Why I tap to encourage unhealthy behaviors (Pod #692)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
Release Date: 03/12/2026
How to tap when you don't know where to start (Pod #716)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
One of the great things about tapping is that it can be used for a wide range of physical, emotional, and even spiritual issues. But that breadth brings with it the struggle of knowing where to start when there are so many things that you could tap on. Recently, I received this email from one of my readers: I've been tapping on and off for years. Recently, when tapping, I am quickly lost in a quagmire of thoughts and emotions and can't see a direction to go in. I have been wallowing in something vague and exhausting for the past month, and am wondering if there is anything I can do. This...
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I know tapping works..so why don't I do it?! (Pod #715)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
There is nothing more frustrating than knowing exactly what to do and still not doing it. When this happens, your critical voice kicks in, shaming you for being lazy and undeserving of transformation because of your lack of action. The hardest part of this type of failure is knowing what is possible but failing to take action. And it isn't down to external forces preventing you…it is all happening inside your head. This week in the podcast, I explore the five most common reasons you don't tap, even when you want to. As well as providing a breakdown of what is standing in your way, I...
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Tapping to release the identities other people gave you (Pod #714)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
Our subconscious mind confuses the difference between how we were treated and who we are. When someone left us off an invitation, we did not just file away the fact that we were not invited. We wrote a story about what it meant. They don't like me. I'm not interesting enough. I'm stupid. Over time the circumstance fades, but the story stays. It stops being a conclusion and starts feeling like a plain truth about who we are. That is what makes these identities so hard to tap on. Trying to tap on "I am stupid" when it feels like a fact is a little like trying to tap to change the color of your...
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When Your Problem Feels Too Big to Tap On: A 5-Step Approach (Pod #713)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
A client came to me recently and said something I hear more often than you might expect: "Gene, I've been trying to tap on my own, but this problem just feels too big. I don't know where to start." My answer surprised her. I told her she was right. The problem actually was too big to tap on. But that wasn't a verdict on whether tapping could help. It was a diagnosis of the approach she was using. Tapping for big problems is not about finding the courage to tackle everything at once. It is about knowing which small, specific piece to bring into a single round of tapping. TL;DR / Key Takeaways ...
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Should I be working with a tapping practitioner? (Pod #712)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
I love that tapping can be done independently of other people. You can use self-guided tapping, a tapping resource, like , or tapping scripts. Since tapping is something you can do on your own, it is logical to ask "If I can tap on my own, why would I work with a practitioner?" This is a more complicated question that it might seem at first glance. This is a question about skill, approach, and safety. In this week's podcast, I share how I think about healing and how outside resources and assistance fit into my healing journey. Subscribe in: | | | | | | Watch a video version on...
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How to Use Tapping for Fear and Anxiety – The 4-Question Process (Pod #711)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
Tapping for fear and anxiety was my own entry point into EFT almost 20 years ago, when I was struggling with social anxiety. In this post I want to walk you through exactly how I use tapping to right-size fear and anxiety so they stop running the show. The method is simple, it works in the moment, and you can use it the next time worry shows up. TL;DR / Key Takeaways Tapping for fear and anxiety is a process of right-sizing the feeling, not eliminating it, so your alarm system stays accurate instead of overactive. Anxiety is about a threat in the present moment, while fear is about a threat...
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Tapping for emotional backsliding (Pod #710)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
One of the most difficult times to tap is when you have had a major emotional backslide. You are tapping daily and feeling the breakthroughs during your sessions. You can see positive change happening in your daily life. AND then, out of nowhere, you have a crappy day. The progress you have made seems to evaporate overnight and even the smallest things are driving you crazy. Part of you wants to throw in the towel because it all feels like a giant waste of your time and energy. This is a super common experience during a healing journey. Listen to this week's podcast to hear me explain: Why...
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How Long Does Tapping Take to Work? An Honest Answer (Pod #709)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
How long does tapping take to work? It's one of the most common questions I get, and the answer is the most unsatisfying one in coaching: it depends. In this post I'll show you why that's actually the most useful answer I can give you, and how to use it. TL;DR: How Long Tapping Takes to Work How long tapping takes to work depends on the issue you're tapping on and how you define success. A 90-second round can shift a present-moment frustration, while a 35-year-old limiting belief usually takes repeated sessions over time. Happiness equals outcome divided by expectation. The same result feels...
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Looking for "The lesson the university is trying to teach me" is keeping you stuck (Pod #708)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
Recently, I was working with a client who said, "I just wish I understood what the university is trying to teach me." This is a sentiment I often hear from my clients. Learning from our past mistakes is good and valuable. When we are able to see what went wrong and why it went wrong, we can act in new ways in the future. Sometimes it feels even bigger than that. It isn't just learning from a past mistake, but learning a lesson the universe is trying to teach you that goes beyond what happened…it is about who you are at your core. Every time I have learned one of those deeper lessons about...
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Why Do I Yawn After Tapping? The Nervous System Science Behind It (Pod #707)
Tapping Q & A - Getting the most out of tapping and EFT
Subscribe in: | | | | | | If you have ever finished a round of EFT tapping and found yourself yawning uncontrollably, you are not imagining things. In 18 years of working with clients, this question lands in my inbox almost every single month. It is actually one of the top search terms that brings new readers to TappingQandA.com. TL;DR / Key Takeaways Yawning, burping, and stomach gurgles after a tapping round are all signs that your body shifted out of fight-or-flight mode and into its natural rest-and-restore state. The human nervous system operates in two distinct modes: the...
info_outlineIt is all too common for tappers to look back at their path to healing and think, "What on earth was I doing? I know better than that! Why do I keep making bad choices when I know exactly what to do?"
This comes up most often in my individual coaching sessions when my clients talk about reaching for distracting behaviors instead of tapping.
They know at the moment that the best choice would be to tap, but instead they doomscroll social media, fall down YouTube rabbit holes, reorganize their spice rack (again), or mindlessly eat a bunch of unhealthy crap.
Annoyingly, this does make sense, taken from the perspective of trying to keep themselves safe. Actor and writer Tom Lennon described it perfectly in an interview by Kevin Pollak on a book tour. When Kevin asked if he liked to write, Tom said something to the effect of, "You will know I have a writing deadline coming up because my kitchen floor will be so clean you could perform surgery on it."
We do not choose distractions because we are weak, or because we believe they are the best choice. We choose them to feel more comfortable at the moment.
The problem is that, in hindsight, we only see that we could have made a healthier choice.
When I find myself in these moments, I don't tap to stop the unhealthy behavior. I actually do the opposite! I tap to do the unhealthy behavior, but the key distinction is I am choosing to do it consciously.
When we move from being unconscious to a conscious awareness of our distracting behaviors, we regain control. And with control we can spend less (or even no) time on distracting behaviors and we don't beat ourselves up.
In this week's podcast I am going to show you:
- How to catch yourself in the moment right before you unconsciously start doing the healthy action
- How to tap with compassion in the moment, without letting yourself off the hook
- How to tap so that you constrain (and often eliminate) the unhealthy behavior
It is an unusual but incredibly powerful form of tapping.
I know you will love it!
Support the podcast! Http://tappingqanda.com/support
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