Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Practices for Chronic Illness
Living with a chronic illness is often an invisible battle, encompassing not only physical symptoms but also emotional and psychological stress. For many, this ongoing struggle can trigger or amplify trauma responses—heightened anxiety, hypervigilance, or a sense of helplessness. Traditional approaches to mindfulness can be incredibly beneficial, but for individuals with a history of trauma, standard mindfulness exercises may sometimes feel overwhelming or even retraumatizing. This is where trauma-informed mindfulness comes into play.
Understanding Trauma-Informed Mindfulness
Trauma-informed mindfulness acknowledges that past traumatic experiences can shape the way we perceive our bodies, our safety, and our ability to cope. Instead of pushing for deep relaxation or intense self-awareness—which might trigger flashbacks or anxiety—this approach emphasizes safety, choice, and self-compassion. It provides a supportive framework for individuals with chronic illness to engage with mindfulness in ways that feel manageable and empowering.
1. Grounding Practices for Safety and Stability
Grounding exercises help anchor the mind in the present moment, reducing dissociation and panic. For someone living with chronic illness, these techniques can also bring a sense of control amidst unpredictable symptoms. Simple grounding methods include:
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5-4-3-2-1 Senses Exercise: Identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This exercise draws attention outward, gently guiding the mind away from internal distress.
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Physical Anchors: Holding a comforting object, placing hands on the body, or pressing feet into the floor can create a tangible sense of connection to the present moment.
2. Gentle, Body-Respecting Mindfulness
Chronic illness often comes with pain, fatigue, or limited mobility. Trauma-informed mindfulness encourages a gentle, exploratory approach to body awareness rather than forcing attention or seeking “perfect” relaxation. Practices might include:
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Body Scan with Choice: Instead of scanning every part of the body systematically, allow yourself to notice areas of comfort first. Skip or briefly acknowledge areas of pain without judgment.
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Mindful Breathing with Micro-Pauses: Take small, manageable breaths, noticing the rhythm without pressure. If a deep breath feels triggering, simply observe the rise and fall of the chest or shoulders.
3. Emotion-Focused Mindfulness
Chronic illness often brings complex emotions—grief, frustration, anger, and fear. Trauma-informed mindfulness invites acknowledgment without judgment. Some strategies include:
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Name and Note Emotions: Quietly labeling feelings (“I notice anxiety”) can create distance and reduce overwhelm.
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Compassionate Self-Talk: Speak to yourself as you would to a friend. Validate the difficulty of chronic illness and trauma without rushing to “fix” the experience.
4. Creating a Safe Mindfulness Environment
Safety is paramount. Choose a space where you feel comfortable, and consider:
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Time Limits: Short, manageable sessions (1–5 minutes) can prevent overwhelm.
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Supportive Tools: Soft music, weighted blankets, or guided mindfulness recordings designed for trauma survivors can enhance comfort.
5. Integrating Mindfulness into Daily Life
Trauma-informed mindfulness is not about achieving a “blank mind” or perfect stillness. It’s about integrating mindful awareness into daily routines, making life with chronic illness more navigable. Practices such as mindful walking around the home, savoring a cup of tea, or noticing natural light can cultivate small but meaningful moments of presence and ease.
Final Thoughts
Living with chronic illness can intensify stress and trauma responses, but mindfulness—when approached with care and trauma-awareness—offers a powerful tool for self-regulation, resilience, and compassion. By emphasizing safety, choice, and gentle exploration, trauma-informed mindfulness allows individuals to connect with their bodies and minds in ways that nurture healing, rather than exacerbate distress.
Mindfulness for Sleep: Simple Techniques for Restful Nights
Struggling to get a good night’s sleep is a common challenge, especially for people living with chronic illness, stress, or anxiety. Poor sleep affects mood, energy, and overall health, making it even harder to manage daily responsibilities. Mindfulness for sleep offers practical strategies to calm the mind, relax the body, and prepare for restorative rest. By incorporating simple mindfulness techniques into your bedtime routine, you can improve both the quality and duration of your sleep.
