Calming Anxiety

The Related Muff by E. Nesbit — A Calming Christmas Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off to sleep with this gentle bedtime story, a classic audiobook narrated aloud for insomnia relief and deep relaxation as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's sleep story is The Related Muff by E. Nesbit, the much-loved author of The Railway Children and The Story of the Treasure Seekers. It's a warm, funny Christmas tale about first impressions, quiet courage and a cousin nobody wanted. It was first published in her 1905 collection Oswald Bastable and Others and is long in the public domain: Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing narrated short story, it's Christmas Eve and there will be no proper Christmas this year: Aunt Ellie has come home ill from India, Mother has rushed to her side, and Father is away with his ship. Then Mother returns in a cab, not with presents, but with cousin Sydney, thin, quiet and buried in Treasure Island, who won't join in any of their games. Rupert, Hilda and Hugh decide he's nothing but a "related muff". But when a game of flying machines on the stairs goes badly wrong, it's Sydney who acts. Tender, funny and full of Nesbit's sharp eye for how children really think, this is a story about kindness, getting people wrong, and the courage that sometimes hides in the quietest person in the room. If you can't sleep, lie awake at night with a racing mind, or simply love classic children's literature read aloud, let this calm, unhurried bedtime reading ease anxiety and carry you softly towards rest. Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Do I Feel Anxious When It Gets Dark Early? — A 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Dark Evenings & Winter Anxiety | 4-2-6 Breathing Why do I feel anxious when it gets dark so early? You come out of the door in the afternoon and the light is already going, and something in you drops. It's not dramatic, just a small, quiet sinking under the ribs. Nothing has happened. It's the same evening, the same jobs, the same house. And yet it feels like the day is over and you haven't done enough with it. As the clocks go back and the nights draw in, this guided meditation is for that winter-evening anxiety. If anxiety or panic sometimes catches you when you least expect it, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app, now while you're feeling okay.The big blue Instant Calm button is completely free, works offline and needs no signing up. Search "Anchored: Panic & Anxiety", or get it on the App Store athttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses 4-2-6 breathing: in through the nose for four, a gentle rest for two, and out through the mouth for six. Then comes a gentle reframe. You haven't run out of the day, only the light. The early dark isn't a verdict, a deadline or a judgement on what you've done. It's simply the planet doing what it does every year, and the evening ahead is more of your day, just happening after dark. Calming affirmations and three simple caring tips for darker evenings follow. Want more support? Download Martin's free Five Things to Try When Anxiety Hits at https://calminganxiety.org/calm. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – When the Light Goes Early* 00:41 – Welcome & Anchored's Instant Calm Button* 01:27 – Finding Your Quiet Place* 01:47 – 4-2-6 Breathing* 04:08 – You Haven't Run Out of the Day* 04:26 – The Dark Is Not a Verdict* 05:27 – Affirmations for Dark Evenings* 06:34 – Drifting Deeper* 07:57 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:12 – Coming Back Gently* 09:42 – A Note From Martin 

