Tapping for Anxiety and Emotional Freedom | Jim Kwik with Nick Ortner & Jessica Ortner

I literally feel lighter every single time that we do this together.

I honor all of my feelings.

I honor all my feelings.

And I give my body permission to relax.

I really do believe EFT or tapping is one of the most incredible superhero tools for people's minds and for their life. And so, your brain doesn't come with an owner's manual, and this is an incredible way to be able to hack it, to be able to get greater levels of productivity, performance, and positivity, right? A peace of mind where you can achieve but have a level of clarity and ease with it also as well.

Yeah, 100%. You know, when I first discovered the tapping over a decade ago, and if you're wondering if we're tap dancing, we call it tapping because we are literally tapping on these, physically tapping on these endpoints of meridians of our body. And while, and while we do that, we send a calming signal to— excuse me.

Yeah.

Should we cut it or no?

Just let's go. Let's keep this thing going. And I also recommend people listen to the last episode. So if they haven't listened to the last episode, make sure you do that first because we give a whole explanation of it.

Wonderful. Yeah. We're trying to rush this because we're all on tight deadlines and, uh, trying to get to the tapping right away. So when we tap on these endpoints of meridians, We send a calming signal to the amygdala in the brain. When I first discovered the question, like I knew I wanted to think something different in my brain, right? I knew I wanted to overcome this negative self-talk. I didn't know how. And I know that's something that a lot of people are struggling with on a daily basis. Okay, I want to be positive. How? Because I'm positive for 1 minute and then I'm negative for an hour. I think a positive thought and then my brain instantly comes in and says, no, that's BS.

Exactly. And then you have these negative self-talk loops. Like, that's like that song that you can't get out of your head and it's repetitive, that's going on and on and it holds you back, right? And so in our previous episode, we talked about how to eliminate anxiety and stress and performance challenges because you have to give a talk or take a test, how to get rid of that negative state because all learning is state-dependent. And this one, it's about like something maybe even deeper. It's like your beliefs. I think it is almost about who you are. About things. So if somebody has, let's say they have these ants that are running rampant in their head that they're too old, they're not smart enough, they're not a, they're not a good reader, they're not enough, whatever it happens to be. Let's, uh, let's walk people through the quick process. Let's do it.

So let's go ahead and close our eyes and just take a deep breath. And I want you, you know, Jim just gave a couple of examples. I'm too old, I'm this, I'm that. Um, I want you to just fill in that blank. So say I am, and then fill in the blank on that negative thinking. And you know, we're allowing ourselves to think negative for a moment to acknowledge this is how we feel. This is what we think. We're not going to lock it in. This isn't going to be you forever. We're just saying, okay, yeah, this is, I am too old for this. I am, I failed too many times. So I'm a failure. I am a procrastinator. That's a big one, right? People are like, oh, I'm a procrastinator. That is their identity. You know, um, I am this, I am that. And just a lot may be coming up. Just pick one. I'm going to focus on one for now. So if you say I am a procrastinator, say that out loud and just rate on a scale of 0 to 10 how true it feels. So 10 would be, yeah, that's absolutely true. That is the truth, right? I am a procrastinator. That is the truth. Just acknowledge that I am lazy. I'm not smart enough. Pick that one, give it a number on a scale of 0 to 10. And then as you say it too, we tend to think this is all in our minds, but it comes with more than that. So when you say I'm a procrastinator, what do you feel in your body? And when you say that I am lazy, I am this, I am that, do you feel any emotions? You might say, I'm not smart enough. And you usually just run it through your mind, but now you notice that, you know, there's some sadness there when you say that. Or I'm a procrastinator and there's some fear. What if I never change this? So pick an emotion that you feel in your body— anger, anxiety, fear, overwhelm, sadness, grief, just whatever comes up. I know I'm asking you to do a lot of things. You have this belief, you have this emotion around it, you're feeling it in your body, you are being present to it. And gently open your eyes and we'll do the tapping. I'll explain it. If you're listening in the car, pull over, you need 2 hands and just join with us. Don't worry about getting it perfect or right. If you don't get a point exactly, it's still going to work great for you. So Let's start by tapping on the side of the hand and repeat after me. So the side of the hand is below the pinky on the outside of the hand, using four fingers of one hand to tap on the other. Whatever hand feels comfortable, and just say, even though I have this belief about myself, even though I have this belief about myself, I choose to relax now.

