While tapping the Side of Hand point you say a ‘Setup Statement’ which focuses your mind on the issue you want to work on.
The basic form of a Setup Statement is:
“Even though____________________, I completely accept myself.”
Insert a description of the issue or feeling you want to address (see table in next section for examples).
Use words that you would use every day, not the ‘official’ or ‘clean’ words you think you should use. For example, don’t say “gastrointestinal pain” if what you would usually say is “gut ache”.
You don’t have to be grammatical, or even use proper words for how you feel. For example, you can say “Even though I have this eugh feeling…” Your mind will know exactly what it means!
You don’t have to say “I completely accept myself” if that feels uncomfortable or false. Pick alternative words that you feel happy to say e.g. “I’m a good person” or “I’m an OK bloke” or simply “I’m OK”.
Ideally, the Setup Statement should be spoken out loud, but whispering it or saying it in your head are often effective too.
Is the Setup Statement ‘Negative’?
Many newcomers worry that the Setup Statement involves focusing on the negative, which seems to contradict everything they have learned about self-development work. There are three reasons not to worry about this:
- EFT doesn’t involve just saying the Setup Statement. It involves tapping as well, which disrupts or ‘undoes’ the negative feeling.
- Tuning into the negative feeling before and during tapping is an essential part of the EFT method.
- If EFT was really ‘reinforcing the negative’ then EFT would not have the positive effects that it does.