I Can't Stop My Anxious Thoughts — A 10-Minute Meditation to Quiet the Mind

It's late, or it's early, or it's the middle of a perfectly ordinary day. And your body has stopped, but your mind hasn't got the message yet. One thought finishes, and before it's even landed, the next one's already talking. Something you said, something you didn't say, something that might go wrong tomorrow, or next week, and in a conversation that hasn't even happened yet.

You've tried telling it to stop, that's usually the moment it gets louder. So let's start with the thing that nobody tells you. You don't have to make your mind go quiet. This is calming anxiety.

I'm your host Martin, and for the next 10 minutes, I'm just going to sit here with you. While that busy mind of yours does what busy minds do. If this is a shape you recognize, lying there, while your thoughts run laps. You might want anchored in your pocket for the next time it happens at 2 in the morning.

It's a small thing. It's just there when you need it. But now you've got me, and you've got 10 minutes. We're going to use something called "Force 7-8 Breathing."

I spent years as a paramedic, and one of the first things you learn is that you can't talk someone out of panic, but you can change what their body is doing, and the mind tends to follow the body's lead. You'll breathe in for a count of 4, through the nose, then hold that breath gently for 7, and then out through the mouth slowly for 8. Longer than in, it's the exhale that does the work. If it's slightly too long for today, just do what's easier.

Ready? With me. Breathe in. Now, you're going to do the first step.

And then, you're going to do the first step, then you're going to do the first step. out through the mouth 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 and again breathing 2 3 4 4s 2 3 4 5 6 7 release 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 maybe notice your thoughts probably haven't stopped that's fine they're not supposed to we're not switching off your mind we're just giving the body somewhere else to calm down somewhere to stand and the mind can do whatever it's doing let's do another round ready my friend in through the nose 2 3 4 hold 2 3 4 5 6 7 and out 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 and just unwind let the hands go soft as if you're letting go of something that you've been carrying for the day I trained as a clinical hypnotherapist and if there's one idea I come back to more than any other it's this a thought is not an instruction it's just something that turned up here's a way to picture it imagine your mind is a house with a letterbox all day and especially at night letters come through summer boring some are urgent looking red stamped open me now some of the same letters you've already read 40 times back and over again you don't have to open every letter that comes through the door you don't have to read it end to end and you don't have to write back you are not the thoughts you can let them lie there on the mat and it will still be a letter and you can still be the house so let's practice this visualize these words repeat them softly if you wish I do not have to song this thought right now I can notice a thought arrive without following it out of the door my mind is allowed to be busy I am allowed to become underneath it I am having a thought though that is not the same as the thought being true I do not need to answer every question my anxiety asks of me some thoughts can just sit on the mat until morning now let your shoulders drop just slightly as though something you've been holding on to just slid off them and onto the floor and feel the out breath drift deeply safely sinking down further and further with every exhalation then once more I do not have to solve this thought right now my mind is allowed to be busy and I am allowed to become underneath I do not need to answer every question my anxiety asks of me and relax my friend deeper and deeper and deeper still with every out breath with every beat of your beautiful heart and to help you stay in this mindful balance state no matter where you are or what is happening around you here are your three daily caring tips one when a thought loops back to the third or fourth time try naming it out loud that's the one again rather than arguing with it naming it take some of its power away to keep a scrap of paper by the bed if a thought insisted need solving right now write down three words about it and tell yourself you're looking at it in daylight most things look smaller by breakfast three once today when you catch your mind middle of try the long out breath on its own in for four out for eight even just once you don't need the full ten minutes to borrow a little bit of calm so gently bring your awareness back within the space around you wiggle your fingers and toes roll your shoulders breathe in hold it at the top and then as you sigh out stretch out the arms overhead thank you if today's session helped you please share it with a friend family or colleague if tonight or one of these nights you feel dark in need of help anchored will be there the same voice the same ten minutes whenever your mind decides it needs help it's on IOS right now android in a couple of weeks it's free to download and for less than a price of a large mocker you get all of this advert free and so much more every month take care my friend smile often positive thoughts whenever you can and then your beautiful song be kind you