Anxiety relief in ten minutes, with nothing to achieve. If you're listening right in the middle of anxiety, stay here. You don't have to switch anxiety off. You can simply learn to turn it down a little, one breath at a time. This gentle guided meditation for anxiety is for any moment you need to unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders and let your nervous system settle, whether you're heading back into your day or getting ready for sleep.
For a quiet place to return to whenever anxiety catches you out, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app.
The script
Transcribed from the audio, so the odd word may be off. Tap any line while it plays to keep the words in step with Martin's voice.
Welcome to calming anxiety, your ten minutes of daily guided meditation. With me your host Martin, I'm a clinical hypnotherapist. I was a paramedic for over twenty years. If you enjoy these shows, find them all in the app anchored, over two and a half thousand of them, just for that perfect moment of calm.
But right now find that quiet place all to yourself, somewhere comfy to sit or lie down where you won't be disturbed and if you feel safe, allow your eyes to close, unclench the jaw, let the shoulders drop, allow the hands to rest open and become heavy.
And today we just focus on the breath, gently breathing in through the nose, pausing at the top to appreciate this gift of time and then slowly out through the mouth.
A gentle count in for four, hold the two out for six. Ready with me, breathe in two, three, four, hold two, release, two, three, four, five, six, just let yourself melt into the surface beneath you. Imagine every out breath just turning the volume down of life, the muscle on your forehead, softening, relax and drift. Let's do that again, ready my friend?
Breathe in two, three, four, pause, two, release, two, three, four, five, six.
You don't have to switch anxiety off, just learn how to turn it down a little.
Because if you're listening in the moment of anxiety, just stay with me, nothing has to be achieved. Just feel the breathing. Let's do that again, breathe in two, three, four, hold two, exhale, two, three, four, five, six, deeper and deeper into this wonderful, natural, trans-like state. With every out breath, with every word I say, with every beat of your beautiful heart, allow the body to become heavier, let the breath find its own rhythm.
There is no need to stay alert. Be imagine thinking into the surface beneath you. Deeper and deeper. And now just feel your breathing with your thoughts, the way your chest rises and expands.
But when you exhale, that natural feeling of unwinding, like taking the deepest of size at the end of a long day and allowing the tension, the stress, just to drift away, to leave your mind, your body in a state of balance and calm.
You are here, you are breathing and this moment is enough.
So within the beauty of your mind's eye, as you find this moment of balance, of mindful equilibrium, here are your five affirmations to take with you. Visualize them as I say them and repeat them either softly or silently. I can slow down one breath at a time. I do not have to solve everything right now.
I can feel anxious and still be safe within this moment.
I am allowed to rest my body and my mind.
With every breath I can let a little more go.
Deeper and deeper, you allow yourself to one wind. Relax, calm and in control when you make this connection with the out breath. So relax ever further my friend. And then once more, within the beauty of your imagination, visualize and repeat.
I can slow down one breath at a time.
I do not have to solve everything right now.
I can feel anxious and still be safe within this moment.
I am allowed to rest my body and my mind.
With every breath I can let a little more go.
And just drift now. No where to be. Nothing to do. Just don't do it yourself and simply giving yourself time and learning to love once more all that you are.
To walk forward having discarded the negative anchors of your path. Relax deeply, safely and then within this moment.
Take with you these three daily caring tips. One, when anxiety rises today, don't immediately ask, how do I get rid of this? Instead ask, what can I do to make this moment easier? Two, give yourself three deliberately slow breaths before responding to something stressful.
Not to become perfectly calm, just create a little space between the feeling and your reaction. Three, tonight put your phone down for ten minutes before sleep and simply breathe.
Not scrolling, no news, no solving tomorrow. Just give your nervous system a few minutes without another demand. Now time to bring your thoughts back into the space around you. So wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Notice the room, the sounds, the feeling. Take a breath in now, hold at the top and then as you exhale stretch out the arms and then roll the shoulders. And if you're going back to your day, open your eyes slowly. If you're preparing for sleep, there's no need to do anything at all.
Thank you for putting your faith in trust in all that I do with calming anxiety. If you want my five tips to help with anxiety, absolutely free. Head over to calminganxiety.org/calm and download the five tips. There you go.
And if you want to support the show, which would be really awesome, please download Anchored It's on Android and iOS. There's a direct link within the show notes. It was written by me, it's all for me. All of my shows are there and I've just revamped the books at bedtime so that you can search by author now.
Thank you my friend. So have a lovely day, truly. Never give up. Life is full of ups and downs, but your bounce back quicker, more positive now.
Take care, smile often. And then be kind.