Stressed about an upcoming exam? Plagued by test taking anxiety? Has your mind ever gone blank because your stress levels went out of control? Have you ever looked at a test after you got it back and realized you could have done much better if only you would have kept your cool? Read on for a powerful technique that will make a huge difference.

EFT, which is short for Emotional Freedom Technique, is a very powerful way to ease intense and stressful emotions. It's easy to learn and you can do it anywhere and anytime you like.

Basically, you tap on a series of acupressure points while making certain statements -- generally first negative ones and then positive ones. Most of the time, a few rounds of tappings will provide great relief from test taking anxiety.

EFT consists of two major parts: The set-up phrase and the tapping sequence. In order to do the set-up, you tap the so-called "karate-chop" point on the side of your hand with two fingers while repeating the set-up phrase three times. The karate-chop point is the part of your hand that karate masters use to break bricks or boards.

Here's a generic fill-in-the-blanks version of the set-up phrase:

"Even though I [insert problem], I completely love and accept myself.

For the actual tapping sequence, you lightly tap 8 points about 7 times each, while repeating the phrase with the problem, for example "I feel stressed."

The points are as follows:

Above the eye, on the outer edge of the eye, below the eye, underneath the nose, on the chin, just below the collar bone, four inches below the armpit, and on top of the head.

Traditionally, EFT used to focus mostly on the negative, i.e., what you didn't want. However, more recently, it has been shown that EFT works even better when the negative statements are followed by a series of positive statements. That has also been my own experience.

The key is to create statements that match the issue you are working on. First, you come up with negative statements, i.e., statements about situations and states of mind you don't want. And then you come up with positive statements, which affirm what you do want in life.

If you're working on overcoming exam stress, your phrases could include the following:

• I'm stressed by exams.
• I worry about my exam.
• I have exam anxiety.
• I'm afraid I will flunk the exam.
• I worry about forgetting all that I have learned.
• I'm afraid that my mind will go blank.

On the positive side, you may come up with phrases such as the following:

• I choose to feel calm and confident.
• My brain will retrieve all the information I need, when I need it.
• I trust my brain and my mind.
• What if I do well on the exam?
• I look forward to passing this exam.
• I see myself doing very well on this exam.
• I see myself answering all the questions with confidence.
• I see myself answering all the questions correctly.

Before you get started, you should assess the level of your test taking anxiety on a scale of 1 to 10. Make a note of that so you'll have a base line.

Then start tapping with your negative phrase or series of phrases, and after a round or two, switch to the positive statements.

Finally take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Then assess again where you are. If you still feel some residual testing anxiety, simply repeat as needed, until you're calm enough to tackle your test with confidence.