What Is Bilateral Stimulation And How Can It Help You?
by Valerie Dorn
Bilateral stimulation involves providing a stimulus to both sides of the body, alternating between right and left. The stimulus could be auditory, visual, or tactile.
In EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), therapists often use back and forth eye movements to help clients process traumatic memories. Bilateral stimulation forces the left and right hemispheres of the brain to communicate with each other, which helps the brain process “stuck” emotions and memories.
You do not have to have unprocessed trauma in order to benefit from bilateral stimulation. It is a tool that can help decrease anxiety and other strong emotions and calm the nervous system in general.
Benefits of Bilateral Stimulation
Decreases emotional distress, anxiety, and stress
Calms the nervous system
Mimics REM sleep
Activates the prefrontal cortex, the “thinking” center of the brain
Increases bodily and emotional integration
Calms the amygdala, the fight/flight/freeze part of the brain
Simple Bilateral Techniques You Can Try
One of the most common and easy to use forms of bilateral stimulation is using a physical stimulus, such as tapping your fingers on your thighs or tapping the balls of your feet.
1. Thigh Tapping
Start seated in a chair, hands resting with palms facing down on your thighs. Begin tapping with one hand, raising your four fingers off your thigh and tapping your thigh. Then switch to the other hand, raising and lowering your fingers as you gently tap that thigh. Alternate back and forth between tapping your right thigh and your left thigh.
Find a pace that feels comfortable to you; perhaps one second per tap. If it feels comfortable, you can close your eyes and rest your attention on the sensation of the tapping, or on your breath. You can also combine bilateral stimulation with breathing exercises, such as deepening your breath or lengthening your exhales, which will also help calm your nervous system.
2. Foot Tapping
Another method of bilateral stimulation is to tap the balls of your feet. Start seated in a chair, both feet flat on the ground. Raise the right ball of your foot (or your toes) off the ground and then release the ball of your foot back to the ground. Switch sides, alternating back and forth between your right foot and your left foot.
What is nice about using the feet is that you can do it while seated at your desk at work or in a meeting without drawing attention to yourself.
3. The Butterfly Tap
A third tactile technique of bilateral stimulation involves crossing your arms over your chest, palms facing towards you, resting on either side of your chest, in the shape of a butterfly’s wings. Begin by tapping one hand and then the other hand, going back and forth between your right hand and left hand, gently tapping either side of your chest.
This method with crossed arms can feel particularly comforting, as it feels like you are giving yourself a hug. The weight of your arms across your chest can feel soothing.
Finding Calm in Your Daily Routine
The next time you find your mind and body spiraling from anxiety, give bilateral stimulation a try.
Ready to break free from the cycle of anxiety and overwhelm? Anxiety therapy can help. Contact me today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