Why Sleep Can Be Difficult
Many factors can disrupt sleep: racing thoughts, physical discomfort, chronic pain, or stress about the next day. When your mind remains active at night, it triggers the body’s stress response, making it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. Mindfulness practices help break this cycle by encouraging awareness of the present moment and letting go of worries that keep your brain “on alert.”
1. Practice a Body Scan
A body scan is a foundational mindfulness technique for sleep. Start by lying comfortably in bed and slowly bring your attention to different parts of your body, from head to toe. Notice areas of tension, discomfort, or warmth without judgment, and imagine them softening with each exhale. This practice not only relaxes your muscles but also shifts focus away from racing thoughts.
2. Focus on Your Breath
Breathing exercises are a simple and powerful tool to prepare your mind and body for sleep. Try deep belly breathing: inhale slowly through your nose for four counts, hold for two, and exhale gently through your mouth for six counts. Repeat this cycle several times. Concentrating on your breath encourages the parasympathetic nervous system to activate, signaling your body that it’s time to rest.
3. Use Guided Sleep Meditation
Guided sleep meditations can be especially helpful for those who struggle with a busy mind. These recordings typically combine soothing voice instructions with calming music or natural sounds. By following along, you can gently release tension, reduce anxiety, and create a consistent bedtime ritual that signals your brain it’s time to wind down.
4. Incorporate Mindful Journaling
Sometimes thoughts racing at night keep sleep out of reach. A brief mindful journaling session before bed allows you to release worries or to-do lists onto paper, rather than carrying them into sleep. Focus on writing without judgment—simply note thoughts, feelings, or gratitude reflections. This practice creates mental space for relaxation and reduces rumination.
5. Create a Consistent Sleep Routine
Mindfulness for sleep works best when paired with regular sleep habits. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, limiting screen time before bed, and creating a calm, dimly lit environment all support the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Mindfulness techniques can then enhance these habits by helping your mind and body relax more fully.
Final Thoughts
Restful sleep is essential for emotional well-being, physical health, and managing chronic conditions. Incorporating mindfulness for sleep—through body scans, breathwork, guided meditations, and journaling—can help you overcome insomnia and wake feeling more refreshed. Small, consistent practices each night can make a big difference in improving sleep quality and overall quality of life.
Living with Chronic Illness: How a Therapist Can Help
Living with chronic illness affects more than just the body—it impacts emotions, relationships, and daily life. While medical treatment is essential, therapy offers an equally important layer of support for those living with chronic illness. Working with a therapist can help you process emotions, reduce stress, and discover tools to navigate the challenges of long-term health conditions.
The Emotional Impact of Chronic Illness
Receiving a diagnosis or coping with ongoing symptoms can bring a flood of emotions—fear, sadness, anger, or even grief for the life you once knew. These feelings are normal but can become overwhelming if left unaddressed. Therapy provides a safe space to explore and process these emotions, making it easier to find acceptance and balance as you adjust to your new reality.
Reducing Stress and Anxiety
Chronic illness often comes with uncertainty—about flare-ups, treatment side effects, or the future. This uncertainty can fuel stress and anxiety, which in turn may worsen physical symptoms. Therapists trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, or relaxation techniques can teach practical strategies to quiet anxious thoughts, lower stress levels, and create a greater sense of calm in daily life.
Coping with Daily Changes and Limitations
Living with chronic illness frequently requires changes to routines, work responsibilities, and social activities. These adjustments can feel frustrating or isolating. Therapy can help you identify practical coping strategies for managing these shifts while also addressing the emotional weight of feeling limited. A therapist can work with you to create realistic goals and explore new ways to stay connected with the activities and people that matter most.
Strengthening Relationships and Communication
Chronic illness doesn’t just affect the person diagnosed—it also impacts their loved ones. Family and friends may struggle to understand the challenges you face, which can lead to tension or feelings of isolation. Therapy supports better communication, helping you clearly express your needs, set boundaries, and strengthen your support system. Couples or family counseling may also be helpful for fostering empathy and teamwork in navigating illness together.
