Chronic stress doesn't just feel bad. It shows up in your body as cortisol, the hormone your adrenal glands release when your brain decides something needs your attention right now. A little cortisol, at the right moment, is useful. Too much of it, too often, is a different story. If you're looking for a simple, research-backed way to bring it back down, this is what the science actually says about EFT Tapping and cortisol, and how to use it.
If you're wondering about the bigger question, does tapping really work, we've answered it at length, skeptics' case included. And if stress in general, not just cortisol specifically, is what you're after, our complete guide to tapping for stress relief is the place to start.
What cortisol does, and why it matters
Before diving into how Tapping can help lower cortisol, let's break down what cortisol is and why it matters in the first place:
- Cortisol is often called the "stress hormone," because your body releases it in response to stress. It's part of your body's "fight-or-flight" response, and helps you handle stressful situations.
- While some cortisol is necessary for normal body functioning, and a temporary increase during stress is a good thing, your body isn't meant to have high cortisol levels all of the time.
- High cortisol due to chronic stress can lead to various health issues including anxiety, depression, sleep problems, pain, weight gain, and more.
This is where EFT Tapping comes in! Tapping is a tool to help regulate cortisol levels and manage stress more effectively.
If your stress tends to show up as chronic worry and overthinking, tapping can help interrupt that spiral before it keeps cortisol elevated.
The science behind EFT Tapping to lower cortisol
Tapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), is a mind-body approach that combines elements of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. It involves gently tapping your fingertips on certain acupressure points on your body while reflecting on whatever is causing you distress.
The process of Tapping is known to send calming signals to the amygdala in the brain, letting your brain know it's safe to relax. It's a way to turn down the fight-or-flight stress response in the body.
Tapping has been studied for its effect on cortisol specifically. Here's what the two key studies found:
- A 2012 study by Dr. Dawson Church, published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, randomly assigned 83 participants to one hour of EFT tapping, a supportive (talk-therapy-style) interview, or rest. Cortisol dropped 24% in the EFT group, compared with about 14% in each of the other two groups.[1]
- A 2020 study by Dr. Peta Stapleton in Psychological Trauma directly replicated Dr. Church's design with 53 participants across three 60-minute group sessions: EFT, psychoeducation, or no treatment. Cortisol dropped 43% in the EFT group, compared with 20% in the psychoeducation group and no change in the no-treatment group, an even larger drop than the original study. This replication didn't find the same clear improvement in self-reported stress and anxiety, which is a real, worth-knowing limitation rather than something to leave out.[2]
A separate 2019 study by Bach and colleagues, published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, looked at a broader set of physiological markers after a multi-day EFT workshop and found favorable changes in several of them, including blood pressure and resting heart rate, alongside the stress reduction people reported.[3] We cover that study in more depth in our guide to tapping and blood pressure.
Both cortisol studies point the same direction: an hour of EFT tapping measurably lowers this specific stress hormone, more than simply talking or resting does. To learn more about the science behind Tapping, check out this comprehensive review.
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Join the free summitWhat the two studies found, side by side
| Study | Design | Cortisol result |
|---|---|---|
| Church, Yount & Brooks (2012), J Nerv Ment Dis | 83 participants, randomly assigned to one hour of EFT, a supportive interview, or rest; cortisol measured before and after | Down 24% in the EFT group, vs. about 14% in each comparison group |
| Stapleton, Crighton, Sabot & O'Neill (2020), Psychol Trauma | 53 participants, three 60-minute group sessions: EFT, psychoeducation, or no treatment; cortisol measured before and after | Down 43% in the EFT group, vs. 20% with psychoeducation and no change with no treatment; self-reported stress and anxiety scores didn't improve as clearly in this replication |
The replication found an even bigger cortisol drop than the original study, 43% vs. 24%, even though the group-delivered format was the only thing that changed. What didn't replicate as cleanly: how people felt. Self-reported stress and anxiety didn't improve to the same degree, a reminder that a biological marker and a subjective rating don't always move together.