The White Cat by E. Nesbit — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off to sleep with this gentle bedtime story, a classic audiobook narrated aloud for insomnia relief and deep relaxation as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's sleep story is The White Cat by E. Nesbit, the much-loved author of The Railway Children and Five Children and It. It's a warm, magical fairy tale about a little boy, a chipped china cat and a family secret hidden for 150 years. It was first published in her 1912 collection The Magic World and is long in the public domain: Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night. Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing narrated short story, young Tavvy has had a wonderfully wicked afternoon. Last of all, he knocks a little white china cat off its shelf in the forbidden attic. When his mother lets him keep it for his very own, the china cat begins to speak, and each night she carries him away to her enchanted castle of gold and ivory, with invisible hands serving supper and a bed with a counterpane of butterfly wings. But Tavvy's mother has troubles of her own, and the family may have to leave their beloved old house. What happens next is pure Nesbit: tender, funny and full of quiet magic, with an ending that will leave you smiling. If you can't sleep, lie awake at night with a racing mind, or simply love classic children's literature read aloud, let this calm, unhurried bedtime reading ease anxiety and carry you softly towards rest. Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Panic Attack Relief — Ride the Wave Until It Passes | Box Breathing Guided Meditation If your heart is hammering, your hands are tingling and some frightened part of you is certain something terrible is about to happen — start here. This is Panic Attack Relief: a 10-minute guided meditation to help you float through a panic attack instead of fighting it. You are not dying, you are not going mad, you are not losing control. A panic attack is a wave — it rises, it peaks, and every single time, it falls. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this session uses box breathing (also called square breathing or tactical breathing) — the breath taught to soldiers, divers and emergency responders to keep a clear head while the body is screaming to run. We start with gentle counts of three, ease into fours, then settle into warm golden-light affirmations to remind your nervous system that the adrenaline is already finishing its journey and cannot stay. Whether you're on the bathroom floor right now or building your daily calm, this is anxiety relief for panic attacks, breathwork and nervous-system reset — and a reminder that your record is perfect: you have survived every panic attack you have ever had. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – You are not dying: a panic attack is a wave* 00:55 – Welcome (your host Martin, clinical hypnotherapist & former paramedic)* 01:24 – Anchored: the always-there Instant Calm button* 01:57 – Box breathing — threes, then fours (in through the nose, out through the mouth)* 04:44 – The tide goes out: adrenaline has a shelf life* 05:21 – Warm golden light & panic-attack affirmations* 08:35 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:28 – Gently coming back into the room* 10:08 – Outro, share & be kind 

Silence — A Fable by Edgar Allan Poe — A Classic Gothic Bedtime Story, Narrated Audiobook | Books at Bedtime A classic audiobook narrated aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's bedtime story is Silence — A Fable by Edgar Allan Poe, a strange, dreamlike prose poem and one of his least known and most hypnotic works, perfect for the long October nights leading up to Halloween. It was first published in 1838 under the title "Siope — A Fable" and is long in the public domain: Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) died more than 175 years ago. For more calming audiobooks and gentler sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. "Listen to me," said the Demon, as he placed his hand upon my head. In this narrated fable, a demon describes a dreary land beside the river Zaire, where the waters never rest, pale water lilies sigh one unto the other, and the tall primeval trees rock forever though there is no wind. Beneath a crimson moon, a solitary man sits upon a great grey rock, and the demon sets out to unsettle him with storm, thunder and tumult. Nothing moves him, until the demon tries something far stranger. With its rolling, repeating rhythms and rich, incantatory language, this is Poe at his most musical. It's a haunting meditation on solitude, stillness and the power of silence itself, and an unusual choice for anyone who loves classic literature read aloud and a little gothic atmosphere before sleep. Please note: this is an eerie gothic piece, a little darker in mood than our usual gentle sleep stories. If you're feeling anxious or fragile tonight, you may prefer one of our calmer Books at Bedtime readings. Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

I Can Change — New Month New Way of Thinking (Physiological Sigh) A new month can feel like something between a fresh page and a quiet accusation. Part of you is already looking back — at what you meant to do, at what you promised yourself and didn't quite manage. This 10-minute guided meditation offers something kinder: a month is not a report card, and you don't need the first of September to begin again. Martin guides you through setting down the heavy backpack of everything unfinished from last month, then into the physiological sigh — two breaths in through the nose, one long breath out through the mouth. It's the fastest reset your nervous system has, and it makes the point of the whole episode better than any words can: you were already different ninety seconds later. Four guided rounds, followed by a warm golden-light body scan and affirmations for self-compassion, fresh starts and letting go. This is anxiety relief for anyone who feels behind, who is being hard on themselves about how the year is going, or who has quietly given up on something good because they "ruined it" by missing a few days. Every day is a brand new reset — every hour, every breath. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.  ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – Cold open: a month is not a report card* 01:08 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety with Martin* 01:24 – Settling: finding your quiet place* 01:56 – The heavy backpack: setting last month down* 02:50 – The physiological sigh: the science* 03:21 – Four guided rounds* 05:25 – Warm golden light body scan* 06:20 – Today's gentle affirmations* 08:15 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:15 – Coming gently back into the room* 09:48 – Closing thoughts and sign-off  

