Calming Anxiety | Guided Meditation, Sleep Hypnosis & Panic Attack Relief

Exhausted But Can't Relax? — NSDR Non-Sleep Deep Rest Guided Meditation for a Busy Mind | Gentle Box Breathing

 

Exhausted but can't relax? You finally have a moment to yourself and nothing needs doing, yet you're still braced for the next thing. Your body feels tired while your mind keeps checking, planning and reminding you. This 10-minute NSDR guided meditation, inspired by Non-Sleep Deep Rest, gives a busy mind time to settle without needing to fall asleep, and without having to earn it by finishing everything first.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, today's practice uses gentle box breathing for a busy mind: in for three, hold for three, out for three, rest for three, tracing the four sides of a small square with your breath. Want more box breathing? It's built into the Anchored app, where you can create your own patterns, all voiced by Martin. No AI, no beeps, just the two of you finding balance together. Download it on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

You'll ease tired body and racing thoughts into deep relaxation, receive five kind affirmations for rest when you're exhausted, and leave with three practical daily caring tips for quiet rest, stress relief and anxiety relief through the rest of your day.

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

* 00:00 – Exhausted but can't relax?

* 00:37 – Welcome from Martin

* 00:45 – Box breathing and NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest)

* 01:18 – Getting comfy and noticing your breath

* 01:43 – Gentle box breathing: in 3, hold 3, out 3, rest 3

* 03:30 – Tracing the four sides of a square

* 04:29 – Letting go of the counting

* 05:05 – Today's gentle affirmations

* 06:25 – Sinking into deeper rest

* 06:52 – Affirmations, once more

* 07:43 – Your 3 daily caring tips

* 08:55 – Gently returning to the room

* 09:29 – Box breathing and Instant Calm in the Anchored app

* 10:05 – Anchored Premium: ad-free, with full Books at Bedtime

* 10:30 – Until tomorrow, be kind

 

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations

Repeat them silently in your thoughts, or simply feel them and let them find a place within:

* I am allowed to rest while some things remain unfinished.

* I can feel tired without asking more of myself right now.

* I can notice a thought and gently return to the present.

* I can soften a little without needing to relax completely.

* I can take the next part of my day, one manageable step at a time.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

1. Give rest a clear beginning: Put down what you're holding, silence any unnecessary notifications and sit somewhere comfortable. Choose one small action that marks a few minutes as yours.

2. Rest without making sleep the goal: When you feel exhausted but unable to relax, try a short period of quiet rest. Keep your breathing comfy and let your attention settle on a simple physical sensation.

3. Choose a manageable next step: Before returning to your day, have a drink, eat something or finish one small task. Give that one thing your attention before deciding what follows.

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

You've created a little space today. Take care of it, protect it, and come back to it whenever you need. In the Anchored app, Instant Calm, Martin's panic attack support, is always there, offline and free forever:

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

If you'd like to support the show in a small way, Anchored Premium removes all the adverts and gives you full access to Books at Bedtime, for 5.99 a month, less than a large mocha. Ads are all Martin lives on, so every Premium listener truly makes a difference. Thank you.

 

And please share this episode with someone who's running on empty, and leave a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts. It helps the next tired, anxious listener find their way here.

 

Take care of yourself today, my friend. Let's reconnect tomorrow. And as always, in everything we do, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Jessamine by L.M. Montgomery — A Gentle Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with Jessamine by L.M. Montgomery, a sweet and heart-warming country romance from the author of Anne of Green Gables, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

Jessamine Stacy was born and raised in the country, among vine-covered porches, maple trees and great green fields. But when her sister dies and the old home has to go, she must move to the city to live with her brother and his stylish wife, where she quietly becomes the maid of all work in a hot, stifling little kitchen. All winter she grows thinner and paler, and by summer her homesickness is almost unbearable.

