Butterfly tapping is a self-soothing technique where you cross your arms over your chest and gently alternate tapping each side, creating a rhythmic left-right stimulation that helps calm your nervous system. It was originally developed in 1997 by therapist Lucina Artigas while working with survivors of Hurricane Pauline in Acapulco, Mexico, and has since become a widely used grounding tool in trauma therapy, anxiety management, and everyday stress relief.
How to Do It
The technique is simple enough to learn in a minute. Cross your arms over your chest and place each hand on the opposite upper arm, near the shoulder. Your crossed arms will roughly form the shape of a butterfly, which is where the name comes from.
Once your hands are in place, begin alternating taps, one side at a time, in a slow, steady rhythm. The motion should feel gentle and deliberate, not rushed or forceful. Think of it like a soft back-and-forth drumming pattern. While tapping, close your eyes or soften your gaze, and breathe naturally.
Continue tapping for 30 seconds to a few minutes, or until you notice a shift in how you feel. After about a minute, pause and check in with yourself. If you still feel activated or anxious, continue for another round. One to two minutes is a typical session length, though there’s no strict cutoff. You can repeat the process as many times as you need.
What Happens in Your Brain
Butterfly tapping works through bilateral stimulation, the same principle behind EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy. The alternating left-right pattern engages both hemispheres of the brain, which appears to shift the nervous system out of a heightened stress response and into a calmer state.
Brain imaging research has shown what this looks like in real time. In a study of cancer patients processing traumatic memories, brain scans taken before treatment showed intense overactivity in the brain’s threat-detection and emotional processing centers. During an EMDR session that included the butterfly hug, that overactivity quieted down noticeably. At the same time, the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for rational thought and emotional regulation, became more active. In practical terms, the fear center dialed down while the “thinking it through” center dialed up. The researchers described these as simultaneous changes across multiple brain regions that facilitated emotional stabilization.
This is why the technique can feel like it takes the edge off so quickly. It’s not just a distraction. It appears to directly influence how your brain processes distressing emotions in the moment.
What It’s Used For
Butterfly tapping started as a tool for trauma survivors, and that remains one of its primary applications. Therapists who practice EMDR frequently use it as a self-administered form of bilateral stimulation between sessions, or as a way to help clients stabilize when traumatic memories surface. It’s particularly useful because it requires no equipment, no therapist present, and no special training.
Beyond formal trauma therapy, people use butterfly tapping for general anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, test anxiety, and moments of overwhelming stress. It’s been adopted in school settings (the New Jersey Department of Education, for example, includes it in their mindfulness resources for students), disaster relief programs, and self-help contexts. A study published in the Journal of Nursing Practice found a statistically significant reduction in anxiety levels among participants who used the technique, confirming what many clinicians had observed anecdotally.
The technique is especially valuable when you need something discreet. You can do a modified version with smaller movements that’s barely noticeable to others, making it practical during a work meeting, on public transit, or before a medical appointment.
How It Differs From EFT Tapping
If you’ve heard of “tapping” in a wellness context, you may be thinking of Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, which is a different practice. EFT involves tapping on specific acupressure points around the face and body (the eyebrow, side of the hand, collarbone, and so on) while repeating affirmations. It draws on the concept of energy meridians from traditional Chinese medicine.
Butterfly tapping has a completely different foundation. It’s rooted in EMDR and neuroscience, and the mechanism is bilateral stimulation rather than acupressure. The tapping happens in only one location (your upper arms), and the key feature is the alternating left-right rhythm, not the specific spot being tapped. Both techniques involve repetitive physical motion and can reduce anxiety, but they come from different therapeutic traditions and work through different proposed mechanisms.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of It
A few things make the technique more effective. Start with two or three slow, deep breaths before you begin tapping. This primes your nervous system to shift into a calmer state and gives the bilateral stimulation more to work with.
Keep the rhythm slow. People who are anxious tend to speed up the tapping, which can feel more agitating than soothing. Aim for roughly one tap per second, alternating sides. Think of it as matching a resting heartbeat rather than a racing one.
You can pair the tapping with a mental image or phrase that feels safe or calming, like picturing a specific place where you feel relaxed or silently repeating a simple phrase like “I’m okay right now.” This combination of bilateral stimulation with a positive mental anchor is actually how the technique is used in formal EMDR protocols, and it tends to deepen the calming effect.
If crossing your arms feels physically uncomfortable, you can place your hands on your thighs instead and alternate tapping there. The critical element is the left-right alternation, not the butterfly position itself. Some people also find that tapping their feet alternately or even just shifting their gaze from side to side produces a similar effect, since all of these create bilateral input to the brain.