The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe — A Classic Gothic Bedtime Story, Narrated Audiobook | Books at Bedtime A classic audiobook narrated aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's bedtime story is The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe, one of his shortest and most haunting tales, and a beautifully atmospheric read-aloud as the nights draw in towards Halloween. It was first published in 1842 under the title "Life in Death" and is long in the public domain: Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) died more than 175 years ago. For more calming audiobooks and gentler sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night. Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this narrated short story, a wounded traveller shelters for the night in an abandoned château high in the Apennines. Unable to sleep, he lies in a candlelit turret room hung with tapestries and paintings, reading a small book that describes them. When he moves the candelabrum at midnight, its light falls on a portrait he hadn't noticed before: a young woman in an oval gilded frame, painted with a life-likeness so startling it holds him spellbound. Then he reads her story. This is quiet, dreamlike gothic fiction about art, obsession and love, told in Poe's rich, hypnotic prose. It's a perfect choice if you love classic literature read aloud and a gently haunting tale by candlelight before sleep. Please note: this is a gothic story with a sad and eerie ending, a little darker than our usual gentle sleep stories. If you're feeling anxious or fragile tonight, you may prefer one of our calmer Books at Bedtime readings. Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Anxiety Relief in 10 Minutes — Turn Your Anxiety Down, Not Off | Guided Meditation With 4-2-6 Breathing Anxiety relief in ten minutes, with nothing to achieve. If you're listening right in the middle of anxiety, stay here. You don't have to switch anxiety off. You can simply learn to turn it down a little, one breath at a time. This gentle guided meditation for anxiety is for any moment you need to unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders and let your nervous system settle, whether you're heading back into your day or getting ready for sleep. For a quiet place to return to whenever anxiety catches you out, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses 4-2-6 breathing: in through the nose for four, a gentle pause for two, and slowly out through the mouth for six. With every out-breath you'll imagine turning the volume of life down a little, drifting into deep, natural relaxation. Then come five calming affirmations to take with you, and three simple caring tips for creating a little space between the feeling and your reaction. Want more support? Download Martin's free Five Things to Try When Anxiety Hits at https://calminganxiety.org/calm. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety* 00:27 – Finding Your Quiet Place* 00:57 – 4-2-6 Breathing* 01:53 – Turning the Volume Down* 02:33 – You Don't Have to Switch Anxiety Off* 02:57 – Drifting Deeper Into Relaxation* 04:41 – This Moment Is Enough* 04:50 – Five Affirmations to Take With You* 07:19 – Nowhere to Be, Nothing to Do* 07:57 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 08:56 – Coming Back Gently* 09:34 – A Note From Martin 