Building Resilience and Hope
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of therapy is the ability to build resilience in the face of ongoing health challenges. A therapist can help you recognize your strengths, develop self-compassion, and focus on what you can control. By reconnecting with meaning and hope, therapy supports a mindset that allows you not just to survive with chronic illness, but to continue living a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Final Thoughts: Therapy as a Partner in Healing
Medical care addresses the body, but therapy supports the whole person living with chronic illness. From processing emotions to improving relationships and building resilience, a therapist can be a powerful partner in your healing journey. If you or someone you love is living with a chronic condition, therapy can provide the guidance, support, and encouragement needed to navigate life with greater balance and strength.
Meditation and gut health. What doo doo you know?
The open access journal General Psychiatry published a study, Alteration of fecal microbiota balance related to long-term deep meditation. Ying Sun and colleagues examined the feces of long-term, deep meditating monks and compared it to their lay neighbors to determine the link between meditation and gut health. They found the monks had a significantly higher levels of important gut bacteria that are linked to emotional wellbeing. The findings suggest that meditation improves GI health.
The theory
The researchers caught scent of the fact that meditation leads to a plethora of benefits. It can help address issues like depression and anxiety. They also knew that the gut-brain axis, through gut microbiota, holds a key to emotional wellbeing. They wondered if the gut microbiome of long-term deep meditators – in this case, Tibetan Buddhist monks – would be significantly different in beneficial gut bacteria compared to their lay neighbors. So, they set out to examine two sets of number two to see what the differences were.
The study setup
Researchers collected 128 stool samples but excluded those of people who were taking antibiotics or consuming yogurt (because of pre and probiotic qualities) and eliminated a few poor-quality samples. They were left with 56 samples.
There were not many laypeople in the area, so the sample was skewed toward monks, with 19 laypeople and 37 monks. The monks in the study practiced meditation for two hours a day, from three to 30 years. All participants matched for age, and all were men.
The diet of laypeople and monks was essentially the same. Are you curious about the diet of Buddhist monks? I was! Apparently, they eat barley, rice, and steamed bread and noodles. This staple is supplemented with vegetables, meat, and butter tea (I had to look that up – here it is).
In addition to stool samples, researchers took blood samples. Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine analyzed the gut microbiota using rRNA sequencing. Charts within the report show the spectrum of bacteria found.
Here’s the scoop:
The intestinal microbiota of the meditation group differed significantly from the control group. The monks had more of bacteria that, according to other studies, mediate mental illness. These include:
- Prevotella, which is more abundant in healthy controls than in people with depression; moreover, children with autism have low levels of it.
- Bacteroides, which impacts the brain reward response and reduces binge eating and anxiety.
- Megamonas, linked to many psychocognitive factors.
- Faecalibacterium; people with anxiety have lower levels of it than healthy controls.
In addition, monks had more glycans, which reduce intestinal inflammation.
Moreover, the blood draws showed that the monks had lower levels of cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, putting them at lower risk for cardiovascular disease and improving immune function.
That definitely doesn’t stink.
We have known for years that meditation leads to improved mental health. The present study examines a potential causal pathway. The gut microbiome of long-term, deep meditating monks contained more of the bacteria that correlate with better mental health.
Now that gives us something to meditate on!
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Author: Sarah Murphy, LPC, NCC, is a licensed and nationally certified professional counselor. She specializes in energy psychology, including EFT, as well as mindfulness and meditation. Sarah works with individuals seeking to find peace within themselves, people who have serious medical diagnoses, and couples who want to resolve conflict and live in harmony. Sarah is an ACEP Board member and chair of its communications committee; she has a private practice and serves as staff therapist with Unite for HER.
5 Ways Therapy Can Support Someone with a Chronic Illness
Living with a chronic illness can impact every area of life—your physical health, relationships, work, and emotional well-being. Many people focus primarily on medical treatment, but therapy can play an equally important role in supporting someone with a chronic illness. By addressing the mental and emotional challenges that accompany long-term health conditions, therapy provides tools for resilience, self-compassion, and improved quality of life.
