Calming Anxiety
What if Everything Goes Wrong - A Meditation for Overthinking and Anxiety
It isn't happening. Not yet, not today, perhaps not ever. And still you can see it in detail and in colour — the phone call, the conversation, the moment it all comes apart. Your mind has built the whole thing brick by brick, then walked you through it slowly so you don't miss anything. What if everything goes wrong? That's the thought, isn't it. And it isn't a small one. It arrives with a heartbeat attached.
Today we sit with that question and take its power away, gently, without arguing with it. This is a session about overthinking, catastrophic thinking, worst case scenario thinking, and the what ifs that run all night. If the what ifs tend to find you at two in the morning, Anchored was built for exactly that — over 3,000 sessions you can actually search, so when one particular worry has hold of you, you can find the session for it and press play in the dark. It works offline, and Instant Calm is always there: no subscription, no waiting, no hunting.
Here is the thing worth knowing. When the mind rehearses a disaster, your body doesn't know it's a rehearsal — it rehearses too. Heart rate up, breath high and shallow in the chest. That is why the thought feels true: your body is agreeing with it. So today's breath is the physiological sigh, sometimes called cyclic sighing. It is something your body already does on its own after crying or a shock — that double catch of breath — and we are simply doing it on purpose. Two in, one long out. You can do it in a meeting, in a car park, on the stairs, and nobody will ever see. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
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.
It's not happening, not yet, not today, perhaps not ever, and still you can see it in detail in colour, the phone call, the conversation, the moment it all comes apart. Your mind has built the whole thing, brick by brick, and then walked you through it slowly, so you don't miss anything. What if everything goes wrong? What's the thought, isn't it?
That's the one, and it isn't a small thought. It arrives with a heartbeat attack, so today we're going to sit with that question and take its power away, gently, without arguing with it. Today is about overthinking, about catastrophic thinking and worst case scenario thinking, and the what ifs that run all night? This is calming anxiety, I'm your host Martin, 10 minutes every day for whatever you've woken up carrying.
And before we begin, if the what ifs tend to find you at 2 in the morning, I'd built Anchored for exactly that. It's out on iOS now, over 3000 sessions that you can actually search, so when one particular worry has hold of you, you can find the session for it and press play in the dark. It works offline, and there's an instant camp hand that's always there, no subscription, no waiting, no hunting. Now let's get out of the rehearsal room.
And you're quiet place now, to settle. Feet on the floor or under the covers, either is fine. Let your eyes close, if that feels safe. Here's what I want you to notice first.
When the mind rehearses a disaster, your body doesn't know it's rehearsal. It rehearses too, heart rate up, breath high and shallow in the chest. And this is why the thought feels true, because your body is agreeing with it. Today's breath is the physiological side.
You may hear it called cyclic sign, it's something your body already does on its own. Do you mean crying or a shock? It's that double catch of breath. We're simply doing it on purpose.
So we breathe in through the nose for a count of four, and just at the top an extra deep sip, hold for two, then out for six. Ready? Breathe in. Two, three, four, sip.
Hold, two, release, two, three, four, five, six.
Again, round two, in through the nose. Ready? Breathe in. Two, three, four, sip.
Hold, two, and out. Two, three, four, five, six.
Allow your shoulders to come down. Round three, last one. Breathe in. Two, three, four, sip.
Hold, two, breathe out. Two, three, four, five, six. Excellent. And that's the whole technique.
Two in, one long out. You can do it in a meeting, in a car park on the stairs. Nobody else will ever see. Now let's talk about your mind.
You're tempted to have thought, feeling the breathing, and then picturing these words and the thing is, you don't have to believe them now. You just allow them to sink into the deeper parts of your consciousness to help guide you, take back control, so imagine them, visualise them, and repeat them softly or silently.
I am not my thoughts. I am not my thoughts. A thought arrived, it is not a forecast.
I can stop overthinking without stopping my thoughts.
I am allowed to leave the worst case scenario where I found it.
So what ifs can be there and I can still rest?
I let go of what I cannot control.
Intrusive thoughts pass through me, they do not live within. I do not have to rehearse a future that has not happened.
I can sit with uncertainty. I am safe and I am here.
I am relaxed now. Again expanding your awareness to feel the almost hypnotic rhythm of the rise and form of every breath. Filling your lungs with hope, with focus and clarity, and then as you exhale, releasing, unwinding. And then once more, within the beauty of your mind's eye, I am not my thoughts.
I can stop overthinking without stopping my thoughts.
I am allowed to leave the worst case scenario where I found it.
The what ifs can be there and I can still rest.
I let go of what I cannot control.
Intrusive thoughts pass through me, they do not live within.
I do not have to rehearse a future that has not happened.
Within this moment of peace, of tranquility, take note of these three daily caring tips.
One, when a what if arrives, name it out loud. Today that's a what if, because naming a thought is what stops you becoming it. Two, give your worrying a worry window. Fifteen minutes at the same time each day and when a worry turns up outside it, tell it to wait it's turn.
Three, write down the what if on a piece of paper and answer it once properly and in the full, because a worry that has been answered on paper stops asking to be answered at three in the morning. Start to come back now. Wiggle your fingers, now your toes. Feel the chair or the bed holding you up.
It's been there the whole time. Breathe in, hold and as you exhale stretch out the arms and when you're ready my friend. Open your eye. If you'd like to take this with you, anchored is on iOS, search whatever it is that's got hold of you and there'll be a session waiting and if today helped you, please share it with someone who's been quietly rehearsing something on their own.
It cost you nothing and it could mean everything to them. I'll be here with you again tomorrow so in everything my friend, as always, be kind.