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe — A Classic Gothic Bedtime Story, Narrated Audiobook | Books at Bedtime A classic audiobook narrated aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's bedtime story is The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, the most famous short story ever written by the master of gothic fiction, and a perfect read-aloud as the nights draw in towards Halloween. It was first published in 1843 and is long in the public domain: Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) died more than 175 years ago. For more calming audiobooks and gentler sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. "True! Nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?" In this narrated short story, an unnamed narrator insists he is perfectly sane while he tells us, calmly and in careful detail, how he came to fear an old man's pale blue "vulture eye", and what followed on the eighth night. Poe's genius is in the voice: the racing thoughts, the heightened senses and the growing dread of a mind that cannot stop listening. It all builds towards one of the most famous endings in literature. Please note: this is a classic tale of suspense and horror, including a murder, and it is darker than our usual gentle sleep stories. If you're feeling anxious or fragile tonight, you may prefer one of our calmer Books at Bedtime readings instead. But if you love classic literature read aloud and a spine-tingling tale before sleep, settle in. Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Do I Feel Anxious When Nothing Is Wrong? — A 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Anxiety for No Reason | Grounding & Letting Go Why do I feel anxious when nothing is wrong? Everything is fine. Nobody has called with bad news, the house is quiet, and yet there it is: that little knot inside saying something isn't right. This guided meditation is for anxiety for no reason, the frustrating kind where there's nothing you can point to, so your mind goes searching for something to worry about and fills a perfectly ordinary quiet moment with it. For a quiet place to return to whenever this feeling catches you out, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app. Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode doesn't try to find what's wrong. Instead you'll practise what it feels like to stop looking. It starts with simple grounding (one thing you can see, one thing you can hear, one place your body is being held), then moves to noticing your breath without fixing it. Along the way you'll learn why sometimes the feeling comes first and the mind goes looking for an explanation afterwards. Then comes a steadying phrase, "I don't have to know why right now," along with affirmations for unexplained anxiety and three caring tips. Want more support? Download Martin's free Five Things to Try When Anxiety Hits at https://calminganxiety.org/calm. It's five simple things you can reach for when anxiety starts. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Why Do I Feel Anxious When Nothing Is Wrong?* 01:16 – Welcome & Martin's Free Five Things* 02:05 – Practising What It Feels Like to Stop Looking* 02:58 – Grounding: See, Hear, Feel Supported* 03:34 – Noticing the Breath Without Fixing It* 04:08 – When the Feeling Comes First* 05:07 – "I Don't Have to Know Why Right Now"* 05:53 – Softening the Body* 06:20 – Sitting Beside Yourself* 07:04 – Affirmations for Unexplained Anxiety* 08:10 – Floating in the Moment* 08:37 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:33 – Coming Back Gently* 09:55 – A Note From Martin 

An Unfinished Story by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off to sleep with this gentle bedtime story, a classic audiobook narrated aloud for insomnia relief and deep relaxation as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's sleep story is An Unfinished Story by O. Henry, one of his most loved and most quietly moving tales, about a young New York shopgirl living on six dollars a week. It was first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million and is long in the public domain: William Sydney Porter (1862–1910) died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing narrated short story, Dulcie works in a department store and counts every cent: ten for breakfast, a dime saved, five squandered on liquorice drops. So when the notorious "Piggy" invites her to a grand dinner uptown, she spends her last fifty cents on a lace collar and gets ready for her first evening out. But on her dresser, in a gilt frame, stands the one friend whose stern, sorrowful eyes are always watching. Framed by O. Henry's playful dream of angels, judgement and a very particular crowd of prosperous spirits, this is a tender, wry and beautifully observed story about small pleasures, quiet dignity and doing the right thing when nobody else is looking. If you can't sleep, lie awake at night with a racing mind, or simply love classic literature read aloud, let this calm, unhurried bedtime reading ease anxiety and carry you softly towards rest. Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Does My Voice Shake When I'm Anxious? — A 10-Minute Guided Meditation for a Shaky Voice & Anxiety Relief | 6-3-9 Breathing Why does my voice shake when I'm anxious? If your voice trembles or wobbles when you talk, whether in a meeting, on the phone or just saying something that matters, this guided meditation is for that kind of anxiety other people can actually hear. Most of us assume the problem is the throat. But anxiety affects the whole system you speak with: your breathing, the muscle tension around your jaw and shoulders, and the way you control your voice. For a quiet place to return to whenever this feeling catches you out, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode explains why anxious breathing turns short and high in the chest. You try to stand an eleven-word sentence on a breath built for four, and somewhere around word seven the floor runs out. Rather than practising speaking, you'll practise the floor underneath it with 6-3-9 descending breathing: six in, rest for three, and nine slowly out. It's a long, unhurried out-breath your voice can rest on. Then come affirmations for a shaky voice, a calming aura of confidence for the throat and chest, and three caring tips for speaking anxiety. Want more support? Download Martin's free Five Things to Try When Anxiety Hits at https://calminganxiety.org/calm. It's five simple things, so you know what to reach for. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Welcome & Martin's Free Five Tips* 00:44 – Finding Your Quiet Place* 01:00 – Why Your Voice Shakes When You're Anxious* 02:12 – The Grip That Makes It Worse* 02:37 – 6-3-9 Descending Breathing* 04:35 – Letting the Out-Breath Carry a Soft Sigh* 05:28 – The Breath Your Voice Can Rest On* 06:07 – Affirmations for a Shaky Voice* 07:38 – An Aura of Calm Confidence* 08:44 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:49 – Coming Back Gently* 10:26 – A Note From Martin: Five Things to Try 