 

Then one morning the vegetable man knocks at the side door, and it isn't the usual one. Old Mr. Bell has broken his leg, and his nephew Drew, tall, sunburned and kind, has taken over the rounds, with a spray of honeysuckle pinned to his coat. One flower leads to another: prairie roses, ferns, old-fashioned garden blooms. Then comes a drive through the cool, quiet beech woods to Cloverside Farm at Pine Pastures, an afternoon among clover fields, Jersey calves and a country supper, and a moonlit ride home that changes everything.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Montgomery's soft, sunlit country scenery, a gentle happy ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L.M. Montgomery, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including A Redeeming Sacrifice and Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner, both from the same collection.

 

Jessamine was first published in 1909 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922. L.M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.

 

📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:

 

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

 

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Overthinking Something That Hasn't Happened Yet? — A 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Waiting Anxiety & Uncertainty | 4-2-6 Breathing

 

Overthinking something that hasn't happened yet? You've already lived through it in your mind, over and over. You've imagined the conversation, waited for the answer, and worked out what you'd do if things went wrong, and every time you reach the end of one possibility, another appears. This 10-minute guided meditation for anticipatory anxiety, uncertainty and waiting for news reminds you that you can prepare for tomorrow without having to live through it today.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and paramedic of over 20 years Martin Hewlett, today we make a little room around the things you cannot know yet. For a familiar voice close to hand between episodes, Martin's free app Anchored has an Instant Calm feature that works offline, wherever you are, whenever you need it.

Download it on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

Together we settle into what is actually here, then breathe with Martin's favourite technique, the gentle 4-2-6 breath: in for four, a comfy rest for two, and a long, relaxing release for six. That slower out-breath helps an anxious, racing mind settle. You'll receive five affirmations for living with uncertainty, three practical daily caring tips for the waiting, and Martin's free guide, 5 Things to Try When Anxiety Hits, at https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

* 00:00 – Living through it before it happens

* 00:34 – Welcome from Martin

* 00:50 – Making room for what you can't know yet

* 00:56 – Anchored: a familiar voice between episodes

* 01:14 – Finding your comfy place

* 01:36 – Noticing what is actually here

* 02:07 – Noticing your ordinary breath

* 02:24 – Martin's favourite: the gentle 4-2-6 breath

* 03:02 – Breathing together: in 4, rest 2, release 6

* 04:48 – Letting your breath find its own rhythm

* 05:09 – Today's gentle affirmations

* 06:23 – Sinking deeper

* 06:45 – Affirmations, once more

* 07:47 – Feeling supported without needing certainty

* 08:15 – Your 3 daily caring tips

* 09:15 – Gently returning to the room

* 09:47 – One step at a time

* 10:02 – Martin's free guide: 5 Things to Try When Anxiety Hits

* 10:30 – Until tomorrow, be kind

 

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations

In the peace of your own thoughts, visualise these words of positive change:

* I can meet tomorrow one step at a time.

* I am allowed to rest without having every answer.

* I can take a useful action and then give myself a break.

* I can return to what is here even when uncertainty remains.

* I can ask for support when the next steps feel difficult.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

1. Ask one useful question: When a worry returns, ask yourself, is there one useful thing I can do about this today? If there is, choose a manageable step. If there isn't, let that be your answer for now.

2. Space out your checking: If you are waiting for a message or an update, choose a sensible time to check again, unless you need to remain available for something urgent. Give yourself a little space between checks to do something ordinary.

3. Let someone know: When waiting is becoming hard, tell someone. You don't need them to predict the outcome. Simply say, "I could use a little company while I wait."

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

Whatever you're waiting for today, you don't have to carry it alone, and you don't have to solve it before it arrives. Just one breath, one conversation, one part of the day at a time. Keep that calm close in the Anchored app:

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

And for Martin's free guide, 5 Things to Try When Anxiety Hits, the little things that have got him through life, visit https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

If this helped, please share it with someone who's waiting on news right now, and leave a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts. It helps the next anxious listener find their way here.

 

Take care of yourself, my friend. Have a lovely day, and smile often. And in everything, it's simple, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

A Redeeming Sacrifice by L.M. Montgomery — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with A Redeeming Sacrifice by L.M. Montgomery, a tender, moonlit love story from the author of Anne of Green Gables, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

It's an autumn night in the harbour village of Prospect, and the dance at the Lyles' house is in full swing. The fiddler is enthroned on the kitchen table, the girls are giddy from the reels, and in a shadowy corner sits Joan Shelley, the pick and pride of the harbour girls, with a pale house rose in her dark hair. She has danced with no one all evening but Paul King: handsome, charming, and by every account in the village, a worthless scamp.

