Lesson 8
Learning Tapping
In this lesson, we’ll learn a powerful skill called tapping that can help us manage stress and emotions.
Practice a Skill
Step Four: The Sequence
Remember your setup statement: you will want to focus on your description of the problem during the video practice. Your setup statement will become your power phrase, which you will repeat while tapping. Your power phrase is just a shortened version of your setup statement.
If your setup statement is: “Even though I am stressed out about my math test, I’m OK” your power phrase could be “stressed out about math test” or “scared of failing the math test” or “fear of math test.”
It is best to follow the protocol as demonstrated. However, if you make mistakes it is no problem.
Use 2-3 fingers to tap on the correct locations and in the correct order. You will tap 3-7 times on each point while saying your power phrase.
If you forget where to tap or tap out of order, it does not matter. You can add them in at the end.
Practice a Skill
Tapping
Practice a Skill
Step Five: Check in
After you’ve finished tapping, always check in with yourself and rate how you feel on the SUDS scale. If your score goes above 7, try another self-soothing skill and stop tapping.
You may have to practice tapping more than once to see your score go down to 0-2, which is our goal.
When learning the technique, it is normal to have to repeat it a few times. If your score does not improve you may have selected a target that does not work. Tapping will not get someone else to change. For example, I want this boy to like me. The target needs to be about yourself. For example, “I am not good enough.” or “I am worthless.”
You may need to change the topic on which you’re focusing. Sometimes, you discover that the problem on which you’re focusing is actually the result of another underlying problem. Try tapping while focusing on that problem, instead.
Congrats!
You just earned:
25
Experience points help you keep track of your achievements. How many can you earn?
Lesson 8
Improving Sleep
Sleep is an important way to take care of our brain and emotions. Here are some tips for improving your sleep:
- During the day, no naps.
- Set a standard wake up time. Figure out the best wake up time for you. Maybe have a little time to do a self-soothing exercise before you start your day!
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Soft drinks, coffee, energy drinks, and tea all have caffeine and can keep us from getting a good night’s sleep if we drink them too close to bedtime. For some people, that means not having caffeine after noon.
- No intense activity within three hours of going to sleep. This means exercise or even an active video game.
- All activity needs to be outside of the bedroom. The bedroom is for sleeping. Do not work in bed. Instead, try a warm bath or writing in a daily journal—if that does not become activating—before bedtime. You can also create a “Worry Journal,” listing all the things that you worry about. Focused Breathing, Loving Kindness Exercise, and Body Scan are very helpful for relaxing at bedtime.
- A cool temperature in your bedroom to mimic the lowered body temperature at night is recommended.
- Set your bedroom up for sleep. Keep the bedroom dark. No electronics in the bedroom 60 minutes before bedtime. Turn off digital items. Turn down the lights a half hour before sleep time. Blue lights tell the brain that the sky is now blue it is time to wake up. Make sure there are no blue lights in your bedroom at night. Where do you find blue lights in your bedroom?
- No visible clock. If you wake up in the middle of the night, you might see it and worry that you are not getting enough sleep.
- Pets need their own bed. 53% of pet owners report disrupted sleep every night.
- Go to bed when sleepy. Only attempt trying to sleep in twenty-minute stretches. If you are not asleep in twenty minutes, get up, move to another room, and participate in another activity. If you read, make sure the light is behind you.
Congrats!
You just earned:
A rare prize
These special rewards don’t appear often. See if you can collect all 5!
Congrats!
1
You completed a lesson!
0
You added 0 experience points.
1
You learned a new skill.