Between Rounds by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off to sleep with this gentle bedtime story, a classic audiobook narrated aloud for insomnia relief and deep relaxation as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's sleep story is Between Rounds by O. Henry, a warm, funny tale of one May evening at a New York boarding house. It was first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million and is long in the public domain: William Sydney Porter (1862–1910) died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing narrated short story, the May moon shines on Mrs. Murphy's boarding house. Upstairs, Mr. and Mrs. McCaskey are having one of their famously noisy disagreements over supper, and the kitchenware is flying. Then a cry goes up from below: Mrs. Murphy's little boy, Mike, is lost. As the boarders rally in their own comic ways, the McCaskeys pause at the window, and in that quiet moment between rounds they find an unexpected tenderness for each other. What happens next is pure O. Henry: wry, affectionate and with a knowing twist at the end. If you can't sleep, lie awake at night with a racing mind, or simply love classic literature read aloud, let this calm, unhurried bedtime reading ease anxiety and carry you softly towards rest. Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Am I So Frightened of Needing People? — A 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Fear of Relying on Others & Anxiety Relief | 4-6 Breathing Why am I so frightened of needing people? Someone did something kind for you recently, and for about half a second it was lovely. Then something underneath went cold: "What would I do if they weren't here?" Ever since, you've been quietly trying to need them a little less. This guided meditation is for that fear of relying on others, of being a burden and of losing the people who are still right here. For a quiet place to return to whenever this feeling catches you out, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses gentle 4-6 breathing with a small, soft pause after the out-breath, a chance to notice that the next breath arrives without you having to go and get it. Then comes the image of a warm amber lamp left on in a hallway, which is never diminished by being used, along with affirmations for self-worth, and three caring tips for when asking for help feels like running up a debt. Want more support? Download Martin's free Five Things to Try When Anxiety Hits at https://calminganxiety.org/calm. It's a small toolbox for evenings like this, with nothing to sign up to. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Why Am I So Frightened of Needing People?* 00:50 – Welcome & Martin's Free Five Tips* 01:31 – Finding Your Quiet Place* 02:04 – 4-6 Breathing With a Soft Pause* 04:16 – Letting the Breath Arrive* 04:24 – The Amber Lamp: Needing Someone Isn't a Debt* 05:42 – Affirmations for Needing People* 08:26 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:22 – Coming Back Gently* 09:57 – A Note From Martin: Five Things to Try 

