Category: Personal Development

Anxiety Relief, Mental health, Personal Development

Walking Meditation Benefits

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About a year ago, I started doing walking meditations, and the benefits have been profound. After experiencing these benefits, I knew I needed to create a YouTube video on why everyone should be adding walking mediations into their daily life. Walking meditation is a form of meditation that involves walking slowly, attentively, and with awareness.
Check out this video to learn how to get a free walking meditation! 
Walking meditation, also known as mindful walking, is a form of meditation that combines physical movement with mindfulness practices. It involves walking slowly and deliberately, focusing on the sensation of each step and the surrounding environment. This practice has gained popularity recently as more people seek ways to incorporate mindfulness into their daily lives. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of walking meditation and how it can improve your overall well-being.

1. Reduces stress and anxiety

Walking meditation has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels. This practice can help you relax and let go of tension in your body, leading to a calmer state of mind. Focusing on the present moment and your surroundings can distract your mind from negative thoughts and worries.

2. Increases Mindfulness

Mindfulness is being fully present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Walking meditation is an excellent way to cultivate mindfulness, as it requires you to focus on the present moment and be aware of your surroundings. By practicing this regularly, you can develop greater mindfulness skills that can be applied to other areas of your life.

3. Boosts Mood and Energy

You can experience a sense of vitality and renewed energy by engaging in physical activity while being mindful. Walking meditation can also boost your mood and energy levels. This practice can help you feel more positive and motivated throughout the day.

4. Improves Concentration

Walking meditation requires you to concentrate on your movements and your environment. This can improve your ability to focus and concentrate on tasks in other areas. By practicing walking meditation regularly, you can develop vital concentration skills to help you be more productive and efficient.

5. Enhances Physical Health

Walking meditation is a gentle form of physical exercise that can improve overall health. Incorporating this practice into your daily routine can improve cardiovascular health, strengthen your muscles and joints, and increase your general fitness level.


In conclusion, walking meditation is a simple yet powerful practice that can benefit your overall well-being. Practicing this regularly can reduce stress and anxiety, increase mindfulness, boost your mood and energy, improve concentration, and enhance your physical health. Whether you’re new to meditation or have been practicing for years, walking meditation is an excellent way to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life.

So why not try it and see how it can benefit you?

Buy one of my walking mediations here and jump-start your walking meditation journey!
Mental health, Personal Development

Life Is Like A Video Game

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Growing up, I was so excited to get home from school on a Friday so I could play video games with my siblings. My favorite game was Yoshi’s Island. I absolutely loved the imagination of the graphics and images. Each level felt like I was going on another adventure, giving me another opportunity to help save the day.

As I got older, I began to feel connected with the analogy that life is a video game. Life is a journey full of challenges and obstacles that we must overcome to achieve an over-arching objective. But this time, we are the characters navigating the levels.

This blog post will explore life as a video game and how we can apply gaming strategies to real-life situations.

1. Setting Goals

In video games, we often have a clear objective or goal to achieve. This is true in life as well. We need to set clear and achievable goals to succeed. By having a specific plan in mind, we can focus on achieving it and track our progress.

2. Overcoming Obstacles

Like in video games, life is full of obstacles we must overcome to move forward. These challenges can come in many forms, such as financial difficulties, health issues, or relationship problems. However, if we approach these challenges with the right mindset and strategies, we can find solutions and overcome them. EFT Tapping is my favorite way to overcome obstacles. Unsure of what EFT Tapping is? Here is a video to have you tap on your anxiety and stress. Watch Here

3. Learning From Failures

In video games, we often fail multiple times before we can succeed. The same is true in life. We will experience failures and setbacks, but these should not discourage us from pursuing our goals. Instead, we should view failures as learning opportunities and use them to grow and improve.

4. Building Relationships

We often work with other players in video games to achieve our objectives. The same is true in life. Building solid relationships with others can help us achieve our goals and overcome challenges. Networking and collaborating can provide valuable resources, support, and new opportunities.