How to use EFT Tapping to lower cortisol
Now, let's get into the practical steps of using EFT Tapping to reduce cortisol:
- Rating Your Stress: Before you start Tapping, take a moment to identify what's causing you stress. Rate your stress level on a scale of 0-10.
- The Setup: Start by tapping on the side of your hand while saying: "Even though I feel stressed about [specific issue], I deeply and completely accept myself." Repeat this three times, tapping on the side of your hand as you do.
- The Sequence: Tap about 5-7 times on each of the following points while focusing on your stress. You can say "reminder phrases" out loud to keep your focus such as "This stress" or "I'm worried about [specific issue]."
- Eyebrow
- Side of the eye
- Under the eye
- Under the nose
- Under the mouth
- Collarbone
- Under the arm
- Top of the head
- Reassess: Check in with your stress levels again. Has the intensity gone down?
- Repeat: Continue tapping through the points as needed, adjusting your wording to reflect any changes in how you feel.
For more on the basics of Tapping, check out this comprehensive guide on how to do Tapping.
A 3-minute round for a cortisol spike
Use this when you can feel your stress hormones climbing: a tight chest, a racing mind, that wired, on-edge feeling. Rate your stress from 0 to 10 first.
- Setup (repeat three times, tapping the side of your hand): "Even though my body feels flooded with stress right now, I accept myself and where I am."
- Eyebrow: "This stress hormone flooding my body."
- Side of Eye: "My heart racing, my chest tight."
- Under Eye: "This wired, on-edge feeling."
- Under Nose: "My body thinks it needs to protect me right now."
- Under Mouth: "But I'm safe in this moment."
- Collarbone: "I can let my body know it's safe to come down."
- Under Arm: "Allowing my breath to slow, allowing my body to settle."
- Top of Head: "Choosing to let this stress response ease, right now."
Reassess your number. Most people notice at least some drop after one round; if the stress is still high, do another round naming what's actually behind it.
Tips for maximizing cortisol reduction with EFT Tapping
- Consistency is key: Make tapping a daily habit, even if it's just for a few minutes. The goal is to make Tapping a regular part of your routine to keep cortisol levels consistently managed and safeguard against the effects of chronic stress.
- Tap at different times of day: Tap first thing in the morning, before stressful meetings of events, during your lunch break for a reset, or in the evening to unwind or prepare for sleep.
- Use Tapping preventatively: Don't wait until you're extremely stressed to start Tapping. Regular tapping can help keep cortisol levels balanced before things escalate.
- Be specific: Focus on particular stressors and use language specific to your unique situation for more effective results.
- Combine with other techniques: Use Tapping alongside other stress-reduction methods that work well for you, such as deep breathing, meditation, or physical activity.
What our data shows
Inside The Tapping Solution App, the numbers point the same direction as the research above. Our 16-session Calm Your Mind category has been completed over 343,000 times, with self-rated stress dropping from an average of 7.2 to 4.0, a 44% drop. Our 58-session Emotional Freedom category, built for processing stuck stress and emotion, has been completed over 4 million times, moving people from an average of 7.0 to 4.1, a 42% drop. Our dedicated Release Stress session has been completed 209,335 times, with users rating their stress 6.9 before and 4.0 after, on average.
In a peer-reviewed study of 270,461 App users published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth (Church & Stapleton, 2020), a single guided tapping session brought self-rated stress down 45% on average, the same nervous-system effect the cortisol research above is measuring in the body.
This is self-report app data, not a clinical trial measuring cortisol directly. The Church and Stapleton studies above are the ones that actually drew blood or saliva and measured the hormone itself.
What people say
"This session on stress really helped calm my nervous system. Before the session I felt like I wanted to crawl out of my body. Now I feel grounded and centered. Thank you!"
Janet, on Release Stress, rated herself a 10 before, a 3 after
"The nervous system tension left my body & I discovered the root of it."
Heather, on Nervous Tension and Stress Release, rated herself a 10 before, a 1 after
Tap along with me
Want to follow along out loud instead of reading through the steps? This short session works through the same stress response this page is about.
Go deeper
- Tapping for stress relief, our complete guide to using tapping for everyday stress.
- Nervous system regulation, for when your body stays wound up even after the stressful moment passes.
