Tapping as a Regulation Tool

As a parent and/or teacher, one great challenge is helping kids stay regulated when we are not regulated ourselves. At InMind, we advocate for supporting those who support children, because we know that it is not easy to remain regulated in those stressful situations - and even as adults, we need consistent reminders and support to use the tools in our toolkits to maintain our own regulation. That is the first step towards teaching kids and students how to do the same. 

One tool we love to recommend for adults seeking regulation support is tapping. 

Emotional Freedom Techniques, referred to as ‘tapping,’ can help to reduce stress and anxiety, regulate the nervous system, and assist in regaining or maintaining regulation. While there are numerous ways to use tapping as a method for regulation, a guided tapping meditation is a great way to get started! We highly recommend Julie Schiffman; she offers short guided tapping videos on youtube, many of which have a specific focus, allowing you to dig into the root cause of your dysregulation, and ultimately (over time) uncover and resolve those feelings of stress. Check out Julie’s Youtube channel to try out your first (or next!) tapping meditation: https://www.youtube.com/user/Julieschiffman.

We love tapping as a tool for regulation because it is relatively quick, it can be done anywhere at any time, and it often works quickly to calm the nervous system. And, while it is often used to help with anxiety & panic attacks, PTSD, depression, etc., it can also be used to simply calm a stressed nervous system in any setting. 

And, if it works for you as an adult, it could be a great tool to try in small chunks with the kids in your lives! We always advocate for sharing the tools that work for us, so that kids can build their toolbox of regulation skills as early as possible. With consistent practice, we have the opportunity to help our kids & students to build up those skills early, so they become second nature. 

Try out a tapping meditation with Julie Schiffman, and let us know what you think! We invite you to explore her website to learn more about the benefits of tapping.