5. Pursuing Passions

In video games, we often can pursue side quests or explore new areas. In life, we should also pursue our passions and interests outside of our main goals. This can help us find joy and fulfillment and provide a break from our challenges. 

In conclusion, the parallels between real life and video games are abundant. By setting goals, overcoming obstacles, learning from failures, building relationships, and pursuing our passions, we can navigate life’s challenges and achieve the success we crave. Applying gaming strategies to real-life situations can help us approach challenges with a positive mindset and increase our chances of success. So, just like in a video game, we should embrace life’s journey and enjoy the ride.
Not a fan of video games? Check out my article on the importance of hobbies! Read it HERE
Personal Development

EFT Tapping For Business Success

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As a female entrepreneur, you’re no stranger to the challenges and stressors of running your own business. But what if there was a simple technique that could help you manage stress, increase confidence, and improve decision-making? Enter EFT Tapping, a powerful and accessible tool that has helped countless entrepreneurs like you. In this month’s newsletter, we’ll explore the benefits of EFT Tapping and how you can integrate it into your daily life to unlock your full potential.

What is EFT Tapping?

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Tapping is a self-help technique that combines acupressure and psychology to release negative emotions and improve overall well-being. By tapping on specific points in your body while focusing on the issue you want to address, you can rewire your brain and change your response to stress, fear, and self-doubt.

EFT Tapping Benefits for Female Entrepreneurs

1. Stress Reduction: Running a business has its fair share of stress. EFT Tapping can help you manage and alleviate stress, allowing you to focus on what matters.

2. Increased Confidence: EFT Tapping has been shown to boost self-esteem, which is crucial for female entrepreneurs facing challenges in male-dominated industries.

3. Improved Decision-Making: By clearing emotional blockages, EFT Tapping helps you make better-informed decisions for your business.

4. Enhanced Focus and Productivity: EFT Tapping can improve concentration and productivity, helping you stay on track with your goals and tasks.

Getting Started with EFT Tapping

To begin, consider working with a certified EFT practitioner. You can book a call here or sign up for my monthly membership, where I teach you how to tap. You can also access numerous free resources online, including tutorials, articles, and videos. Once familiar with the process, create a daily routine incorporating EFT Tapping to maximize its benefits. Here is my EFT tapping video on anxiety relief.

Overcoming Common Challenges

EFT Tapping may initially seem intimidating, but it becomes second nature with practice. Here are some tips to overcome common challenges:

• Be patient and give yourself time to learn the technique.

• Stay consistent with your practice.

• Seek support from others who have experienced the benefits of EFT Tapping

Success With EFT

Many female entrepreneurs have already experienced the transformative power of EFT Tapping. From overcoming financial stress to boosting self-confidence, these women have harnessed the power of EFT Tapping to achieve their goals and elevate their businesses.

EFT Tapping holds immense potential for female entrepreneurs looking to overcome stress, self-doubt, and other obstacles to success. Incorporating this powerful technique into your daily routine can unlock your full potential and pave the way for a thriving business.

Wishing tapping success!

entrepreneur, Personal Development

Dive InTo Your Hobbies For Greater Entrepreneur Success

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Working as an entrepreneur can be extremely challenging, and getting caught up in your business is easy, allowing it to consume your life. When I start to feel burnt out with my business, it’s a sign that I have been neglecting my hobbies. Hobbies are healthy and essential for entrepreneurs because they help us keep things in perspective. We should never forget who we are outside of our business ventures.

 

As an entrepreneur, getting caught up in the day-to-day tasks of running a business is easy. With so much on your plate, finding time for activities outside of work can be challenging. However, hobbies are crucial to your well-being and can benefit you personally and professionally. 

 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the five crucial benefits of having a hobby as an entrepreneur.

 

1. Reducing Stress

Running a business can be stressful, and stress can lead to burnout. Hobbies provide an opportunity to unwind, relax and recharge. Whether gardening, reading, painting, or yoga, engaging in a hobby you enjoy can help reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, and improve overall mental health.