 

When Paul slips out into the chill moonlight with Joan's rose in his hand, he lies in the shadow of the beached boats on the shore and overhears two men talking about him. Every word is true, and he knows it. What follows is a quiet, unexpected night of reckoning beneath the lighthouse and the stars, as a man who has never done a decent thing asks himself one question: does he love her better than himself?

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Montgomery's gentle seaside scenery, the drifting rose petals on the moonlit water and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L.M. Montgomery, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner, from the same collection.

 

A Redeeming Sacrifice was first published in 1909 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922. L.M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.

 

📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:

 

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

 

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Can't Get a Satisfying Breath? — A 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Breathing Anxiety | Gentle Pursed-Lip Breathing

 

Can't get a satisfying breath? You take one breath, then another, and instead of feeling calmer you find yourself watching every breath, wondering why it still doesn't feel quite right. That constant checking is exhausting. This 10-minute guided meditation for breathing anxiety and anxiety relief takes the test away. For these few minutes there is nothing to perfect, and nothing you need to get right.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and paramedic of over 20 years Martin Hewlett, today's session uses a gentle pursed-lip breath, breathing out softly through the lips as if cooling a warm drink and letting an easy breath come back in through the nose. Then we let the technique go entirely and widen your attention beyond the breath to the room and the world around you. Take this practice with you every day in the Anchored app, on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

You'll learn what to do when the thought "I need to take a proper breath" comes back, receive five kind affirmations for patience with your breathing, and leave with three practical daily caring tips. A gentle reminder: breathlessness has many causes. If yours is new, unexplained or getting worse, please seek medical help. And grab Martin's free guide, 5 Things to Try When Anxiety Hits, at https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

* 00:00 – When every breath feels not quite right

* 00:26 – Welcome from Martin

* 00:36 – A gentle note on breathlessness

* 00:49 – Getting comfy and noticing the support beneath you

* 01:21 – When breathing becomes a test

* 01:40 – Pursed-lip breathing, like cooling a warm drink

* 02:53 – A safety note: return to normal breathing any time

* 03:15 – Letting go of the technique

* 03:27 – Widening your attention to the room around you

* 04:11 – When "I need a proper breath" returns

* 04:41 – Today's five gentle affirmations

* 06:17 – Affirmations, once more

* 07:13 – Deeper relaxation

* 07:54 – Your 3 daily caring tips

* 08:53 – Gently returning to the room

* 09:26 – Breathe With Me and Martin's free guide

* 09:52 – Until tomorrow, be kind

 

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations

With every out breath, imagine and repeat:

* I can approach this moment with patience.

* I do not have to force my breathing.

* I can let my shoulders soften.

* I can notice the world around me.

* I deserve kindness even when this feels difficult.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

1. Shift your attention outward: When you notice yourself repeatedly checking your breath, gently shift some attention into your surroundings. Feel your feet on the floor and name three things that you can see.

2. Give yourself a comfortable place to rest: Support your back, let your arms settle, and ease any clothing that feels restrictive.

3. Give your attention somewhere else to go: Choose one gentle activity. Listen to familiar music, stroke your pet, or sit with someone you trust. There is no need to wait until you feel perfectly calm.

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

If you've spent today watching every breath, please know this: you don't have to feel completely calm to deserve a moment of kindness. Just pressing play was enough. Keep that gentleness close in the Anchored app:

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

For another gentle session, look for Breathe With Me in the Calming Anxiety library. And for Martin's free guide, 5 Things to Try When Anxiety Hits, visit https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

If this helped, please share it with someone who's been quietly struggling with their breathing, and leave a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts. It really does help the next anxious listener find their way here.

 

Take care of yourself today, my friend. I'll be here with you again tomorrow. And in everything, especially to all that you are, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.