How to reprogram a limiting belief with EFT Tapping (Part 1)
Do you ever hear that little voice in your head listing all the reasons you can’t, you shouldn’t, you don’t have what it takes, or aren’t good enough to pursue your dreams?
These fear-based voices, also known as limiting beliefs, are incredibly sneaky. They often operate in the background of our subconscious minds, leaving us unaware of their influence. They quietly sabotage our efforts, undermining our confidence. Sometimes, we don’t even recognize their presence, while other times, their loudness and seeming truthfulness paralyze us into inaction. Why bother chasing our dreams when that voice insists we're not good enough, right?
Well, wrong. But trust me, I understand how you feel.
One of my most persistent beliefs about myself has been "I’m not good enough." It has plagued me across nearly all aspects of my life. It has manifested in my past romantic relationships where I hesitated to express my needs or feelings, fearing it would only push the person away. This belief was so ingrained that even in relationships I didn’t truly want, I would push down and ignore any conflicting feelings because I felt lucky enough just to be chosen by someone. I still feel a bit sad for that girl and what she allowed because she believed she wasn’t good enough.
This belief also held me back from pursuing my business for literal YEARS. Occasionally I would feel enough courage to begin taking tentative steps towards this goal of having a business. Only to end up self-sabotaging my efforts and retreating because that “not enough” voice grew too loud.
Now, as a practitioner, helping clients address their limiting beliefs using EFT is one of my favourite things. That being said, its important to understand that the goal isn’t to erase them but to recognize and rewrite them. Despite years of work on my "not enoughness," moments still arise when it knocks me off balance. Yet, my relationship with that voice has changed. I've learned to see it as a fear-based program of the past. It no longer has the power to dictate my actions or cause me to give up on my goals.
So, how can you begin to reclaim control with tapping?
I’m glad you asked! First, let’s explore the role of the nervous system and understand what exactly a limiting belief is from a neuroscience perspective. In part two, coming next week, I'll share the steps I’ve followed and continue to use, which have also guided my clients in addressing their own limiting beliefs.
The Nervous System:
First, I think it's very important to understand that the state of the nervous system will influence the thoughts you think, the actions you take, and the very reality you are perceiving. For example, when the nervous system enters a state of sympathetic activation, or fight-or-flight mode, you will often experience more symptoms of anxiety. In this state, you might notice the following:
you tend to leave or avoid situations or tasks that feel challenging or threatening
have persistent feelings of unease, worry, or overwhelm, often making it difficult to concentrate or rest
even small choices feel ‘life or death’
heightened feelings of urgency or fear of failure make it difficult to make decisions
Increase in perfectionism or procrastination
These reactions are not flaws, but responses to a nervous system that is trying to ensure your survival. When we understand these behaviours or feelings from this point of view, we can start to hold compassion for the nervous system and ourselves. Of course its trying to get us to avoid taking action on a goal with an unknown outcome. That seems threatening to an already overwhelmed system, a system that is doing its best to keep you safe. This is why I think its so important to understand how the nervous system works, and be able to map the different states of the nervous system in your own body (because we all experience it differently). This should be everyone’s first step in a healing journey.
What is a Limiting Belief?
My mentor described this to me in a way that will forever be the way I explain it to others. A belief is just a generalization your brain made based on its past lived experiences. For instance, a breakup might lead to the belief that "I am unlovable," or “everyone leaves eventually”. Or a failed business might foster the belief "I am a failure." Once formed, the brain seeks evidence to validate these beliefs through something called the Reticular Activating System (RAS for short). The role of the RAS is to filter information coming from your external and internal environment and only let ‘relevant’ information through to the conscious mind. But how does it determine what information is relevant? It does this by using the beliefs you already have programmed into the subconscious mind. So yes, you are reading this right. It is actually seeking out information and proof to confirm your existing beliefs. The RAS has no ability to tell what information is “good” or “bad”. Whether or not the information it's looking for is helpful or harmful. It simply recognizes what you have programmed it with and acts accordingly. This confirmation bias only works to strengthen the neural pathways associated with these beliefs over time. The more practiced and reinforced the neural pathway becomes, the more likely the brain is to default to it. The brain likes to be efficient, what can I say. This is why sometimes, in a healing journey, it can feel like 2 steps forward and 1 step back. You might feel you’ve moved past a belief only to find it come roaring back to life during a period of stress or doubt. The brain is defaulting to its most practiced thought pattern, belief, or behaviour.
The good news is, just as these beliefs were formed, they can be reshaped through intentional experiences and tapping.
In part two, we’ll explore how tapping can help dismantle these beliefs and create new, empowering neural pathways. With the power of neuroplasticity, we can rewrite our beliefs and pave the way for a more fulfilling life.
Let me know your thoughts on this! Do you have a limiting belief you are trying to work on changing?