 

2. Boosting Creativity

Entrepreneurship is all about creativity and innovation. Engaging in hobbies that require creativity, such as writing, drawing, or playing music, can help boost your creativity and inspire new ideas. Working on something you’re passionate about outside of work can help you approach problems and challenges at work from a different perspective. Check out this video on my YouTube for a DIY calming jar tutorial. Watch HERE

 

3. Building New Skills

Hobbies can also help you develop new skills that can be valuable in your business. For example, if you take up photography as a hobby, you may develop an eye for aesthetics and design that could help your marketing efforts. Or if you learn a new language, it can help you communicate more effectively with clients and partners from around the world.

 

4. Networking Opportunities

Engaging in hobbies also provides opportunities to meet new people and expand your network. Joining a local club or group related to your hobby can introduce you to people with similar interests who could become valuable contacts or potential clients. It can also help you develop social skills that can be helpful in business settings.

 

5. Work-Life Balance

Finally, having hobbies can help you maintain a healthy work-life balance. It’s important to have interests and activities outside of work that you enjoy, and that provide a sense of fulfillment. By making time for hobbies, you can avoid burnout, maintain a positive outlook, and be more productive and effective in your business. Learn more about setting boundaries with this article. READ HERE

 

In conclusion, having hobbies as an entrepreneur is essential for your mental and physical health, creativity, skill development, networking, and work-life balance.

 

Making time for activities you enjoy outside of work is critical, as it can ultimately benefit your business in the long run. So, whether it’s hiking, cooking, playing an instrument, or dancing, find a hobby that you love and make time for it in your busy schedule.
Anxiety Relief, entrepreneur, Mental health, Personal Development

Want To Reach Your Goals? 3 Easy Steps to Prevent Anxiety From Stopping You

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There comes a point in every entrepreneur’s life when we become anxious about the future. This anxiety can lead to fear, frustration, and the lack of motivation or focus on the tasks that need to be completed today in order to reach our goals. It may seem like there is no way out, but sometimes all it takes to feel better is a small shift in perspective. 

The tips below show you how to take 3 steps towards preventing anxiety from stopping your goals.
When I discuss primary elements of executing goals for clients, we always circle back to the importance of aligned actions.  

What are aligned actions? Great question: these are the actions you take every single day that are in alignment with your future goals. For example, if you wanted to start an online business tomorrow, it wouldn’t materialize instantaneously with your desire to start the company. You would first need to make a list of actions you need to take to get the business up and running and then begin following that plan of action.  
 
Aligned actions do not need to be grandiose in size. They can be as simple as setting your alarm at the same time each day to keep your circadian rhythm steady, allowing you to have a consistent amount of energy.

These small, consistent steps will continue to build on top of each other until your goals become your reality.

Unfortunately, anxiety can spark fear and, as a result, get in the way of completing these aligned actions.

By now, most of us know anxiety can be completely debilitating and can invade your healthy headspace. But as I always remind my clients: thoughts are not facts. 
 
If you experience anxiety while attempting to carry out aligned actions, I challenge you to try these three steps.
 
Step 1: Acknowledge the existence of the anxiety. 
If I told you right at this moment not to think of a white elephant, what do you think your brain would end up doing? It would struggle with the natural urge to picture a white elephant.  

Anxiety is similar in this regard. The more we pretend that it does not exist within us, the more it exacerbates until it hits its ultimate boiling point. 

Once we have acknowledged and validated the anxiety, we can utilize our favorite coping skills, such as breathing exercises, to help soothe the anxiety symptoms.
 
Step 2: Give yourself a pep talk!
By talking yourself through your anxiety, you remind yourself why you are putting yourself out there in the first place and setting goals for yourself.

Try it with a goal you are currently working on by saying something like, “Our future self will thank us for doing these aligned actions today” or, “these aligned actions will get my business to where I want it to be.”  As long as you frame the pep talk positively, there is no wrong way to go about it.

