Jess Johnson Coaching

EFT Tapping for Audacious Action

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:22:04 +0000

Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana — and my life, despite never having stepped foot in the state, changed forever.

I had been trapped in a marriage that I wanted to leave, that I NEEDED to leave, for the sake of both my sanity and my life… but I was scared of starting over, scared I was making things up about how bad things really were, scared of telling my Irish Catholic parents I was leaving… scared, scared, scared.

When an incident finally gave me the kick in the ass I needed to actually choose the courage to leave, I made my way down to Louisiana, where my parents were volunteering with the Red Cross, providing services to residents of NOLA and the surrounding area, and joined them in their endeavors.

Maybe I should be more embarrassed to admit this, but I hadn’t given much thought to what I was going to do when I got down there, other than a vague “I’m going to help out.” I thought I was just going down there to give myself space to regroup. To find comfort with my family and brace myself for the steps I would have to take when I got home.

And while I did find those things, the gift I didn’t realize I would find down there was healing through service. I may have been going through the worst time of my life, but I still had a home. I still had a family I knew was safe. I still had a job. Witnessing the resilience of people who had lost everything and who were still committed to taking care of one another as they picked their lives back up changed something in me. It gave me perspective and helped me stick with the decision to leave him, even though I was still terrified.

It also taught me that even on my worst days, I still had something to offer others — whether it was a kind word, a few moments to acknowledge and listen to someone’s story without judgment, or spending time organizing a makeshift pharmacy in a mosque so first responders could focus on caring for survivors.

After two weeks, I returned home and spent the next six years moving on, completing grad school, learning to love again, and enjoying a career as a therapist in the county corrections system. But there was something missing. I couldn’t stop thinking about the camaraderie of shared purpose I had felt working alongside the National Guard, other volunteers from around the country, and the residents of Louisiana. My life was good, but I still felt hollow — so when a tipsy happy hour ended with my best friend and I joking around about joining the military together, I woke up the next day and realized I wasn’t laughing.

I was en route to my first duty station and flipping through a Peoplemagazine when I came across an article on Top Veteran Charities. There it was: Team Rubicon, a disaster response team made up of a rag-tag group of combat Veterans who had fundraised for medical supplies before mobilizing to Haiti after the catastrophic 2010 earthquake.

I remember thinking, “You gotta be fucking kidding me… you mean I could’ve just volunteered for something like this instead of turning my whole life upside down!?” before writing down the organization’s name in the Notes section of my iPhone and moving on to whatever celebrity gossip was next.

Six years later, I was newly married, back in Maryland, and had been out of the Army for about six months when a disastrous flood wrecked parts of Ellicott City. My transition from the military had been rougher than I expected, and although I was very happy in my new marriage, I was struggling to balance all the changes and feeling purposeless and depressed. I had signed up to volunteer with Team Rubicon a few years earlier but hadn’t been able to while still on active duty, so when I got the email asking for volunteers, I signed up right away.

The second I stepped foot on the FOB (Forward Operating Base — TR uses a lot of military terms), something in my chest settled. The moment I slipped my feet back into the combat boots that had carried me through Hawaii, Afghanistan, and Ft. Drum, I started to come alive for the first time in nearly a year.

The days we spent mucking out homes to help residents rebuild gave me purpose again. And the hours my fellow volunteers and I spent sitting around a campfire at the end of the day — laughing, crying, and sharing our origin stories while processing the day — told me I was home.

For me, it’s never been about waiting for the perfect moment. It’s about stepping up, even when things are messy, and trusting that each step makes me — and us — a lantern for others. That’s the light I carry. And my mission is to pass it on, so more women carry it too. Together, we change the landscape into one that is more inclusive, compassionate, and brave.

“We don’t wait for the perfect moment — we light the way, together.”

What I’ve learned — again and again — is this:
Hopelessness shifts when we choose even one small action.
It doesn’t have to be world-changing; any step counts. A step is a start, and a start is the beginning of change.

