By Gene Monterastelli

When friends, family and clients are sharing with me something that has happened in the past week, I almost always ask, "Did you tap on it?"  Usually they respond, "I always forget."

Initially, in my practice I found that very few clients were doing the homework we had agreed upon.  As I started to investigate this, generally the response was as simple as, "I forgot."  In response to this, I started to not only give homework, but also give the time they should be doing the homework (e.g. sitting in the car before walking in to work, right before bed, while taking a morning walk).

Basically we were creating an EFT routine.  Here is an example of a routine for one of my clients "Elaine.”  Elaine works for an agency that places and supports children in the foster care system.  It is a job that can be emotional at times because of the nature of their clients.  It is stressful because they are trying to do so much with limited resources.  Because of this Elaine was taking quite a bit of anxiousness home from work.

The routine we created was very simple.  Each day before she left work she would make a stop in the restroom.  She would go into one of the stalls and do EFT for five to ten minutes.  She would address any emotions she had at that moment, as well as take a quick review of the day to see if there was anything she needed to clean up.  Then, symbolically, she would flush the toilet to show her self that she had gotten rid of all the crap she was carrying around.

We very intentionally chose her workplace as the place she was going to do the work.  Her concern was that she was bringing the emotion from work home with her.  We very easily could have had her waited until she got home before she did the work.  There are two problems with this.  First, by waiting until she got home she was bringing the emotion home (which is what we were trying to fix).  Second, it was very easy to get distracted when she got home.  There was the dog to take care of, her husband to greet and spend time with as well as fixing dinner.  It would be very easy to get distracted with all that was happening at home and not get to the EFT work she needed to do.

By having her do the EFT at her workplace we were able to take care of both of these problems.  First, doing the EFT at work, all of the emotion associated with the job was not leaving work.  Second, by making it part of her exit routine from the office there was no way she was going to get distracted from the doing EFT.  It simply became one more step to getting out the door, like turning off her computer, packing her bag, and turning on the voicemail.

Here are a few things to consider when creating an EFT routine.

1. Do it at the same time everyday.  There are going to be moments when we need to do EFT right now, but for the most part we are able to deal with most things with some time set aside for work.  Look at how well we brush our teeth.  Every night before we go to bed, the last thing we all do is brush our teeth.  I know I don't think why I am doing it; it is just part of the routine.  It is much easier to do any sort of maintenance for our health when it is done at a regular time.  This is true for brushing our teeth, going to the gym, or doing EFT.

2. Do it in the same place every time.  Now this might be impossible, but I have found it is very helpful to have a consistent location.  I have a special chair in which I do all of my prayer, meditation, and EFT.  I only use the chair for these activities.  Because I have set space aside for these activities, the moment I start moving towards it, my body, mind, and spirit know what is coming and I immediately start to feel relaxed.

You don't have to have a special place in which the only thing you do there is EFT, but by having a consistent location (in bed, the kitchen table, the porch swing) you are more likely to do it.  Also, it is important to pick a place where you are not going to be distracted.  In the living room, while the kids are watching TV might not be the best choice.

3. Have a game plan when you sit down.  I have found it helpful to have a plan when I sit down to do EFT.  For me it looks something like this.  First, I scan my body for any aches and pains and do work on them first.  Second, I review my day to see what residual emotions are kicking around.  Third, I think about what is happening tomorrow.  I see if I am worried about what is to come and then do one round of future tapping.  Fourth, I do work on whatever pressing issue there is in my life (e.g. a new job, relationship with someone).  There is usually some area of my life that needs work, but isn't going to happen in just one session.  Finally, I do a round of thanksgiving tapping.

This is a routine that might be more involved than what is right for you, but having a game plan is helpful to make sure you make good use of your time.  Also, this is not set in stone.  If I find there is something else I need to do with my time, I can do it, but it is a good starting point.

4) Don't get too ambitious when creating a routine.  When you are creating a routine, start small.  The quickest way to stop doing a routine is to fail at doing the routine.  When you are first creating a your routine, make it as simple at just working on your aches and pains while you are lying in bed right before you fall asleep.  After you have done this for a week or two, add another component to your routine.

Gene Monterastelli