The Tender Loving Eldercare Blog

Tapping for Caregivers: A Powerful Self-Care Tool

Tapping Can Help You Cope Better Every Day and It Goes Hand in Hand with Mindfulness

Caregivers face challenges and a wide variety of emotions on a daily basis. I know, I’ve been there! If you are experiencing any of the feelings listed below, using tapping for self-care can be a powerful tool that will help:

  • guilt
  • stress
  • loneliness
  • overwhelm
  • burnout
  • resentment
  • sadness
  • fear of the unknowns ahead
  • anticipatory grief

I’m excited to announce I have partnered with The Tapping Solution to create a series of six Caregiver Support Tapping meditations made specifically for caregivers’ relief. I’ll let you know as soon as they’re available, which should be in the near future. I’ve used tapping throughout my life when facing difficulties, and hope you’ll give it a try.

 

Linda Abbit tapping
A peek of me tapping on one of the meridian points.

What is Tapping?

Tapping, also called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), is a combination of the principles of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. Specifically, it is a method of saying positive affirmations or meditations while tapping gently on nine places of the upper body.

It is easy to learn and effective in decreasing stress, anxiety, guilt and many other difficult emotions caregivers feel.

What are the Benefits of Tapping?

  • It’s easy to learn. You can learn at home, on your own, and no special equipment is needed.
  • Tapping can be done anywhere — spoken out loud or to yourself.
  • A tapping meditation takes only 10-15 minutes maximum, and you can shorten it if needed.
  • Tapping gives you the opportunity to reframe your caregiving day from a negative into a positive space. It helps to reduce stress, worries, guilt and all of the other challenging feelings you may have.
  • And, it goes hand-in-hand with mindfulness because you will be in the present moment and focused while tapping.

How Do I Start to Tap?

The basic Tapping technique requires you to focus on a negative emotion at hand. This can be a fear, a worry, or an unresolved challenge or problem. While keeping your mental focus on this issue, you use your fingertips to tap 5-7 times on nine specific meridian points of the body, the same used in acupressure.

Tapping on meridian points sends a calming signal to the brain, reducing cortisol levels and letting your brain know it’s safe to relax. The script you hear and then repeat helps take your mind from distress into a much improved state — all within a 15 minute maximum time frame.

Watch this video below for a brief introduction on how to tap from Jessica Ortner, CEO of the Tapping Solution.

Please click here to watch, if the video is not visible below.

 

Does Tapping Work?

Stress is an inherent part of caregiving.

There are hundreds of scientific studies about the effectiveness of Tapping. One study found that Tapping decreases cortisol, known as the stress hormone, by 43% in our bodies.

Read what researchers have learned in EFT Tapping research studies and results.

Tapping is also proven to improve sleep, reduce anxiety, decrease negative feelings, increase productivity, and more. That’s why it’s being used by so many people around the world. The Tapping Solution app has been downloaded by people in over 130 countries. And soon we’ll have a Tapping meditation series completely dedicated to caregivers!

And if you can’t wait to start Tapping . . .

Simply click here to learn more about all of the Tapping meditations available now. The link will take you to a 14-day free trial to get you started Tapping!

I’ll announce when the Caregiver Tapping Series is scheduled to launch!


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Linda Abbit, Author of the Conscious Caregiver

About Linda Abbit

Linda Abbit is a caregiving expert, author, and a frequent in-person and virtual keynote speaker and workshop presenter. As a family caregiver with more than twenty-five years of hands-on experience, Linda has faced many caregiving challenges and a wide variety of situations while caring for her parents and other family members.

Read more about Linda's experience and how she helps caregivers. Need help at your fingertips? Get Linda's book, The Conscious Caregiver: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Your Loved One Without Losing Yourself.