thrive and awakenTapping for Thriving on Guilt
Distressing Emotions are Signs of Survival Mode
Guilt is an emotion to alert you that you’ve engaged in a behavior not consistent with your values. Guilt is an important emotion for a SHORT period of time.
Once you recognize the behavior that you are guilty about, you are ready to let it go. It is not healthy to hold onto to the guilt as a way of punishing yourself or preventing the behavior from reoccurring.
Instead of self-punishment, it is suggested you take time to Ground & Breathe, then come into Compassionate Curiosity and Complete Acceptance as you explore the triggers of guilt. Frequently those triggers may need to be your target for tapping rather than the guilt.
Also, have a plan as to how you are going to prevent the behavior from reoccurring. Once you do these, you are ready to let go of the guilt. It no longer serves you!
Here are just a few examples of guilt:
- You said something mean to someone you care about
- Lusty feelings for sex, food, excitement etc.
- Avoiding exercise
- Over-eating/drinking
- Forgot to return an important email/text
- Trouble changing habits
- Lied to someone
- Betrayed a friend
Preparing for the Tapping
It is best to take the Clearing Reactivity course to be fully prepared to release reactivities. Then watch the Tapping for Thriving Introduction & Demonstration videos to understand the nature of this clearing tool.
The Guidelines for Brief Tapping provide an overview of how to clear reactivity using tapping. Reframing is one of the steps in the clearing but is not used in the demonstration because it is an advanced technique which can be integrated once you’ve watched that tool.
Click here for a sample script you can use for tapping. It is suggested you change the words to suit your specific situation.
Tune into the situation you want to work on, either one of the above or you own. If you are new to tapping, pick a topic where your distress rating is between 1-5. Tapping is more effective when you pick ONE specific and detailed situation.
As you watch the video, feel free to change the words I use so they have specific meaning for you. When ready, start the video and follow along with me.
Watch the video by choosing one of these options:
Reviewing the Tapping
If you had some reduction in your distress rating, it is a good idea to jump back in and either repeat the video starting with the tapping portion or just do on your own. It can take several rounds to have the distress subside.
If your distress stayed the same or even went up, know it is common because you are activating different depths of it. In this situation use Compassionate Curiosity and ask yourself what reasons your body may want to hold on to the guilt.
What role does the guilt have that you may be reluctant to release?
What would life be like without the guilt?
These types of questions help you look at reasons your body isn’t ready to let go of the guilt. You will be well served to explore those in depth and develop a plan to address that reluctance before you resume the tapping. The plan is usually oriented around how you will stay safe when you release the distress. It is also OK to tap on the reluctance or apprehension you discover.
Additional Steps to Enhance Tapping Include:
- Consider doing the tapping using all the points in the Extended Tapping for Thriving.
- It may be helpful to do the Daily Energy Balancing both before and after the tapping. This helps align the life force energies with your intention.
- You can also tune into the emotion you are wanting to release while you are doing the Daily Energy Balancing. Then do the tapping.
- Pick a different scenario or a more specific version.
- Target an event that may have been the origin of the reactivity.
- Focus on one aspect of the distress that is most disturbing.
- Reframing the situation can be very powerful in releasing emotions.
- Of course, taking a break and returning to it later can be helpful in letting your body digest the work you’ve done.
It is common to repeat the tapping as often as necessary. Remember your body is wired to go into Survival Mode, so it can take time to convert to Thriving Mode. Sometimes it is helpful to have support from a friend or even a therapist/coach if the process is too intense, or you may just want a companion on the journey.
Daily Tapping clears the Survival Mode reactivity and firmly roots you in Thriving and Awakening!
Other applications of Tapping for Thriving
You’ll find the Tapping for Thriving tool applied to the following Survival Mode emotions. Feel free to tap along as a way of developing your comfort with the tool. There are sample scripts for each emotion you are welcome to use or modify to suit your needs.
