where you're feeling it.
Well done and then moving to the chin point.
What if there is something wrong with me?
Collarbone point,
I don't know how to stop these thoughts.
Under the arm,
My body feels tense with worry.
Top of the head,
This constant fear is exhausting.
Moving back to the eyebrow point,
I notice every single sensation,
Every twinge,
Every pain.
Side of the eye and it makes me feel more anxious.
Under the eye,
My mind jumps to worst-case scenarios.
Under the nose,
I feel trapped in this fear.
Chin point,
I don't know how or if I can trust my body.
Collarbone point and this fear is so real.
You're doing so well,
Keep tapping,
Keep breathing.
Under the arm,
I'm scared of what I can't control.
Top of the head,
I feel on edge all the time.
Well done,
I know that's difficult to really express some of those negative thoughts,
So just take a breath here before we move on.
So nice deep inhale and release.
Well done.
So what we're going to do for the next round is just tune in a little bit.
If you are feeling quite activated or emotional here,
I suggest that you keep your eyes open or just soften your gaze.
If you're feeling okay,
You can close your eyes.
There's no need to repeat anything out loud here.
All you need to do is just listen to what I'm saying and I'm going to be guiding you through the points,
Okay?
And with this,
You know,
We're not trying to kind of analyse anything.
We're not going to be digging into any difficult memories.
This is just around with some gentle awareness.
If at any time anything does feel particularly uncomfortable,
You get really upset,
Just take your time.
You can return your attention to your breath,
Focus on the feeling of tapping or just take a pause and come back later.
Just listen to your nervous system,
Okay?
So tapping on the eyebrow points,
No need to repeat anything out loud,
Just listening.
And I'd like you to just first of all notice this anxiety with kindness.
You might notice that your anxiety comes up as thoughts,
Emotions or maybe you even those physical sensations.
Quite often anxiety shows up as a tightening across the shoulders or neck,
A heaviness in the chest.
You might experience kind of fluttering or nausea in the stomach or just that real sense of restlessness or tension.
You're just noticing how you experience this.
Again,
There's no need to change or fix anything.
We're just noticing what's here in this moment.
Keep tapping,
Keep breathing.
You're doing okay.
So now moving to the side of the eye point and you might like to gently wonder when this fear about your health began.
Maybe there was something going on in your life you can identify,
Maybe not.
This is only really gentle curiosity.
You don't need to search too hard for answers and you don't need to go into any memories.
You just notice what comes up here.
There might be nothing at all and that's okay too.
There's no right or wrong.
Well done.
So now tapping under the eye.
Thinking about our mind and how our mind does learn to stay awake as a way of protecting us.
Stay awake and alert.
Our minds are always scanning,
Always watching,
Always trying to keep us safe even when we're not aware of it.
And maybe you notice this as that kind of scanning or checking your body.
You might be scanning for sensations,
Monitoring how you feel or just noticing how quickly your attention goes to those symptoms in the body.
Maybe your mind jumps to possible explanations or tries to predict what might happen next.
We're just gently noticing these patterns and you might like to take a moment to thank your mind for trying to protect you.
Thank you mind,
I know you're trying to protect me.
Thank you mind,
I know you're trying to protect me.
Moving to under the nose.
And if this is your experience of health anxiety,
Just know that you're not alone in this.
So many people struggle with health anxiety and you know we receive so many messages about health and wellness and vitality which is great but we also hear constant messages about illness as well.
We hear about things going wrong.
We hear about those worst-case outcomes and we hear about these things through the news,
Through social media and stories that we hear every day.
There's so many inputs so it makes sense that the mind becomes more alert to it all because it's trying to protect us.
So just noticing how this environment of health and wellness can really shape our worries.
You might like to begin to notice what you're taking in each day,
What you're consuming and how that affects your sense of safety.
Perhaps becoming a little bit more mindful of what you read,
Watch or listen to and that's completely your choice.
You might like to just choose what supports your well-being.
There's no judgements at all,
Only compassion.
Well done.
So moving now to the chin points.
Health anxiety is so much more common than we realise.
So many people are living with these worries really quietly.
Many people experience these fears about their health at different times in life and it's part of being human,
You know,
To care about our well-being.
So remind yourself now I'm not alone in this experience.
Other people understand this feeling too.