1. Managing the Emotional Impact of Diagnosis
A new or ongoing diagnosis often brings waves of emotions—fear, anger, sadness, or even guilt. Therapy provides a safe space to process these feelings without judgment. A therapist can help you make sense of your emotional reactions, normalize what you’re experiencing, and develop healthier ways to cope with the uncertainty that comes with chronic illness.
2. Reducing Stress and Anxiety
Chronic illness frequently creates stress—about symptoms, medical bills, or changes in lifestyle. Stress can worsen physical symptoms, creating a cycle that feels hard to break. Therapy, especially approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or mindfulness-based techniques, helps you identify triggers, reduce anxious thoughts, and create calming strategies tailored to your specific needs.
3. Coping with Lifestyle Changes
Chronic illness often requires big shifts in daily life—whether it’s adjusting to physical limitations, new routines, or dependence on medications. These changes can feel overwhelming and sometimes isolating. Therapy supports you in finding acceptance while also exploring creative ways to adapt. Together with a therapist, you can build practical coping plans so that illness doesn’t define every part of your identity.
4. Strengthening Relationships and Communication
Loved ones may not always understand what it’s like to live with chronic illness. This can strain relationships or leave you feeling alone. Therapy can help improve communication skills so you can express your needs clearly and set healthy boundaries. For couples or family members, joint sessions may also foster understanding and create a stronger support network around you.
5. Building Hope and Resilience
Perhaps the most powerful role of therapy in chronic illness is helping people reconnect with meaning and hope. While illness may change aspects of your life, it does not take away your worth or your ability to thrive. Therapy encourages resilience by helping you identify strengths, celebrate progress, and cultivate self-compassion. This mindset can make a profound difference in navigating the ongoing journey of living with a chronic condition.
Final Thoughts
Medical treatment addresses the body, but therapy supports the whole person living with chronic illness. From managing emotions to improving relationships and building resilience, therapy offers tools that can ease the mental and emotional burden of long-term health conditions. If you or someone you love is living with a chronic illness, reaching out for therapeutic support can be a powerful step toward greater balance and well-being.
Bringing It All Together: Simple Tools for Calm and Care During Cancer
Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared a series of quick, practical tools to help calm your body, steady your mind, and nurture yourself through the challenges of cancer. These practices don’t take much time or effort — but together, they create a toolkit you can lean on whenever you need it.
A Quick Recap of the Tools
- Heart-based breathing (Quick Coherence): A one-minute reset to sync your heart and mind.
- TFT tapping: A gentle sequence of taps to release emotional stress.
- Grounding tools: Simple ways to bring your attention back to the present when thoughts are racing.
- Self-compassion and micro-rituals: Small daily acts that sustain calm over time.
These tools aren’t another item on your to-do list — they’re small pockets of breathing space in a season that can feel overwhelming. Even using just one regularly can make a meaningful difference.
The Moment That Matters Most
Stress can hit like a wave, sweeping you into your own thoughts and emotions. At first, you might not notice — you’re just along for the ride. Then comes a tiny but powerful moment of awareness: “Wait. I’m stuck in this spiral.”
That moment is your opening. Pause, breathe, and reach for one of your tools. Even sixty seconds of calm can help your body settle and remind you that you have a choice in how you respond.
Making These Tools Part of Your Life
- Start small. Pick one tool that feels easiest or most natural. You don’t need all four.
- Anchor it to your routine. Try a breathing exercise after brushing your teeth, or a round of tapping in the car before treatment.
- Embrace imperfection. Even a few seconds counts. These tools are here to help, not to create more pressure.
You Deserve This Care
Your medical team focuses on treating your body — these tools are for tending to you. Your heart, your nervous system, your sense of well-being all deserve attention. Moments of calm and care are not indulgences; they’re essential.
A Closing Affirmation
May I give myself the care I need, even in the midst of challenge.
Or, as a friend living with metastatic breast cancer once said: “I’m a badass, and I can do hard things.”
