I Can’t Stop Thinking About Everything - 10 Minute Guided Meditation for Anxiety

Hi there, and welcome to calming anxiety with me your host Martin. I'm a clinical hypnotherapist and a former paramedic. So sometimes, the most exhausting part of your day is everything happening inside your own mind, replaying a conversation, wondering whether you've forgotten something and thinking about tomorrow while still trying to make sense of yesterday. And perhaps, when you finally have a quiet moment, your thoughts seem to get louder.

These next few minutes, there is nothing you need to work out. You can have unfinished thoughts and still allow yourself to rest. You can have some quiet and comfy now where you won't be disturbed. You can sit or lie down, head phones as well if you wish and let your eyes close if that feels safe and comfy.

Feel the surface supporting you. Allow your breathing to find its own natural comfy rhythm. There is no counting today, there is no particular depth to reach, no need to make your breathing different. Simply notice the sensation of breathing out, the gentle movement of air leaving your body.

Perhaps a small settling through the chest, a softening around your shoulders, and less effort in your stomach. There may be that natural sense of release. Give yourself a moment to notice it however subtle it feels. As your next out breath arrives, see whether your jaw can soften slightly, let your tongue rest comfortably.

Now the muscles in and around your eyes and eyelids to ease. You don't have to push the tension away. Just notice where you might be able to stop holding on quite so tightly. Your mind may already have wondered and that's natural.

You haven't interrupted the relaxation or done anything wrong. This thinking has happened and gently returned to the feeling of breathing out, the air leaving, the body settling, the support beneath you. A thought can be present without becoming your next task. A question can remain unanswered for a while.

Perhaps say quietly to yourself, there is a thought about what might happen or my mind is replaying that conversation. Simply recognizing what the mind is doing can give you a little room to choose where the tension goes next and for now bring it back to the out breath.

Let your hands soften. Let the shoulders settle wherever they feel comfy. Allow this moment to be enough to rest in. You are allowed to rest before everything is resolved.

Notice the next natural breath leaving your body. If it feels helpful, let a quiet word accompany it. Relief. There is no need to repeat it with every breath.

Just let it be a gentle invitation. Maybe the word relax. Unwine. Just allow yourself to drift ever further down into a natural trance like state.

I am going to offer you though five affirmations. You can repeat them silently or simply listen. Allow each one to be a possibility that you can practice. Visualize the color of the shape of each word as I say them.

I give myself permission to leave some questions and answer today.

I can bring my attention back to what is here one gentle moment at a time.

I deserve kindness when my mind feels busy.

I can take one useful step that allow myself to rest.

I can notice a thought without following it through.

And now feel the out breath again. That sense of natural unwinding, of relaxation and release. And truly imagine yourself, your consciousness softly cradle, flowing further and further down, relaxed and balanced. The thoughts within the monologue of your mind now with a newfound clarity, self-compassion and understanding.

And then once more, in the beauty of your mind's eye, visualize and repeat.

I give myself permission to leave some questions and answer today.

I can bring my attention back to what is here one gentle moment at a time.

I deserve kindness when my mind feels busy.

I can take one useful step that allow myself to rest.

I can notice a thought without following it through.

And now simply be in this moment this gift of time to heal, to reset, to find your own sense of worth and balance. Let those words settle. There is nothing you need to memorize. Return to the simple sensation of breathing out.

Maybe the body feels a little softer now, perhaps the thoughts are still busy. Either way, you can keep offering yourself this gentle return. Feel your hands resting. Notice the contact beneath your feet or legs.

Hear the sounds around you without needing to identify everyone. You are here. And for this moment, you can allow that to be enough. Before we finish, here are your three daily caring tips.

One, give the thoughts somewhere to go. When the same worry keeps circling, write it down in a sentence, then ask yourself, is there one useful action I can take? There is, choose it. If there isn't, you can leave the thought on the page.

Two, gently reconnect with your surroundings. Feel your feet against the floor. Notice the warmth of a mug in your hands, the colour of something nearby, or the sounds outside the window. Three, make room for a little less input.

Choose a short part of your day to put your phone aside and let yourself do one thing at a time. Eat something slowly. Walk for a few minutes, sit somewhere comfy. Now, feel yourself in the sport once again beneath you, and then another comfy out breath.

Now, wiggle your fingers and then your toes. Begin to notice the room around you again. Breathe in, hold, and then as you breathe out, roll the shoulders and then stretch out the arms. And when you're ready, let your eyes open or lift your game.

Take your time. One thing at a time. If you'd like to make more moments like this part of your day, you can explore anchored my app from Calming Anxiety. Visit CarmingAnxiety.org and check out everything we have there to help you overcome anxiety and stress.

It worked for me, and that's why I built it. Have a lovely day. One last thing I've created an app to get our bodies fit and healthy as well. It's in testing for iOS.

So if you're listening on an iPhone and you just want to try out something from me to help you, there's no catch. I just need people to try it. There's a link in the show notes. Just click on it, install it, and then let me know what you think.

Right, I'll let you go. Thank you for your time, my friend. Thank you for putting your faith and trust in all I do. Have a lovely day.

And as always, be kind.