In recent years, conversations around mental health have become increasingly visible - and with that, a growing interest in simple, accessible tools that support emotional wellbeing.
EFT tapping on This Morning brought this gentle technique into the mainstream when hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby explored tapping (referred to in the segment as “rapid tapping”) as a self-help approach for reducing stress and anxiety.
Joining them was tapping practitioner and author Poppy Delbridge, who shared how tapping on specific points on the body can help calm the nervous system and bring emotional relief in just a few minutes.
Yeah, it sounds a bit funny because you are tapping on your face… but it’s really a solution for stress and anxiety, and it makes you feel better. - Poppy Delbridge
What is EFT tapping?
During the segment, Poppy explained that tapping may look unusual at first — often involving gentle tapping on the face and upper body - but its effects are grounded in how the nervous system responds to stress.
Tapping works by stimulating acupressure points while bringing awareness to thoughts, emotions, or sensations. This combination can help settle the body’s stress response and restore a sense of balance.
As Poppy explained on the show, tapping is:
- Self-applied - no practitioner needed in the moment
- Quick - often just one to five minutes
- Accessible - can be used anywhere, at any time
Why has tapping become so popular?
The presenters noted that EFT tapping has been embraced by a wide range of people, including public figures, partly because it’s simple and practical - especially for those who struggle with meditation or traditional relaxation techniques.
Poppy shared that many people turn to tapping when they feel overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally overloaded, moments when the body needs support now, not later.
Unlike longer therapeutic sessions, tapping can be used as a short, in-the-moment tool to help the nervous system settle.
Is there science behind tapping?
A key part of the conversation focused on the amygdala, the part of the brain involved in the stress response.
When stress is high, the nervous system can remain in a heightened state of alert. Tapping, combined with spoken phrases or internal focus, can help signal safety to the body and reduce that activation.
While the language used on daytime TV is necessarily simplified, the core message was clear: tapping supports nervous-system regulation, which is why many people experience relief quickly.
Can you tap too much?
One question raised was whether tapping could become excessive or unhelpful.
Poppy’s response was reassuring: tapping is considered a safe, self-regulating practice. The act of tapping itself supports calm rather than overstimulation, making it suitable for regular use.
She also highlighted its suitability for children, who may find tapping easier to engage with than stillness-based practices like meditation or breathwork.
A simple example from the show
During the segment, viewers were guided through a very brief example of tapping using simple phrases such as:
- acknowledging stress
- recognising feeling human
- opening to the possibility of feeling a little better
This reflects a key principle of EFT: meeting yourself where you are, rather than forcing positivity.
Why this matters
Seeing EFT tapping discussed on a mainstream programme like This Morning helps normalise nervous-system-based tools and shows that emotional support doesn’t always need to be complicated or time-consuming.
While TV demonstrations are necessarily brief, they can open the door to deeper, more supportive practices - especially when approached gently and with proper guidance.
If you’re curious about tapping, it’s worth exploring it in a calm, trauma-aware way, at your own pace.
EFT isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about giving your nervous system the support it needs to settle, reconnect, and feel safer in the present moment.
For readers who’d like to see the full conversation from ITV’s This Morning, a transcript is included for reference.
Click here to view >
Phillip
In a climate where poor mental health has reached an all-time high, many of us are turning to holistic approaches to help.
Holly
One technique used by the likes of Laura Whitmore and Fern Cotton is rapid tapping. It's the idea that by tapping certain pressure points on your body, you can help reduce anxiety and stress within minutes.
Phillip
To explain more, we're joined by tapping experts, Popy Delbridge. Morning, Popy.
Holly
Hi, Poppy.
Phillip
Nice to see you. Hi, Popy. You've got a book out at the moment, which is tapping in. Manifest That's the life you want with the transformative power of tapping. That's what it looks like. So this is something that started in America, isn't it?
Poppy
Yeah. So in 1980, via a psychologist who found that it worked really well and really quickly.
Phillip
So what is it?
Poppy
Yeah, it sounds a bit funny because you are tapping on your face, mainly. And it's really a solution for stress and anxiety, and it makes you feel better. It balances your nervous system, so it's evidence-based.
Holly
And that's the thing, the reason why it's become so popular, and increasingly so, is because it works.
Poppy
It works, yeah, and very quickly, hence rapid tapping.
Phillip
So do you tap yourself, or do you have to have an expert to tap you?
Poppy
Yes. Well, I'm a practitioner as well, but I'm a real advocate of we're just very busy and there's a lot going on. So rapid tapping is about self-tapping. So you're tapping yourself quickly, just a couple of minutes, just whenever you feel that you need a boost in your mood.
Holly
And So you can use it any time of day. It's not something that if you did before sleep, it would keep you awake. It's just when and if the need or the urge comes.
Poppy
Yeah. It's if you feel like SOS, I need to feel better fast, or you can use it to just boost your mood. And you can... I mean, I'm really into it, so I do it a lot now to create goals and all sorts of things with it.
Phillip
So is there a science behind it?