I choose to relax now.

Even though I believe this about myself.

Even though I believe this about myself.

And just say that belief out loud. So say, I am a procrastinator, or I am lazy, whatever it is, just say it out loud. I choose to relax now.

I choose to relax now.

And then one more time, still tapping on the side of the hand continuously. Even though, and just say that belief out loud. And then say, I love and accept myself.

I love and accept myself.

Now we're going to tap through the points thinking about that belief. The first point is on the eyebrow point, inside of the eyebrow, right where the hair ends and it meets the nose. You can take 2 fingers of one hand or the other hand or both hands, whatever feels comfortable, and just tap continuously. And just say that belief out loud again. I am a procrastinator. I am lazy. I am this. Just say it out loud. Now to the side of the eye. It's not at the temple. It's right next to the eye on the bone. Again, one side or both sides. And just say that belief out loud again. And now under the eye, right on the bone. Say that belief. Feel how it feels in your body to say that. Be present to that belief. Under the nose. Be present to that thought. Be present to the emotion that goes with it. So when you say I'm a procrastinator or I'm too old, what do you feel? Notice how when you say that and you think that, your energy shrinks down. It comes with anxiety or fear or sadness. Under the mouth, above the chin, below the lip, in that little crease there, just using 2 fingers, tapping continuously. Say that belief out loud again. I am— For the collarbone point, feel for the 2 little bones of the collarbone. Down an inch, out to each side about an inch. You can tap with all 10 fingers of both hands. Say that belief out loud again, and maybe at this point it's starting to sound a little silly, or you just don't care. What often happens with tapping, we release these negative emotions, we send a calming signal to the amygdala of the brain, we lower the cortisol in the body. The research has shown that we are literally lowering cortisol as we speak, as we tap right now. And you start saying to yourself, this is a dumb belief. I don't really think this. Underneath the arm. You start thinking, I'm not really a procrastinator because your mind is relaxing. That amygdala is calming. And you're actually starting to think of all the times that you didn't procrastinate, all the things that you got done. Top of the head. You think you're too old. And then all of a sudden you go, well, that's a silly thought because you start thinking of All the people who got so many things done who are even older than you were. Back to the eyebrow. You think I'm not smart enough? And then that starts changing as examples come flying forward of all the times that you've been absolutely brilliant. Side of the eye. When we calm these negative beliefs, when we stop these ants The positive ones just come up naturally and allow those to come up now. Under the eye, be present to those positive thoughts. Stack them one on top of the other. Feel them in your body. Feel that energy and that strength and that confidence coursing through your body as the negative thinking vanishes. Under the nose, in its place is strength and confidence. In its place are those natural feelings that just come forward, the truth of who you really are. Under the mouth. Allow those to be right now. Make them stronger, make them bigger, make them brighter. Try to think about that negative belief again and notice that it's just hard to grasp it. Like, you just don't even care. What are you doing wasting your time with these old thoughts? When you know something else is true, feel the strength and power in that now. Collarbone. And feel that when you stop this negative thinking, when you calm your mind, when you calm your body, just notice all the resources that awaken inside of you. You are literally smarter now than you were 5 minutes ago. You're more confident. You're more at peace. You're happier. And notice the strength from this place. What if you could be in this place all the time? What if you could operate from this confidence, this belief? Under the arm. Let that sink into every cell in your body right now. Top of the head. That strength, that confidence, that new reality. Feel it now. And when you're ready, you can gently stop tapping and take a deep breath. Now just tune back into that belief, right? So you said, I'm a procrastinator, or I'm too old, or I'm lazy. Or I'm this, or I'm not smart enough, or I'm that. Try to think that thought again and see how it feels. How strong is it on a scale of 0 to 10? Now, maybe it was an 8 and now it's a 5. That's huge. We tap for minutes on a belief that is at the core of what's operating with you. And now it's a 5, right? Or a 4 or a 3 or a 2 or gone.