- The 9 tapping points, with a printable chart.
- EFT tapping phrases and EFT tapping scripts, for more ways to word a round.
- Try Release Stress free in The Tapping Solution App.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does tapping lower cortisol?
The research says yes. A 2012 randomized controlled trial led by Dr. Dawson Church, published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, found that one hour of EFT tapping lowered cortisol by 24% in the tapping group, compared with about 14% in a supportive-interview group and 14% in a rest-only group. A 2020 replication by Dr. Peta Stapleton found an even larger cortisol drop in the tapping group: 43% (vs 20% with psychoeducation and no change with no treatment).
How much does tapping lower cortisol?
In the original 2012 study, cortisol dropped 24% after one hour of EFT tapping. In the 2020 group-delivered replication by Dr. Peta Stapleton, cortisol dropped 43% (vs 20% with psychoeducation and no change with no treatment).
How fast does tapping lower cortisol?
Both studies measured the change after a single one-hour session, so the drop shows up the same day you tap. That doesn't mean one session resets your baseline stress for good. Cortisol responds to whatever is happening in your life; regular tapping is what keeps it from climbing back up.
Is the cortisol study replicated?
Yes. Dr. Peta Stapleton and colleagues repeated Dr. Church's 2012 design in 2020 with 53 participants, this time delivering EFT tapping in groups instead of one-on-one, and published the results in the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Trauma. Cortisol dropped 43% in the EFT group, vs 20% with psychoeducation and no change in the no-treatment group, an even larger drop than the original trial. Self-reported stress and anxiety scores didn't show the same size of improvement in the replication, which is worth knowing rather than leaving out.
Does tapping help adrenal fatigue?
"Adrenal fatigue" isn't a recognized medical diagnosis. If you're using that phrase to describe feeling drained, wired, and stressed all the time, tapping can help with the stress underneath those feelings, the same way it helps lower cortisol in the studies above. If you're dealing with ongoing, unexplained fatigue, see a doctor to rule out an actual medical cause.
How often should I tap to keep stress down?
Once a day is a good baseline, even if it's only a few minutes. Cortisol responds to your current stress load, not a single good session weeks ago, so people who tap consistently, in the morning, before a stressful event, or in the evening to unwind, tend to see the steadiest results.
Start Tapping to reduce cortisol now!
EFT Tapping offers a simple, research-backed way to lower cortisol and manage stress. By incorporating this technique into your daily life, you can better regulate your stress response and cultivate greater calm and balance in body and mind.
Ready to experience the cortisol-lowering benefits of Tapping for yourself? Start with just a few minutes a day and see how it impacts your stress levels. Your body (and mind) will thank you!
For guided support that you can carry with you wherever you go, check out The Tapping Solution App. With hundreds of guided meditations as short as two minutes long, there's a meditation to suit every need.
Stressed about your kids? Check. Worried about an upcoming event? We've got you. Feeling the pressure of work taking a toll? There's something to help with that, too.
Download the app today and start lowering your cortisol, releasing stress, and regaining a sense of calm, peace, and ease in your daily life.
- Instantly reduce anxiety and stress
- Fall asleep faster and sleep better
- Boost productivity, stay motivated
- Relieve chronic or occasional pain
- Release anger, find peace
If you want to understand the full mechanism behind this, my book REWIRED walks through the science of how Tapping calms your stress response.
Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
Now part of a Medicare program
If the stress you're carrying has hardened into anxiety or low mood, and you're on Original Medicare, there's now a guided program built for exactly that. NeuroTap Health, our sister company, offers it at $0 out of pocket through Medicare's ACCESS Model. See if you qualify.
References
- Church D, Yount G, Brooks AJ. The effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: a randomized controlled trial. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2012;200(10):891-896.
- Stapleton P, Crighton G, Sabot D, O'Neill HM. Reexamining the effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: A randomized controlled trial. Psychol Trauma. 2020;12(8):869-877.
- Bach D, Groesbeck G, Stapleton P, Sims R, Blickheuser K, Church D. Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health. J Evid Based Integr Med. 2019;24:2515690X18823691.