Don’t let frustration or anxiety prevent you from achieving your goals. Set reasonable boundaries and make realistic plans to reach your goals. Check out this blog on setting boundaries!  
 
 
Step 3: Break up your goals into 10-minute increments.
When you work on your goals, start by putting ten minutes on a timer. Once the timer goes off, ask yourself, “Do I want to continue, or is my anxiety impairing my ability to efficiently and effectively complete this task.” 

If your answer is the latter, take a break. Otherwise, you will continue to spiral and only make the anxiety worse!
With aligned actions, our goals become our dreams. So try these three steps, and don’t let anxiety prevent you from all you desire!
 

Sometimes it’s hard to recognize that our anxiety is blocking us, but we need to become aware of it and make sure we don’t let it dictate our lives. Check out this video to get more support on your entrepreneurial journey. 


Watch Here

Anxiety Relief, Personal Development

How To Bounce Back from Time Off

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Taking time off as an entrepreneur is a necessity to help rejuvenate and inspire us to continue to chase after our dreams.  However, it can be challenging to get back into the swing of things and get back on track with our daily routines.

Dishes and laundry start to pile up, leaving out brains completely cluttered and seemingly negating the relaxation we just enjoyed.

It’s no secret that mitigating this inevitability takes discipline! With that in mind, here are my three tips to help you stay on track after some prolonged relaxation.

1. Create a list of non-negotiables.

What I mean by this is that you should identify a list of activities or practices you adhere to every day without question to help maintain your wellbeing while you are on vacation or taking time off. Even if it’s as simple as drinking eight glasses of water, getting adequate sleep, or sifting through your work email, continuing to do this every day will keep you in a rhythm that makes returning home to the daily grind that much easier.

To begin, start with a small list of five or fewer activities. Doing so will give you easy wins and help you build confidence in your routine.

I make sure that I listen to my daily affirmations, meditate, write in my gratitude log, drink ample water, and stretch/do yoga daily. This list of non-negotiables allows me to hit the ground running as soon as I get home.

2. If possible, take an extra day off when you return from your vacation.

I understand this tip is potentially not feasible for everyone, but I have found benefit in scheduling a half day for the day I return from a long trip. Doing so allows me to help situate myself back into my own home. Whether starting laundry or getting groceries, it prevents me from falling into bad habits like eating fast food to save time.

3. Get help!

You do not need to do everything on your own! Consider having groceries delivered to your door when you get home, so you don’t have the added stress of immediately heading out to the store for fresh food. Or maybe you could order DoorDash the day before you leave so you don’t have to come home to a sink full of dishes.

I hope these tips are helpful! If you struggle to figure out how to bounce back from a routine, consider working with me through my monthly membership program, Inner Compass Support. For information, click here.

Anxiety Relief, Personal Development

Travel Anxiety Relief

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Summer is in full swing, and for many of us, it is time to take a break from our busy lives and travel!

Unfortunately, while traveling is exciting for many of us, it can ignite anxiety symptoms for others.

I know this to be true from personal experience. My anxiety used to ramp up during travel to the point that I couldn’t eat before or during the trip. My brain just stirred in circles over the fear of forgetting to pack something or not having my itinerary booked correctly.

Over several years I have developed five tips that help me avoid spikes in my anxiety while traveling. Whether in the airport, on the flight, or at my hotel, these are the tips I swear by!