Springtime à la Carte by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off to sleep with this gentle bedtime story, a classic audiobook narrated aloud for insomnia relief and deep relaxation as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's sleep story is Springtime à la Carte by O. Henry, a tender, witty tale of love, longing and one very important restaurant menu. It was first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million and is long in the public domain: William Sydney Porter (1862–1910) died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing narrated short story, Sarah is a freelance typist getting through a long, cold New York winter by typing the daily bills of fare for Schulenberg's home restaurant in exchange for her meals. Her heart is still in a country lane at Sunnybrook Farm, where young farmer Walter Franklin crowned her with dandelions and promised to marry her at the very first sign of spring. Then, with no letter from Walter in two weeks, dandelions appear on tomorrow's menu. What happens next is pure O. Henry: gentle, funny and quietly romantic, with one of his warmest endings. If you can't sleep, lie awake at night with a racing mind, or simply love classic literature read aloud, let this calm, unhurried bedtime reading ease anxiety and carry you softly towards rest. Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Can't I Answer When Someone Asks How I Am? — A 10-Minute Meditation for When the Words Won't Come Somebody asked you properly today. They stopped, looked at you, and said, "How are you doing?" — and then they actually waited. There was a half a second in there where you had the chance to tell them. But what came out was, "Yeah, good, you." And you've been carrying that little moment around ever since, because it felt like a lie. It wasn't. This is for anyone who freezes when someone asks how they're doing, who can't find the words to answer honestly, and who's been quietly wondering why such a small question lands so hard. For a place to return to rather than another place to explain yourself, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app, on the App Store athttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Inside it there's a daily check-in that never asks a follow-up question — no one on the other end, nothing to explain, some days you just need to be asked the right amount. This session uses 4-2-6 breathing — in through the nose for four, a two-count rest, out through the mouth for six — and it asks you to notice that rest without gripping it or bracing against it, because it's not a hole to fill, it's two counts in which absolutely nothing is being asked of you. From there we sit with the idea that not having the words isn't the same as not being honest, and that you're not lying to anyone — you just haven't read yourself properly yet. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode is for the moment right after someone asks, and for anyone who's ever wanted to give a truer answer than the one that came out. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – The half-second before you answer* 00:53 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety and the Anchored check-in* 01:32 – Why does such a small question land so hard?* 01:46 – Finding your quiet place* 01:54 – 4-2-6 breathing: the rest that asks nothing of you* 03:54 – You're not lying, you just haven't read yourself yet* 04:19 – Guided affirmations* 07:56 – Three daily caring tips* 08:55 – Coming back gently* 09:19 – Closing and sign-off 

Sisters of the Golden Circle by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is Sisters of the Golden Circle, O. Henry's warm, witty New York story about two newlywed brides who understand each other completely in a single glance. It was first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million and is long in the public domain: William Sydney Porter (1862–1910) died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, James Williams of Cloverdale, Missouri, and his bride of two weeks take the top seats on a Rubberneck sightseeing tour of the big city. Just in front of them sit a girl in a tan jacket and a sharp-eyed young man. Then a plain-clothes detective stops the car looking for a burglar called Pinky McGuire, and one bride does something quietly remarkable for another. It ends with O. Henry's signature twist, as tender as it is funny. This is a gentle, old-fashioned story about kindness, happiness shared and the unspoken understanding between strangers, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Welcome to Books at Bedtime: Sisters of the Golden Circle by O. Henry* 00:10 – The Rubberneck Auto sets off* 01:13 – Two hearts that know each other at a glance* 02:10 – James Williams of Cloverdale and his bride* 03:10 – The sights of the big city* 04:48 – Hattie, once the belle of Cloverdale* 06:46 – "Dear kind fairy": the wedding trip remembered* 07:29 – The girl in the tan jacket and the young man beside her* 08:52 – A glance between two brides* 10:03 – A plain-clothes man stops the car* 11:44 – "Come down, Pinky"* 13:33 – "Go with him quietly, Pinky"* 14:13 – James Williams goes cheerfully mad* 15:15 – The bride explains* 16:55 – Sisters of the plain gold band  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Do I Feel Guilty After Cancelling Plans? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Relief, Guilt and Needing Rest You sent the message — so sorry, won't be able to make it — and for about four seconds you felt wonderful. Genuine relief. Shoulders coming down, the whole evening handed back to you. And then it turned. Now you're here, phone face down on the cushion, feeling like a terrible friend. If cancelling plans leaves you with that exact one-two of relief and guilt, this guided meditation is for the ten minutes after you press send. For a place to return to whenever this happens, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist Martin Hewlett, this episode uses nadi shodhana, alternate nostril breathing, to hold two feelings side by side without either one winning, then moves into affirmation work that separates the relief (a reading on your own fuel gauge) from the guilt (a feeling, never a fact) — because needing rest was never a character flaw. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – The Four Seconds of Relief* 00:40 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:08 – Two Feelings, Not One Argument* 02:20 – Breathing: Alternate Nostril* 04:54 – Setting the Guilt Down* 05:23 – Warmth Spreading Through You* 06:31 – Affirmations for Cancelling Plans* 07:54 – Settling Deeper* 08:14 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 08:57 – Coming Back Gently* 09:22 – A Note From Martin 

