How I applied EFT practice to heal after a fall

Turning my day around

After a nasty fall in my garden this week, I experienced just how far I had come in my own personal journey.  This was on account of applying EFT practice and loving kindness to deal with challenges that life throws my way.

When I landed on the ground and heard the ‘crack’ of my ankle, my immediate thoughts were of shock.  And I used a few choice words that I can't reproduce here! But I then became really calm. I took stock of the situation, using my breath to pause and feel where it hurt, and really focussing my attention on the injured leg.

Application of EFT to the situation

I have used EFT to recover from PTSD and cycles of depression and anxiety that have affected most of my adult life. With this experience, I thought about how I could apply EFT to help me deal with this situation.

I noticed that I would normally have started the inner critic on repeat.  I would be shaming myself for not seeing the uneven ground or looking where I was stepping.  Also, I would be catastrophising about all the implications of the injury, and the things I would now be unable to do, etc. etc..

How things have changed!

Instead, I smiled and laughed at how I ended up sitting on the ground. I started figuring out how to get back into the house and apply an ice pack. Years of first aid training had also paid off!

I noticed gratitude that my husband was there to assist me. Also I noticed gratitude for my kids, who rallied round to find ice packs and bring me cups of tea and cuddles. But most of all, I was grateful for the amazing toolbox of EFT techniques I had at my disposal.  I used these for starting my healing before I could get to see a medical professional the next day.

How I applied lessons learned through EFT

Stage One

I first tapped on the pain and simply acknowledged it, really focussing in on the area where it hurt and testing what movement and flexibility I had.

Even though I have this pain and swelling in my ankle and calf, I deeply and truly accept myself and how I feel.

Reminder phrases- "this pain, this pain".

Until I got the pain into focus and a place where it no longer bothered me.

Stage Two

I then moved onto the incident itself. Accepting that it happened, choosing to forgive myself and setting an intention to heal. I also acknowledged that the injury had financial implications as, if I couldn't walk, I couldn't complete my shift at work this week:

Even though I didn't see the uneven ground when I stepped down off the decking, I truly and deeply accept, love and forgive myself.

I did a few rounds with reminder phrases:

Didn’t see the uneven ground.
Wasn’t looking where I was stepping.
Couldn't stop myself falling.
Annoyed at hurting myself, I have so much to do.
Can't go to work, going to cost me money.

And then some positive reframing rounds:

Even though I didn't see the uneven ground when I stepped down off the decking, I choose to allow my ankle to heal and send love and healing to every part of me.

I didn't see the uneven ground when I stepped down off the decking, but I choose to forgive myself and find the gifts that this challenge brings.

Even though I didn't see the uneven ground when I stepped down off the decking, and I have hurt my ankle, I know this will pass and am grateful for the love and support I am receiving.

Stage Three

When I went to bed on the first night and I (reluctantly) took some pain medication, I did a few tapping rounds before trying to sleep.

Even though I didn't see the uneven ground when I stepped down off the decking, and I have hurt my ankle, I know this will pass and am grateful for the love and support I am receiving.

I choose to have a peaceful night's sleep and allow my body to heal.
I send healing energy to my ankle and release myself from pain.

Stage Four

The following morning the swelling had really come out; this is normal with a soft tissue injury.  We decided to go to the local minor injuries unit to get it looked at. I had been so calm about the injury. I had used tapping to work through all the issues that had come up for me around the accident.  As a result, the pain was much reduced, as I had cut out the emotional response to the pain.  In turn, this had not switched on the Amygdala stress response. I had not flooded my body with all of the ‘fight or flight’ chemical messengers that get generated when we are distressed or anxious. As a consequence therefore, I had had a really good night’s sleep.  This is the most powerful way to allow the healing process to begin.

I also noticed all the things I had been planning to do that day and for the rest of the week. There was a meet-up with a friend I hadn’t seen during lockdown. A day’s paid work that I would be unable to do.  The shopping trip I had planned with my daughter to buy back-to-school items.  In the past, I would have beaten myself up about these ‘losses’, triggering a negative spiral of feeling ‘not enough’.  Instead, I set about trying to work out how I could amend or reschedule the activities. I scheduled a video call with my friend. My daughters and I spent time ordering their school supplies online. I had to accept that I wasn't working at the warehouse this week. Therefore I focused on planning my time to work on other income streams that I could do online.

Stage Five

As I waited in the hospital to be seen by the medic, I continued with the Choices method :

Even though I am annoyed about the inconvenience of this injury, I choose to be calm and accept it has happened.
Even though I have pain and swelling in my ankle, I choose to send love and healing to it now.
I choose to be grateful for having access to free local medical care, and to be patient and calm whilst waiting to be seen.

I also noticed that I was feeling guilty about my self-employed husband being unable to go to work as he was waiting to take me home from the hospital.

Even though my husband has been unable to go to work today and I feel guilty about that, I choose to be grateful for his love and support and for a bonus day at home for him.

I was sent home after an examination and X-ray with crutches and instructions to rest. I also needed to keep the joint mobile without weight-bearing.  A day on the sofa beckoned - something I would never dream of doing as a busy working mum. My husband used his day off work to spend time with our kids and run some errands I now couldn't do.  He also spent some well-earned down time working on creative projects he is normally too tired to do after work.

In summary

All-in-all, it turned out to be a pretty calm and productive day.  This was despite my change in mobility status, and spending the first couple of hours at the hospital.  In fact, if I really looked at what got done when I was ‘laid-up’, I would honestly say that I got more done.  I was more focussed on doing what I could do, rather than the one thing I temporarily couldn't do.

So, no matter what challenges life throws your way,  you can turn any difficult situation around.  This can be done by approaching it in a mindful manner and applying EFT practices.  You can get through it with love and compassion for yourself and others involved.  And maybe find those silver linings that get missed when we focus on the downside.

As Maya Angelou is quoted to have said:

‘ I can be changed by what happened to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.’

Ann Diment

Ann Diment is an EFT international Accredited practitioner based in Somerset, UK.  She provides intuitive and client-centred EFT coaching, supporting clients to release limiting beliefs, trauma, performance blocks and general emotional or physical pain. Ann is an artist, performer and business coach, specialising in promoting wellbeing and resilience using creative practices.

With thanks to Tim Cooper for the image on Unsplash