Overthinking the Future — 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Panic and Anxiety — Part 2 of 3

Do you ever find yourself worrying about something that hasn't happened? Then imagining what might happen after that? One thought becomes another. A small uncertainty turns into a whole afternoon spent trying to prepare, but every possibility.

If you've been wondering how to stop overthinking for the future, you can give yourself a little space here. For the next few minutes, there is nothing you need to predict. Hi there. This is Calming Anxiety.

I'm Martin and this is the second of three sessions in when your mind won't stop. Today we're making room to step back from what if thought and return to the moment we're actually living. You can enjoy this guided meditation on its own. If you joined me for our first session yesterday on overthinking after conversations, welcome back.

So find your quiet place somewhere company that your hands rest wherever they settle naturally. You can close your eyes or keep them open with a soft, easy gaze. Begin by noticing what is supporting you. To chair beneath you, the bed, the floor and the off-beat.

Feel where the body meets that support. There's no need to hold yourself quite so firmly. Let the shoulders settle just a little more. Allow the jaw to loosen.

And simply notice that you're breathing. There's no counting today, no breath to hold and no depth to achieve. Let the air arrive comfortably. Then notice the gentle movement as it leaves.

As you breathe out, allow a little of the effort in your face to soften. Get the next breath, find its own way in. You don't have to manage every part of this moment. Choose somewhere company to rest your attention.

Perhaps a worry is already asking to be heard. What if it doesn't work out? What if I make the wrong choice? You don't need to argue with those questions.

For now, try noticing them as questions your mind is producing, rather than instructions you have to follow. You might quietly say to yourself, "I'm noticing a what if thought." Then feel the support beneath you once more. Notice the air leaving your body.

Listen to the sounds around you. Give yourself a moment to be here before deciding whether that thought needs anything from you. Sometimes our minds keep searching because an answer would feel reassuring. And when the answer isn't available, it can keep turning the same question over and over.

But feeling that if you think a little longer, you might finally reach certainty. You're allowed to take a break while you don't yet know. Relax. Feel the movement of your body as you breathe and with every out breath allow the mind to find a little more balance.

The muscles in your shoulder and neck to loosen a little further. Notice whether your shoulders can release some of the work that you've been carrying. Let the out breath leave gently. You are practicing a return and every return can be gentle.

You don't need to rehearse every version of tomorrow during this breath. Relax. An unwind. Now, simply visualize these five affirmations.

You can repeat each one quietly or simply listen. Let the word be something to consider without needing to force a feeling. So relax. Unwind.

Imagine and repeat. I can leave some questions unanswered for now. A what if thought is a possibility, not a prediction?

I can take one useful step without solving everything.

I am allowed to rest while life remains uncertain.

I can meet what comes with care and ask for support when I need it.

Allow those words to settle in whatever way feels comfortable. We don't have to feel completely confident about the future. Perhaps for now you can feel a little bit more connected to the place where you are sitting. A little bit more aware of your body.

And then once more, in the beauty of your mind, imagine and repeat. I can leave some questions unanswered for now. A what if thought is a possibility, not a prediction?

I can take one useful step without solving everything.

I am allowed to rest while life remains uncertain.

I can meet what comes with care and ask for support when I need it.

Relax. And maybe if your thoughts are still busy you will still continue to treat yourself gently, being a little bit more aware of your body, a little bit more connected with the space around you. So before we finish, as always my friend, here are your three daily caring tips.

One, ask yourself whether this is a problem you can act on today. If it is, choose one manageable step. Write the email, check the appointment time and make a short list of what you need. Two, give recurring worries somewhere to wait.

Keep a notebook or a note on your phone, write down the concern and choose a brief time during the day to look at it. Three, make a small plan for support. If a concern feels difficult, consider who could help you think it through, a friend someone you trust or a professional who understands the situation. You don't need to know every answer yourself.

Now gently, bring your attention back to the room, notice the sounds nearby, feel the surface beneath you. Whiggle your fingers and toes, then breathe in, hold, then as you exhale, roll those shoulders and stretch out the arms and lift your eyes or steady your gaze. Take a moment before moving on. Think here, for putting your faith and trust in all I do.

This has been over thinking the future, the second session in our, when your minds won't stop. In our third and final session, we'll explore how to calm, racing thoughts and allow a busy mind to unwind. That's it. And now, my own hands, so you can turn off now if you wish.

If you'd like more support between episodes, do download my app Anchored, that I wrote it's got all of this, two and a half thousand shows, easy to find what you're after. Then it's got books at bedtime, the ambient nightlight and box breathing. It's in iOS and Android, there's a link in the show notes. And one more bit, I'm creating a new app called Thole, THOLE, it's to get the body and mind working together and reclaim your health and fitness.

If you'd like to test it on Android now and iOS, it's in testing, there's a link for that as well. Adverts over. Have a lovely day, my friend. I love them, positive thoughts whenever you can and then especially to you, be kind.