  1. Visualization: When I am on my flight, I try to sit back and visualize how I will feel fifteen minutes after I have arrived at my destination and am ready to enjoy the trip. While doing this visualization, I ask myself, “what would each of my five senses be experiencing during this moment?” For example, I recently took a trip to Hawaii, and while on the plane, I imagined what it would feel like when I first got to the sandy beaches of Waikiki. I visualized the feeling of the sand between my toes as I took a deep breath of the salty ocean air and put my beach towel down. I envisioned myself sitting down and soaking in that beautiful, deep blue ocean color as the waves quietly crashed to the shore while drinking my favorite iced coffee. By activating my five senses during the visualization, I can stay present and avoid the stress associated with travel.
  2. Make a DIY calming jar: This is one of my mainstays for anxiety. With just the two ingredients of baby oil and glitter, you can create a versatile calming jar that can be taken anywhere! I like to use the jar by watching the glitter slowly fall while I focus on my breath. Try it out; you might find it soothing. Unsure of how to make one, watch my how-to video here!
  3. Read a book: In my experience, reading books are more effective than watching a movie to calm your anxiety while passing the time. This is because you are forced to use your imagination and thus activate your prefrontal cortex while reading a book. When your prefrontal cortex is activated, it has a diminished capacity to focus on thoughts of anxiousness. Contrarily, when you watch a movie, your brain can drift off; thus, your prefrontal cortex is shut off, and your anxiety amplifies. If you are not someone who enjoys reading, consider doing something active like journaling or drawing. Maybe even jot down a list of all the things you are hoping to do while you are on vacation.
  4. Magnesium: Taking magnesium can help lower muscle tension and thus lower those panicked feelings of anxiety. It’s a safe and easy over-the-counter solution that I cannot go without!
  5. Breathing exercises: If you follow any of my social media platforms, you have probably heard me talking about triangle breathing. It’s an easy three-step process that you can imagine in the shape of a triangle to help naturally reduce anxiety symptoms. First, inhale for four seconds, then hold your breath for four seconds, and finally, exhale for four seconds. By changing your breathing pattern, you can naturally regulate your heart rate and thus reduce the feelings of anxiety.

Hopefully, these tips can help you feel empowered on your next trip from home.

Struggling with anxiety more often than just flying?

Stay tuned to this blog for more mental health tips!

Anxiety Relief, Mental health, Personal Development, Trauma Healing

How to Start a Gratitude Practice

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During my 2nd year of graduate school, I began experiencing the pendulum of anxiety swinging to depression. Searching for a solution, I ended up taking a workshop on how incorporating a practice of gratitude can help decrease your symptoms of both anxiety and depression. I decided to commit to spending five minutes a day writing what I am grateful for, and on the days where I struggled to find gratitude, I would go back and revisit past entries for inspiration. I found it beneficial because it was gratitude in my own words, not someone telling me to be grateful. This is why I encourage all of my friends, clients and family to start a gratitude practice.

If you have noticed that you have difficulty focusing on the positives rather than the negatives, you are not alone. This is because we have had what is known as the “negativity bias” hardwired in our brains since the primitive ages. At that time, this was a crucial survival tool that allowed us to prepare for and navigate the worst-case scenario in each situation.

However, just because this was programmed into our nervous system thousands of years ago doesn’t mean we are helpless. That is where the power of gratitude comes in!

Whether you choose to verbally recite or jot them down in a notebook, formulating a list of things we are grateful for helps rewire our brain to remain in a positive state. I have an app that gives me a daily prompt of things I am thankful for that day.

If you are new to practicing gratitude, you are in luck, it’s easy, and there are no rules on how to do it. Putting in the effort is what matters.

I recommend my clients start by stating or journaling between 3-10 things they are grateful for within the last 24 hours. This helps us stay grounded in the present and prevents the tasks from becoming repetitive over time.

Maybe you are grateful for the discount you got on groceries, how great the outfit you wore to work looked, and how the sunset looked on this beautiful spring evening. Boom! You’re done! It is that easy.

Still unsure? Here are five benefits of having a consistent gratitude practice.


  1. Gives Us Hope for the Future

    If you can find a way to be grateful for the small milestones you accomplish today, think about how you will feel when you truly achieve your dreams?


  2. Reduced Stress

    Loads of research have shown that keeping a daily gratitude journal can help lower cortisol levels and, as a result, signal our body to relax.


