Calming Anxiety
Stop Overthinking and Anxiety Learn to Calm Your Mind in 10 Minutes
The Science of Calm: Why shallow breathing affects your carbon dioxide levels and keeps your brain on "high alert."
Box Breathing for Anxiety: A step-by-step walkthrough of the 4-4-4-4 technique used to signal your brain that the emergency is over.
Detaching from Intrusive Thoughts: Learn to acknowledge racing thoughts like passing cars without getting caught in the traffic.
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.
If your mind won't stop racing and you feel trapped in a loop of overthinking and anxiety, take a deep breath. You aren't losing control. Your nervous system is just stuck in high alert. I'm Martin and in the next 10 minutes we're going to hit the reset button together.
We're going to learn exactly how to stop overthinking by grounding your body and silencing those intrusive thoughts. You are safe. Let's begin. This is calming anxiety.
I'm a clinical hypnotherapist, former paramedic, and if you're looking for a deeper transformation, you can find my anxiety breaker course at calminganxiety.fm. But right now, let's focus on this moment right here. Find somewhere quiet for a while where you won't be disturbed. You can sit or lie down whichever you prefer.
To address overthinking anxiety, we have to move out of the head and into the body. When your mind won't stop racing, it's usually because the carbon dioxide levels are slightly off due to shallow breathing. We're going to use the box breathing method today, a favourite for emergency responders and to stop those intrusive thoughts in their tracks. So follow me.
We're going to breathe in for a counterfall. Hold the four, exhale for four and stay empty for four. Ready to breathe in? Here we go.
In two, three, four. Hold two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. Empty, two, three, four.
And just relax. We're here to slow the thoughts. As you breathe, realise that learning how to stop overthinking starts with this physical rhythm. You are telling your brain that the emergency is over.
If an intrusive thought enters, simply acknowledge it like a passing car and then once more, following my guide. Ready?
Just sitting or lying there, feel the tension in your shoulders, your jaw, just melting away.