So if you’re feeling stuck, my invitation is this: pause, notice what’s true for you today, and then choose one action — small or audacious — that brings you closer to the impact you want to make.

Whether you’re feeling stuck or just ready for a boost, I’ve got a tap for you. It’s only five minutes — and when you’re done, I’d love to hear what action it sparked for you. I’m compiling a list to inspire others, and your step might be the one someone else needs.

Remember: it doesn’t have to be world-changing to matter. Any step counts. I’d love to hear yours.

SHARE YOUR SHIFT

The post EFT Tapping for Audacious Action appeared first on Jess Johnson Coaching.

Rage Tapping: How I’m Using My Anger Productively

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 02:41:15 +0000

I’ve had “launch blog” on my to-do list for … longer than I’d like to admit. I kept telling myself it needed to start with a formal intro post, a whole “Welcome to My Blog” vibe. But that never felt quite right. And then, this morning, I rage-tapped. I opened my phone, read the news, and my whole body lit up. That now-familiar combo of despair, fury. “how the hell are we supposed to function?” flooded in. So I tapped. Not with a plan. Not with a polished script. Just with all of it.

And I realized: this is how I want to begin my blog. Not with polish, but with presence. Not with a performance, but with permission – for myself and anyone else who’s ever screamed into the void and still managed to care.

What exactly does “rage and tap” mean?

Exactly what it sounds like – you let yourself rage while tapping through the EFT points. Don’t worry about a set-up statement or affirmation … just let yourself go.

Lately I have been using it whenever I open up social media or read/see the news of the latest fuckery happening in the U.S. and the first round always starts a little something like this:

Top of the Head: What the fuck.

Eyebrow Point: What the FUCKING fuck.

Side of Eye: FUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK

Under Eye: Fuck this

Under Lip: Fuck.

Chin: Fuckity fuck fuck.

Collarbone:

Side: Fuck.

I do this for as long as it takes for my body to start relaxing, paying attention to the sensations in my arms

– as for me, deep rage always shows up in my arms … like someone is holding me down.

(Whenever My One True Love and I are having a heated discussion and I feel my irritation moving into my

arms, I know we need to pause and come back to the convo later, because it’s no longer about whatever

dumb thing he’s taking too long to do around the house, having morphed into the collective rage I feel over

the invisible labor of women.)

Top of the Head: How can anyone think today’s fuckery> is okay?

Eyebrow Point: I just don’t understand

Side of Eye: I feel like I’m screaming into a void

Under Eye: And there’s no end to this in sight

Under Lip: Am I overreacting?

Chin: Is there something I’m not seeing?

Collarbone: I feel like I’m taking crazy pills

Side: Worrying so much about the next thing, or what the future will bring

Top of the Head: I’m giving myself permission to focus on today

Eyebrow Point: Allowing myself to focus on the moment in front of me

Side of Eye: I release worrying about tomorrow

Under Eye: As I give my body permission to relax

Under Lip: I choose to focus on what I need in this moment

Chin: What do I need to feel better right now?

Collarbone: I’m asking my body for the answer

Side: I choose to focus on what I can do, rather than what I can’t

Side: i choose to focus on what I can do, rather than what I can’t

Top of the Head: And for today, what I can do is pause and take care of me …

Eyebrow Point: I can continue to tap to make my anger productive

Side of Eye: I can send out a tapping script for others who may be feeling the same

Under Eye: I can eat a little snacky

Under Lip: I can find solidarity in my friends

Chin: I can choose to give myself compassion

Collarbone: As I allow my body to process what I’m feeling

Side: And no matter what, I choose to love myself through this.

The post Rage Tapping: How I’m Using My Anger Productively appeared first on Jess Johnson Coaching.

When Love Hurts Before the Loss Comes: Tapping Through Pet Anxiety & Pre-Grief

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 02:25:39 +0000

This morning, I sat down to record a tapping video with tears already falling down my face.

Our elderly cat, Sweetie, has a vet appointment tomorrow.

She’s old. She’s slowing down. And while there’s a very real chance tomorrow will bring reassuring news … my heart doesn’t know that.