  3. Improves Sleep

    By lowering our stress, we can sleep much more freely. Plus, if you wake up and cannot fall back asleep, rather than check your phone, start reciting things you are grateful for and watch yourself slowly doze back off to sleep.


  4. Boosts Self-Esteem

    You will often be writing about things you have accomplished. What better way to remind yourself of your successes than seeing them written down on paper?


  5. Instantly Boosts Your Mood

    Focusing on all the positives in your life makes it that much harder for your brain to drift back toward the negatives. Plus, on days that seem especially hard, you can return to previous days and remind yourself of all the things you have been grateful for. The best part about it? It’s written in your own words. It’s not a friend or coworker trying to convince you that your life is fantastic. You already did that heavy-lifting!

Through your journey as an entrepreneur, your emotions will undoubtedly vacillate from high to low depending on your success.  This is why I encourage my clients to start a gratitude practice to help them cultivate a positive mindset, allowing them to avoid the severe pendulum swings that seem almost built-in to the entrepreneurial experience. 

It can be easy to forget to focus on our lives’ beautiful aspects with an increasingly hostile world around us. That is why I cannot emphasize enough the importance of developing a gratitude practice as part of your daily routine.

Start getting in the habit today! There is no wrong way to add gratitude to your life.

Mental health, Personal Development

How To Set Boundaries

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When we are goal setting or embarking on our mental health journey, one of the most important steps we can take to ensure our success is implementing boundaries.

Setting and maintaining boundaries seems simple on its surface, but they often get neglected! This is because of our natural trauma response of wanting to be a people-pleaser at all times. As a result, our needs get shoved to the side, and our personal growth plateaus.

Boundaries are particularly important for entrepreneurs, as they help create an environment that cultivates productivity, focus and well-being.  Entrepreneurs who do not set boundaries often struggle to create an optimal work-life balance and eventually burn themselves out.

Unsure of where to start to set healthy boundaries? Here are my three favorite tips for setting boundaries!

1. Establish why you are creating the boundary in the first place.

I love to remind my clients that if you can get behind the “why,” it will be easier for them to maintain the boundary.

For example, let’s say you consistently have been working overtime at your job and come home and are too tired to cook yourself a meal or exercise. As a result, your health has been negatively impacted because you spend more time than ever watching television and have resorted to eating out for most of your meals.

Suppose you decide to set a boundary not to work overtime anymore as it will allow you to live a healthier lifestyle. In that case, your brain will understand the importance of the boundary and find the motivation to adhere to it.

Once the “why” is established, the rest is smooth sailing!

2. Figure out how the boundary will benefit you.

Boundaries can be rewarding, whether you have improved energy, less anxiety, or more time to do things you love. And if there is one thing that we know about our brain, it’s that it loves to be rewarded. Therefore, if the brain knows it’s benefiting from a boundary, it will continue to attempt to maintain the boundary.

One boundary I have been more adamant about nurturing is not to stay late at events when I have a myriad of tasks I still need to complete. I often set a timer on my phone and force myself to stick to it. As a result, I accomplish more tasks and feel less anxiety than ever before.

3. Let others around you know about the boundaries that you have set. 

This might be the most crucial tip for setting a successful boundary. By letting others know your expectations of a boundary, they will be more understanding of your need for space and less likely to pressure you.

For example, maybe you just started school or enrolled in my course Inner Compass Accelerator, and know that you will need the weekends to yourself to be as focused as possible. By having a conversation with your support system about this need, they will understand your expectations of their friendship while you try to get the most out of your class. They will also feel less blindsided by you canceling or having to continually raincheck on plans.

But be aware that they may not always be agreeable with the boundary you are attempting to set. It is your job to be firm about the importance of the boundary!

Still unsure on how to go about setting healthy boundaries? My course Inner Compass Accelerator dives deep into the topic!

Anxiety Relief, Mental health, Personal Development, Trauma Healing

What is the difference between EFT and EMDR?

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Are you starting to embark on your healing journey and find yourself researching ways to jumpstart or accelerate the healing process?