Poppy
There is, yes. So there is a part of our brain called the amygdala. That's responsible for our stress response. So when that activated, we get a bit stressed. We get a bit like, you feel it. And when you tap on these points and say some stuff, which sounds pretty unrealistic at first, when you actually do it, you go, oh, wow. And the science is that it basically brings your nervous system back to balance.
Holly
And is that because it's like a distraction, or is it because it's actually tapping into something? Because tapping technique is clinically proven to reduce anxiety by 40% in a matter of minutes. We know that anxiety is such a A huge global problem. So by reducing that by... That's massive.
Poppy
It's massive. And I think because it's so evidence-based, why not try it? I mean, times like this, you feel like you need some tools. You can do stuff with your fingers. It's free.
Phillip
Well, in the past, it would take an hour, 90 minutes with an expert. You can do this now, one minute, two minutes, five minutes. And do you say that it's life-changing?
Poppy
I do, for sure. And everyone I've tapped with has said, Wow, what is this miracle? I mean, we're not taught this stuff. And even though it's been through rigorous clinical trials, we're not really taught techniques that we can use. So I get a lot of people who can't meditate or they're just really anxious and stressed. And when you are in that position, you just need to do something. And I think sometimes that distraction, that focus, allows you to just be in yourself and connect. So there's loads of benefits to it.
Phillip
Sorry, Hall. Is there a A possibility that it might become a bit of an obsession that you end up being a tapping obsessive. Obsessed tapper?
Poppy
Yeah. I hope so, because you can't tap too much. You can't over tap. It's very safe because the very act of doing it is tapping on these points and reducing your stress. So it's not going to do anything other than help you feel calm and happy.
Holly
It's quite a good one to do with children, I imagine, because meditation is quite a hard concept for a child to understand or breathing, but this is quite simple. You can tap on them or teach them how to do it.
Poppy
Yes. And I've done it with my son, and loads of people have used it with their children. And as long as you know the ropes, which I tried to explain in the book, things to say, how to use the points, then you can really take it and run with it and just use it as your own a bit and with your kids.
Holly
Should we look at some now? Yeah. Come on, then. Show us how to do it.
Poppy
Okay. So where did you begin? So it's all on face. It's good for your skin. Boosts collagen as well. So that's a little bonus on the side. So it works quite nicely if you Maybe start like this and everyone do it along and maybe say something. So for example, something you want, like an affirmation you'd like.
Phillip
Do you have to say it out loud or can it be in your head?
Poppy
You can say in your head. It's better if you say it out loud because you're working with your system, and your system knows your voice. So I like to say it out loud, may as well. So if we said, for example, Today is a good day.
Holly
Today is a good day.
Poppy
When you wake up, you might not think that, because you might be like, I'm tired.
Phillip
Got loads to do. So do you do that in bed then?
Poppy
So you could do it in bed, do it when you get up. So you'd say it, then you'd score it. So very quickly, how much out of 100 do I believe that as truth?
Holly
Okay.
Poppy
So you might be 20 %. That's fine. The aim is that it will go up because you're shifting your energy into something more Positive, being grateful for your day, but also validating how you actually feel. So when you say it, you move out to these sore spots so they feel a bit tender, self-massage. Got them?
Phillip
Yeah, it was chest day on Friday, so you could feel it.
Poppy
Okay, yeah. It's a push. And then you say what you might be feeling. So let's say lots of people out there might be feeling stressed and anxious. So we say it. I feel a bit stressed.
Holly
I feel a bit stressed.
Poppy
And then we give a reason to it. So because I've got a lot on.
Holly
Because I've got a lot on.
Poppy
And the world's in chaos.
Holly
And the world's in chaos.
Phillip
And when do we start tapping?
Poppy
In a minute. So you do this first. We've only got about a minute. Well, that's good.
Phillip
We'll start now. So I don't want to rush it. I don't want to miss anything out because I'm desperate to know how you do it.
Poppy
It's super simple. So we just say, It is possible for me to feel good today.
Holly
It is possible for me to feel good today.
Poppy
And then we tap. Right. So this is starting here. Starting here. So I feel a bit stressed.
Phillip
Yeah, you look stressed.
Poppy
That's okay. I'm human. That's okay.
Holly
I'm human.
Poppy
But it's possible for me to feel better.
Holly
To feel better.
Poppy
And calm down. And calm down. And start again.
Phillip
Oh, okay. And you start there and then you do the whole thing.
Poppy
Take some breaths. Hold again and then just repeat it.
Holly
So you're working around your eyes. But obviously, we're doing this affirmation for stress, but this could be, I'm feeling nervous about doing this performance today, or whatever it is, whatever. I feel nervous about my first day at work, or I feel anxious for my children. So you can say your own things.
Poppy
It's bespoke to you. Say your own things. You've got it.
Phillip
You manifested your own boyfriend, didn't you? Did you?
Poppy
Yeah, I did love tapping for that. It's all about what is it that you believe inside you that isn't helping you. So you can use your tapping to get into a good state of mind. And it's all about feeling good. Then you go out and actually find people and you have more confidence.
Holly
Well done. What we've just shown you there is a very basic version of what's in this book, and it goes a lot more into that. But that's it. Tapping in. Manifest the life you want with the transformative power of tapping.
Poppy
Thank you. Thank you very much.
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