This series may be ending, but it’s really just a starting point. Try the practices, notice what helps, and make them your own. Even the smallest act of self-kindness counts — and you are worth every single one. If you’d like to explore these tools further, I invite you to book a session with me.
Sustaining Calm Through Small Daily Rituals
Cancer treatment can feel overwhelming, leaving your body and mind in a constant state of stress. While quick calming techniques are helpful in the moment, sustaining a sense of peace throughout the day requires small, intentional acts of self-care. In this post, we’ll explore ways of sustaining calm through small daily rituals during cancer treatment — from two-minute mindfulness exercises to tiny moments of self-compassion — that can help you stay grounded, calm, and nurtured during every step of your cancer journey. These practices don’t take long, but when repeated consistently, they provide real support for your nervous system, mood, and overall well-being.
So far in this series, we’ve covered quick ways to calm your body and mind — tools you can use anytime stress rises suddenly. But what about the rest of your day? How can you give yourself steady support, not just quick fixes?
That’s where small, repeated acts of self-care make a difference. Think of them as tiny investments in your well-being. They don’t have to be long or complicated — even two minutes of care can set a different tone for your whole day.
Mini Moments of Self-Compassion (~2 minutes)
Self-compassion isn’t about being “soft” or ignoring what’s difficult. It’s simply treating yourself with the same kindness you’d offer a friend. Even a few seconds of gentle attention can help your nervous system relax.
Try this:
- Place a hand over your heart.
- Take one slow breath in and out.
- Silently repeat: “May I be gentle with myself,” or “I’m doing my best.”
This short pause sends a powerful message to your body and mind: I’m on my own side.
Micro-Rituals of Care (~2–3 minutes)
Small, repeated rituals help you feel nurtured and grounded over time. They don’t have to be dramatic — it’s the consistency that matters.
Some ideas:
- A morning cup of tea — not rushed, just savored for two minutes.
- A five-minute journal note — jot down what you’re grateful for or what you’re feeling.
- Music therapy on your own terms — one favorite song while you breathe deeply.
- Step outside for fresh air — even 60 seconds of sunshine can shift your mood.
One of my clients added a two-minute stretching and breathing ritual at the start of every morning. She told me: “It doesn’t sound like much, but it helps me start calm — and it carries through the whole day.”
Why small is enough
You don’t have to overhaul your life to make a difference. In fact, when you’re dealing with cancer treatment, big changes often feel overwhelming. Tiny practices are more realistic, and when repeated, they rewire your nervous system to expect care — not just stress.
Think of them as touchpoints of calm in your day.
When to use these rituals
- As part of a morning or evening routine
- Before or after treatment appointments
- Whenever you notice yourself running on empty
- Anytime you want to gently say, “I matter, too.”
Bringing it all together
Over the past few posts, we’ve explored tools to:
- Calm your body with heart-based breathing
- Release stress with gentle tapping
- Ground your mind with sensory exercises
- Sustain care through small, consistent rituals
You don’t need to do all of these every day. Pick one or two that feel right for you, and let them become your allies during this season.
A closing thought
Even the smallest act of kindness toward yourself counts. Whether it’s one minute of breathing, a single round of tapping, or a daily sip of tea in peace — it all matters.
You are worthy of calm. You are worthy of care. And you don’t have to wait until “after treatment” to start giving yourself both.
In this series we covered various ways to take care of yourself and your emotional wellbeing during cancer treatment: a heart-focused breathing technique, a simple four-part acupoint tapping technique, and two simple grounding techniques, as well as today's focus on rituals of self care. Take care of YOU. Reach out if I can help.
Quick Tapping for Calm: A Simple Tool to Reduce Distress
Living with cancer, chronic illness, or pain can sometimes bring waves of distress that feel overwhelming. One gentle, practical tool you can use anytime is quick tapping for calm. By tapping on just four points, along with the 9-gamut sequence, you can feel better fast. The technique combines light acupressure with focused attention to calm the nervous system and ease emotional intensity.