You may have come across the terms Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Both are widely accepted and prominently used models in psychotherapy that help reprocess past experiences.

When we are actively healing trauma, we need to rewire and strengthen the neural pathways in our brain. This is necessary because our brain tends to get “stuck” and focus on the negative aspects of past experiences. For example, a person who survives a car crash often agonizes and relives the traumatic portions of the event, rather than finding solace that they survived the event and became more appreciative of the fragility of life.

Both EFT and EMDR require the brain and body to reprocess your trauma by simultaneously stimulating both sides of your brain. Ultimately the aim is to allow yourself to view the full scope of an event.

When I discuss EMDR with my clients, we start by understanding the role rapid eye movement plays in processing our day. As you may know, the portion of deep sleep is known as REM-sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep. When we reach this level of sleep, our body is essentially paralyzed outside of our eyes, which flicker back and forth as we process the day’s events. If that day was particularly traumatic, the events can get “stuck” and develop into recurrent nightmares, physical manifestations, or dramatic shifts in our personalities.

With EMDR, we want to tap into the brain’s ability to process and digest memories. During a session, you will discuss a problematic memory with a licensed professional while moving their fingers back and forth while you track with your eyes. Sometimes they may use a light bar, a set of buzzers, or ask you to tap your shoulders as an alternative. Regardless of the practice, the idea is to activate both sides of the brain and help us stop reliving our trauma, and allow us to move forward in our lives.

EFT is a similar practice but does not require the guidance of a licensed professional. Instead of following a finger back-and-forth with your eyes, you will be tapping on different meridian points while desensitizing yourself to the stressful memory. I like to think of it as a form of emotional acupuncture.

Now that you have a better understanding of the basic concepts let’s talk about some similarities and differences.

Similarities
  • Both focus on rewiring the brain to process traumas, fears, and limiting beliefs.
  • Both incorporate the mind-body connection by stimulating the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
  • Both use the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) to measure progress objectively.
  • Both focus on our earliest memories rather than our most severe ones. For example, if you fear public speaking rather than focusing on the worst sensation you’ve felt, you are asked to think of why this fear originated in the first place.
  • While public speaking, the aim is to pin the earliest time the physical sensation was present in your body. Our oldest memories are the ones our brains return to the pull evidence to support their desire to catastrophize an upcoming decision.
Differences
  • Anyone can be trained in EFT, making it more accessible. When I got certified in EFT, I took an 8-hour class with an exam at the end.
  • EMDR, on the other hand, requires a master’s level therapist or a therapist working towards a master’s degree while under the supervision of a licensed therapist. Because EMDR tends to bring up intense memories, someone with experience in therapy must be present to help you stay in your body and prevent you from dissociating.
  • In my experience, EFT is less intense because you are focusing on how the memory feels in your body rather than solely on the memory. EFT helps remove the feeling in your body to allow you to discuss then and further heal the trauma.
  • EMDR, on the other hand, focuses on the image without talking or looking inward.
  • EMDR “butterfly tapping” can be helpful to do at home but is more effective when done with a licensed professional.
  • You can do EFT on your own. Many free resources on Pinterest and YouTube can help guide you through EFT tapping protocols. While there are YouTube videos that take you through EMDR sessions, I personally would not recommend these as I had had clients do them in the past and found themselves more triggered than ever before because there was no one present to help guide them out of their altered mental state.
As a provider, I am always looking for new and effective tools for my clients to utilize. In 2015 I got trained in EMDR, and every few years, I participate in additional training to help support my clients. My first introduction to EFT came in the summer of 2021. After my first experience with it, I felt a significant benefit and knew I had to get certified in this modality as well.

Being trained in both, you might ask which I prefer or find most effective… 

The answer is that you really can’t go wrong with either one! I practice EFT on myself regularly, as I don’t always have the opportunity to sit down with a licensed therapist to do EMDR. I recommend trying both and finding out which one works best for you.

The important thing is that you are actively striving to make yourself a better person!