So just allow yourself to feel supported in this moment,
Supported by me talking to you,
By this tapping,
By your breath,
Together in this moment.
Moving now to the collarbone points and just acknowledge how hard things have been.
Carrying all this worry day after day can feel so exhausting and there's no shame in feeling this way.
You're not a weak person.
So keep tapping and we're going to take some nice compassionate breaths here,
Okay.
So just gentle inhale and soft breath out.
Breathing in and out with compassion for ourselves.
Acknowledging how hard this has been.
So just continue with a few mindful breaths here.
Breathing in compassion for yourself and breathing out any tension or pressure.
Keep tapping on the collarbone,
Breathing in with compassion for yourself,
With care,
With love and breathing out any tension or pressure.
Offering yourself kindness,
Understanding and care.
Now moving to under the arm.
And you know sometimes,
Kind of beneath this anxiety,
There might simply be a wish to feel safe,
To feel cared for,
To feel heard or reassured.
This is that natural human need for comfort and security.
A wish to know that you're everything is okay.
That's normal,
Right?
Sometimes anxiety can be the mind's way of asking for support,
For attention,
For care.
You'll just notice if any part of this resonates for you and if it doesn't that's completely okay.
Top of the head.
And if this worry or anxiety about your health has been with you for a long time,
Just know that it's okay to ask for and receive support.
You might like to consider speaking to a medical professional or mental health professional and that in itself can be a really gentle act of self-care.
You can reach out to a friend or family member.
You don't have to manage everything alone.
But for now,
Just keep tapping,
Offering yourself patience and compassion.
Okay,
Well done.
Doing really well.
We're going to continue now with some normal tapping.
So tapping back on the eyebrow point repeating after me in your mind or out loud.
What if my body isn't as fragile as I fear?
Side of the eye.
Maybe I've been worried before and been okay.
Under the eye.
I've learned to calm myself before.
Under the nose.
My body has been through a lot and I'm still here,
Showing up for myself.
Chin point.
Maybe I'm stronger than I think.
Collarbone point.
Maybe this anxiety is trying to protect me.
Under the arm.
Maybe it's natural to worry sometimes.
Top of the head.
I'm doing the best I can.
You're doing the best you can.
Eyebrow point.
I give myself permission to release some anxiety.
So take a breath here.
Just release.
It can only be a little bit if that feels safe and appropriate.
Whatever feels best for you.
Just take a breath and release a little bit.
Side of the eye.
It's okay to let go of constant worry.
Under the eye.
When I'm calm and grounded,
I make better choices.
Under the nose.
It's safe to breathe and relax.
It's safe to breathe and relax.
Chin points.
I allow calm right now.
So allow that calmness to wash over you.
Bring that calmness into your heart,
Into your mind.
Collarbone points.
I wonder if I can release some of this tension.
Tapping on the collarbone points.
I wonder if I can release some of this tension.
Can you?
Can you release some of this tension?
Under the arm.
I'm willing to let go.
Top of the head.
Maybe I'm okay in this moment.
Well done.
So we're going to do one final round now.
Let's tap into calmness,
Maybe a bit of trust.
Tapping on the eyebrow points.
I trust I'm doing the best I can.
Side of the eye.
And I'm okay in this moment.
Under the eye.
I release the fears that no longer serve me.
Under the nose.
I feel calm and grounded in my body.
Chin points.
I focus on what I can control.
Collarbone points.
Every day I offer myself kindness and understanding.
Under the arm.
I allow my body to soften and settle.
Say that again.
I allow my body to soften and settle.
Top of the head.
I listen to my body with care,
Not fear.
And let's say that one again as well.
I listen to my body with care,
Not fear.
Well done.
Okay,
So you can stop tapping now.
You might like to just place your hand on your heart centre.
Take a slow deep breath in.
Now take a moment to gently tune in and notice how you feel.
So you might notice a sense of lightness,
A softening somewhere in the body,
Feeling a little more supported,
A little bit more spaciousness in the mind.
Just notice what's here.
And we're going to take some time now to check in again on that scale of 0 to 10.
So how intense does your anxiety feel right now?
So just notice the number that comes to mind.
It might have come down a little bit,
It might have stayed the same.
You can repeat this tapping any time that you need to.
And I hope this has offered you some relief or comfort.
You know you've shown up for yourself today with some care and courage.
Thank you for tapping with me.
Take care.
Thank you.