Step 1: Rate Your Distress
Before you begin, notice your current distress level on a scale from 0 to 10 (0 = no distress, 10 = worst possible).
Step 2: Four-Point Tapping
Using two fingers, tap about 10 times on each point—firm enough to notice but not to hurt:
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Eyebrow corner (right by the bridge of your nose)
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Under the eye (on the bone beneath your eye)
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Under the arm (at the level of the bra strap)
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Under the collarbone (just beneath the collarbone, slightly off center)
Illustration of tapping points.
Step 3: The 9-Gamut Sequence
Next, tap gently on the back of your hand, in the soft spot between the knuckles leading to your pinky and ring fingers. While tapping, do this sequence:
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Close your eyes, then open them.
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Look sharply down to one side, then to the other.
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Roll your eyes in a circle one way, then the other.
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Hum a few seconds of a tune.
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Count to five out loud.
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Hum a tune again.
Step 4: Tap the Four Points Again
Repeat the four-point tapping cycle.
Step 5: Check In
Re-rate your distress on the 0–10 scale. If it hasn’t dropped to a 0 or 1, repeat the sequence until you feel calmer.
This quick tapping routine has helped thousands of people regain their ground after feeling distressed. It was first developed by Roger Callahan as part of his groundbreaking Thought Field Therapy (TFT). Try it out, and let me know how it works for you -- I'd love to hear your comments!
Ground Your Mind When It Won’t Stop Racing
Cancer doesn’t just challenge your body — it can leave your mind spinning, replaying worries and “what ifs” over and over. When thoughts race, it can feel impossible to focus or rest, increasing stress and tension throughout your body and mind. Grounding your mind when it won’t stop racing is a powerful way to interrupt this cycle, helping you reconnect with the present moment, ease anxiety, and restore a sense of calm. In this post, you’ll learn how to ground your mind when it won't stop racing and discover simple, science-backed tools you can use in under five minutes to stop runaway thoughts and feel more centered during your cancer journey.
At first, racing thoughts can feel like being swept up in a runaway train — you’re along for the ride, caught in worries or fears with no way to step off. But eventually comes a small, powerful moment of awareness: “Wait, I’m stuck in this spiral.” Recognizing this moment is key. It’s your chance to press pause, slow your mind, and reach for grounding tools that help you regain focus, calm, and a sense of presence. Even a few minutes of practice can interrupt the cycle of stress and help you feel more in control of your mind and body.
Why grounding works
Stress can push your nervous system into “fight or flight,” which makes thoughts race and the body tense. Grounding interrupts that pattern. By shifting your focus to your body and senses, you remind your brain: I’m here. I’m safe in this moment.
Here are two quick grounding tools I often teach — they take less than five minutes combined.
1. Break the State (~2 minutes)
“Breaking the state” means changing your body position or movement to reset your nervous system. Even tiny physical shifts can interrupt stress signals and give your brain a chance to reset.
Try this right now:
- Stand up if you can.
- Gently shake out your hands.
- Roll your shoulders in a slow circle forward and back.
Pause and notice: Do I feel even a little different? Sometimes these small movements are all you need to shift from tense to centered.
You can also try other approaches – open the door or window and take a breath of fresh air. Wash your hands with cold water or splash cold water on your face. Open a jar of spice that has a nice odor and breathe in. Even something as small as focusing your gaze on something different can be helpful.
2. The 5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Grounding Exercise (~3 minutes)
If your thoughts are still racing, try this classic sensory tool:
- 5 things you can see — look around and name them silently.
- 4 things you can touch — notice textures near you (your chair, clothing, a table).
- 3 things you can hear — tune into background sounds.
- 2 things you can smell — take a slow breath and notice any scent, even faint ones.
- 1 thing you can taste — sip water or notice any taste already in your mouth.
This exercise pulls you out of your head and anchors you in the real, solid world around you.
What people notice
These tools might seem simple — almost too simple — but they can make a real difference. One woman I worked with used them during long nights when her mind wouldn’t stop spinning. She told me: “It didn’t erase the thoughts, but it kept me from feeling lost in them.”