It's amazing. I mean, it's— and I know a lot of people, they always try to go for perfect, but I think progress, right? Like, think about the things like what people's options are when they want to change a limiting belief or some negative self-talk that's hijacking their brain. You know, they just have to use willpower or something like that. But this is such an elegant way to be able to reduce something, and it's using your nervous system. Absolutely.

I mean, I think we're resetting our nervous system. I feel it every time I tap.

It's just like I literally feel lighter every single time that we do this together. So it's tough sometimes just to sit in your own mind and saying, don't think these thoughts or don't believe these thoughts when you have that anxiety, and so to be able to feel like you're safe and that you're calm. So what would you recommend? How do we— can we do an actual— can we experience this together?

Yeah, let's have an experience. So I'm going to show you where the tapping points are, and then we'll just do 1 or 2 rounds so you can have a quick experience, and then I'll show you how you can do a longer session.

That's perfect. So everybody, everyone loves this. This is amazing here. I want everyone to do this. Remember that in the book, knowledge is not power. It only becomes power when we utilize this. So I want everyone to just— how many people are willing to commit to do this, do this experience with us right now? I could tell you this has helped me and so many of my clients that I've sent to you and your team to be able to overcome this. So where should we start?

Alright, so the first tapping point is the side of the hand, and it doesn't matter what side of the body you tap on. So you're— if you're watching this on video, tap along with me. If you're listening to just the audio, I'll explain where the points are. The next one is the eyebrow point, and it's where the hair of your eyebrow begins. When people are stressed, they tend to grab onto this point.

Oh, isn't that funny?

Right here. Yeah, we intuitively know these help us relax. Then we have on the side of the eye, right on the bone. Then follow your bone until you find yourself underneath the eye. Then we have underneath the nose, and I know I'm moving fast, but I'll give you resources to come back, so don't worry. Underneath the mouth, between the upper lip and the chin, right on the crease. Then the collarbone point. If you feel your collarbone and you go down an inch, you're going to hit it. Then we have underneath the arm. It's a hand width from your armpit. And then right on top of the head. So these are 9 really powerful meridian points that help us relax. You start the process by getting clear on how you're feeling and you start the setup statement. Now the setup statement sets you up for the process and it's simply acknowledging how you feel. and having some level of acceptance. This helps us have a more honest conversation while we tap and it helps release judgment. We have to create a space where we can allow ourselves to be scared, angry, whatever we're feeling as we tap and relax our body. So I'm going to lead you through, Jim, just 2 quick rounds and everyone who's tapping, also repeat after me. You can do it in your mind or out loud. Jim, if you can repeat out loud, that would be great. And let's start by— if you think about something you wanted to do that you've been procrastinating on. So maybe it's even reading Jim's book or finishing a resume, something that makes you a little bit nervous. Think about any anxiety or nervousness you feel about starting something and just give that a number from 0 to 10. Great. So now you have that number. Let's have a quick experience. So tapping on the side of the hand, repeat after me. Even though I get really nervous.

Even though I get really nervous. Everyone's saying this with me.

When I try something new.

When I try something new.

I accept how I feel.

I accept how I feel.

Even though I'm really scared.

Even though I'm really scared—

That things won't work out for me—

That things won't work out for me—

I honor all of my feelings.

I honor all my feelings.

And I give my body permission to relax.

And I give my body permission to relax.

Even though I'm nervous—

Even though I'm nervous—

That things won't work for me—

That things won't work for me—

I accept all of these feelings.

I accept all of these feelings.

And I allow my body to relax.

And I allow my body to relax.

So then we start by tapping on the eyebrow point and we're just giving a voice to how we feel. All this anxiety.

All of this anxiety.

Side of the eye. I want things to change.

I want things to change.

Under the eye. I want more out of life.

I want more out of life.

Under the nose. But I'm scared of being disappointed.

I'm scared of being disappointed.

Under the mouth. I'm scared to make a mistake.

I'm scared to make a mistake.

Collarbone. So I keep procrastinating.

So I keep procrastinating.

Under the arm. Because that feels safer.

Because that feels safer.