I’m Tired of Being the Strong One - A 10-Minute Meditation for Emotional Exhaustion, Anxiety and Letting Go

"Someone asked you today, how you were, and you said fine, straight away, before the question had properly finished. You didn't even decide to say it, it just came out the way it always does, smooth and quick, and completely automatic." "And you are fine, that's the maddening part, you're managing, things are getting done, nobody is worried about you." "It's just that somewhere underneath all the managing, there's a tiredness that stopped you mentioning it to anybody, not sleepy tied, something further down than that.

I'm tired of being the strong one. There it is, that's today my friend, we're not fixing it, not explaining it, just for 10 minutes, we'll put it down." This is calming anxiety, and I'm your host Martin, clinical hypnotherapist, and years before that are paramedic. The thing is, you get good at it, you get so good at it that the calm face stops being something you put on and starts being the only face you've got, and nobody ever asks the person how they are on the way home, not because they don't care.

Because your calm face is very convincing, and just as we start, today is sponsored by Anchored, my own app. Ankit has a sleep timer, and it fades itself out. You don't have to stay awake to turn it off, you don't have to remember it, you don't have to come back and deal with it. One thing in your day, that looks after itself.

So find your quiet place, and just breathe with me. We'll breathe in for four, hold the two, and out for six. Ready my friend? Breathe in two, three, four, hold two, release, two, three.

Four, five, six. And just float now in the space in your thoughts. Allow the tension to melt as you breathe out. This next time, just place a hand on the center of your chest to give your heart warmth, and then breathe with me once more.

Breathe in two, three, four, hold two, relax, two, three, four, five, six.

Maybe focus on the muscles around your shoulders, feel them loosen as you breathe out. Just do that once more together with kindness to all that we are. Ready? Breathe in two, three, four, hold two, breathe out, two, three, four, five, six.

Now let your breathing find its own pace. You can keep your hand over your chest if you wish, to be aware of the almost hypnotic rhythm of the rise and form of every breath. Maybe scan the body for an area of tension and breathe into this space, release it with kindness.

Relax with me now, as if floating further and further down, deeper and deeper into a natural trance like state. Now I want you to notice something you've probably not noticed once today. The chair or the bed or the floor is taking your whole weight. It's holding all of you every pound and it's been there the entire time we've been talking.

You haven't had to hold yourself up at all. Feel that. Where your back meets the chair, the backs of your legs, your feet on the floor, all of it, being carried by something that isn't you. Now relax, ever deeper and within the peace, the sanctuary of your thoughts.

I'd like you to visualize these words, say them inwardly with me in your own voice, no effort. I am tired of being the strong one and I am allowed to say so.

I do not have to be capable to be worth something.

This emotional exhaustion is not a weakness in me.

I can put this down without letting anybody know.

I am being carried, the chair, the floor, the ground beneath it, all of it is holding me.

I am allowed to be tired. I am allowed to be worn out. I do not have to earn my rest. I am say, I am here.

There is nothing to fear right now. Now drift my friend, appreciating this gift of time you've given yourself to find true balance and self-worth and to reunite mind, body and song as one.

Relax and unwind, imagine and repeat. I am tired of being the strong one and I am allowed to say so.

I do not have to be capable to be worth something.

Right now nothing is being held together by me.

I am allowed to be tired. I am allowed to be worn out. To take this sense of understanding and self-care with you here are your three daily caring tips. One, say I can't today out loud once to something small and low stakes, not to improve a point but simply to say the words that have been in your mouth.

Two, do one thing badly on purpose. A shortcut dinner, the washing up left till the morning, the dishes stacked and ignored and then let it stay done badly. Three, sit down for five minutes with nothing in your hands, no phone, no tidings, no list and let the chair take your weight. The weight did just now.

Now let's come back slowly. There is no hurry. Deepen your breath a little. Circle your fingers and narrow your toes.

Breathe in, hold and as you exhale roll your shoulders once and notice that is a different set of shoulders from the ones you sat down with. The weight is still the with you. You can pick it up on the way out. Thank you.

One gentle word before we go. If this tiredness has been with you constantly for a long stretch, months rather than a hard week, it is worth mentioning it to someone. Not because anything is wrong with you, just because you tell the friend as well. And then finally my friend.

If you haven't, if you've got one minute spare now, do go and check out Anchored I wrote it during one of my hardest moments in life. I did it so that it becomes a repository, a true library of calm and care that anyone who needs it. It's free, although you can turn all the ads off and download everything for the price of a large coffee. And that lasts you a month.

It's rather wonderful. Thank you. Have a lovely day. I'll try not to ramble on too much.

Take care of yourself, my friend. I'll be here again with you tomorrow, so in everything, especially to you. Be kind.