You may feel calmer, less scattered, or simply more aware of your body instead of stuck in your head. Even if the shift feels small, that’s worth building on.
When to use grounding tools
- During sleepless nights
- Before appointments or big conversations
- When you feel “checked out” or disconnected
- Anytime you are feeling anxious and need to calm down
Next up: sustaining calm through daily care
In the next post, we’ll move from quick resets to small daily rituals that help you feel cared for over time. Even just two minutes a day can build resilience and help you start and end your days with more peace.
Until then, remember: being present is powerful. Even brief moments of calm are still moments of calm — and they belong to you.
In this series we cover various ways to take care of yourself and your emotional wellbeing during cancer treatment: a heart-focused breathing technique, a simple four-part acupoint tapping technique, as well as today's grounding techniques. Next up, we focus on rituals of self care. Take care of YOU. Reach out if I can help.
Releasing Emotional Stress with Simple Acupoint Tapping
Facing cancer brings stress from every direction — appointments, side effects, uncertainty, and the daily demands of life. Often, this stress shows up in your body as tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, or a restless mind that won’t let you sleep. Releasing emotional stress with simple acupoint tapping techniques, like this one from Thought Field Therapy (TFT), are simple, science-informed methods that help your nervous system settle and restore calm. In this post, you’ll learn an easy four-point tapping routine that can be done almost anywhere — from the waiting room to your car — to ease tension, release anxiety, and feel more grounded during your cancer journey.
When stress builds in your body rather than your thoughts, it can feel impossible to find relief. That’s where acupressure tapping comes in. TFT involves lightly tapping specific points on your body while focusing on your feelings. These points correspond to your body’s meridian system, similar to acupuncture but completely needle-free. Even one or two minutes of tapping can help release emotional tension, calm your nervous system, and bring you back to the present moment.
Why tapping works
TFT involves gently tapping on specific points on your body while focusing on how you feel. These points are related to your body’s meridian system — the same one used in acupuncture, but without needles. The tapping sends calming signals to your brain and helps release emotional tension.
Many people are surprised at how effective it can be — even after just a minute or two.
The 4-point tapping routine
This is a safe, easy sequence I use with clients:
Begin by noticing how you feel and rating that intensity on a 10-point scale, where 10 is the worst or most intense. Then tap the following points:
- Eyebrow – tap at the start of your eyebrow, near the bridge of your nose.
- Under eye – tap on the bone under your eye (the dark circle area).
- Under your arm – tap on the area of the brastrap, under your armpit.
- Under your collarbone – tap just below your collarbone, slightly toward the center of your chest.
As you tap, you can say a calming phrase to yourself, like “I am safe” or “I am doing my best” or “this is just a feeling, and there are no wrong feelings” Tap lightly on each spot about a dozen times. Go through the points two or three times — the whole thing takes about a minute.
Take a breath, and re-rate your intensity. You can keep going till you are near a 0.
What people notice
One woman I shared this with said that her jaw had been clenched for so long and nothing worked to relax it – till we tapped together.
You might feel lighter, calmer, or simply more present. Some people even feel a physical release — a deep breath, a yawn, or a loosening of tension in the shoulders or, like the woman in my story, the jaw.
When to use it
- Before treatment or bloodwork
- If you wake up feeling anxious
- During moments of overwhelm or panic
- Anytime your mind feels stuck on “what if” thoughts
This tool doesn’t replace medical care or counseling — it’s simply another way to help your nervous system stay steady through a difficult season.
Try it right now
Even if you’re not feeling stressed at this moment, go ahead and try the routine once. The more familiar it feels, the easier it will be to use when you really need it.
Eyebrow. Under eye. Under arm. Under collarbone. Repeat. Notice any small changes as you finish.
Next up: grounding your mind when it won’t stop racing
In the next post, we’ll talk about quick grounding tools — simple ways to anchor yourself in the present moment when your thoughts are racing ahead or circling endlessly.
Until then, be kind to yourself. You deserve support — not only from your medical team and loved ones, but from yourself, in every small way you can give it.