And of course, my brain tried to play the “just wait until tomorrow to worry” card – as if that ever works when you’re in acute distress.

So I stopped trying to override it. I stopped trying to be fine. And I tapped.

This was not a polished, perky “here’s your calming content” video.

This was real-time grief, messy tears, and the desperate ache that only comes from loving something so much you can’t imagine letting it go.

What I realized – mid-tapping, mid-sobbing – is that what I wanted was to feel confident the vet would tell us everything is fine.

But what I actually need is to trust that no matter what happens, I’ll be able to hold both the heartbreak and the gratitude.

Because the truth is, the end is coming – whether it’s tomorrow or later. And when it does. I don’t want to miss out on these remaining moments by grieving the loss before it. EFT helped me get there – or at least closer.

I’m still tender. Still not fully at peace. But I no longer feel like I have to pre-grieve her just to prepare myself.

And I trust that, when it’s time, I’ll be able to walk through the loss with grace – not because it won’t hurt, but because I’ll let myself feel it.

If you’re also loving an animal through their final season … If you’ve ever cried before the loss even came. If your heart is full of both fear and fierce love …You’re not alone.

Here’s the video. Tap along with me if you need to.

The post When Love Hurts Before the Loss Comes: Tapping Through Pet Anxiety & Pre-Grief appeared first on Jess Johnson Coaching.

When It Feels Like the world Doesn’t Care About women* – EFT Tapping for Resilience

admin — Wed, 28 May 2025 23:18:18 +0000

If the 2024 election left you feeling like your voice doesn’t matter-as a woman, as someone who cares,

as someone who shows up-you’re not alone.

I created this quick EFT Tapping session because I needed it too. I was swimming in grief and fire and a

whole lot of what the actual f-and I knew I had to get grounded in my truth before the world tried to

rewrite it for me.

This isn’t toxic positivity. This isn’t spiritual bypassing. This is a nervous system reset for when the external

world makes you question your inherent worth. It’s an invitation to come back to your voice, your body,

and your power, so you can keep showing up-for yourself and for the women around you.

Save it. Sl1are it. Return to it anytime you need to reclaim your space.

Not a video person? Here’s the written tapping script:

Side of Hand: Even though it feels as though these election results mean the world thinks that I

don’t matter-certainly not as much as a white man does-I’m choosing to love my opinion of

myself over what anybody else thinks of me.

Top of head: I choose to know that I matter.

Eyebrow Point: It’s been a hard week. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the world cares about

women …

Side of Eye: But I’m choosing to remember that I care about women. And I care about myself.

Under Eye: I’m choosing to surround myself with those who lift me up, knowing that despite

the grief that I feel-I am worthy of care and support.

Under Nose: I am worthy of taking up space.

Chin: My words are worthy of being heard.

Collarbone: And I am choosing to know that-all throughout my body.

Side/Under arm: I’m choosing to fight for myself.

Top of head: I’m choosing to fight for other women.

Eyebrow Point: Honoring the grief that I feel. .. while also giving myself permission for hope.

Side of Eye: Knowing that hope doesn’t mean ignoring reality-it means choosing the grit to

fight for what I believe in.

Under Eye: So I choose to fight for me.

Under Nose: I choose to fight for the women around me.

Chin: I choose to fight for a better world-because I deserve that. I am worthy of that. And so

are my sisters in the world around me.

Collarbone: So I give myself permission to feel what I need to feel . so I can get back up again,

and stand tall for

Side/Under arm: myself and the women around me.

(Take a breath. Check in with your body. Check in with your mind. Notice what you’ve made room for.)

Let’s get out there and keep fighting!

want to go deeper?

This is just the beginning. If you’re craving deeper support-whether it’s around emotional regulation, activism burnout, or reconnecting to your voice and purpose-join my email list to be the first to hear when I open up new tapping groups.

The post When It Feels Like the world Doesn’t Care About women* – EFT Tapping for Resilience appeared first on Jess Johnson Coaching.