From the Cabby's Seat by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is From the Cabby's Seat, O. Henry's warm, funny New York story about a hansom-cab driver and one very unusual fare. It was first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million and is long in the public domain: William Sydney Porter (1862–1910) died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, a wedding party spills out onto a New York sidewalk, and Jerry O'Donovan, the cabby they call Nighthawk, climbs up to his high seat a little the worse for Mr McGarry's hospitality. A young woman steps into his cab and asks to go "anywhere you please". So off they go: up Fifth Avenue, through the cool night air of the park, and on to an evening of music and lights at the Casino. Then comes the question of the four-dollar fare, and O. Henry's signature twist, as warm as it is surprising. This is a gentle, old-fashioned story about small joys and the simple pleasure of a night out, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Welcome to Books at Bedtime: From the Cabby's Seat by O. Henry* 00:09 – The world from the cabby's high seat* 02:16 – A wedding celebration at the Walsh house* 03:23 – Jerry O'Donovan, the Nighthawk, and his well-fed horse* 04:56 – A young woman steps into the cab* 06:19 – "Anywhere you please": up Fifth Avenue and into the park* 08:21 – An evening of music and lights at the Casino* 10:14 – The music ends and the cabs are called* 11:25 – "Have you got the dough?"* 12:02 – A furious gallop through the night streets* 13:03 – The police station, and Jerry's surprise* 13:51 – "I had such a nice time, Jerry" 

Am I Too Much? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Feeling Like a Burden and the Fear of Being Too Much It arrives quietly, usually afterwards, usually once you've been talking for a while. They were kind. They were still listening. And somewhere underneath it, you'd already started apologising in your head for taking up the evening. If you've ever wondered am I too much, or felt afraid of being a burden to the people who love you, this guided meditation sits with exactly that feeling, and gently questions the running total anxiety keeps on your behalf. For more of this kind of support whenever you need it, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app — there's a whole section inside called Confidence and Self-Worth you can return to as often as you like.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist Martin Hewlett, this episode uses a three-part breath (filling the belly, then the ribs, then the top of the chest) to help you take up the whole of your own lungs, before moving into affirmation work that separates needing people from being a burden to them. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – "Am I Too Much?"* 00:40 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:26 – The Running Total* 02:46 – Breathing: The Three-Part Breath* 05:00 – A Gift of Time* 05:27 – Someone Who Is Glad You Exist* 06:31 – Affirmations for Belonging* 08:16 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:08 – Coming Back Gently* 09:46 – A Note From Martin 

An Adjustment of Nature by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is An Adjustment of Nature, O. Henry's affectionate story of three broke young artists, a cheap New York eatery, and the magnificent waitress they consider entirely too perfect to leave — first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million, long in the public domain, with Porter (1862–1910) having died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, our narrator and his two artist friends have come to treasure Millie, the good-natured giant of a waitress at Cypher's cheap restaurant, exactly as she is — so when a wealthy Klondike gold miner takes a sudden fancy to marry her away, the three of them hatch a scheme to protect their favourite piece of the world's natural order. A gentle, unhurried classic with O. Henry's fond wit, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Am I Scared to Get My Hopes Up? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Fear of Disappointment and Bracing for Bad News Something good is coming. It's booked, it's in the diary, somebody's said yes — and yet when anyone asks, you hear yourself say, "if it happens, we'll see. I'm not getting excited yet." You haven't told many people, just in case you have to un-tell them. If you've ever felt scared to get your hopes up, this guided meditation is for that particular kind of bracing, and what it might feel like to let yourself hope anyway. For a place to return to whenever this feeling shows up, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app — no targets, no streaks, nothing to live up to, just there when you need it.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses 4-7-8 breathing (in for four, hold for seven, out for eight) to help the body soften its guard, then moves into affirmation work that separates hope from risk — because bracing doesn't stop the disappointment, it only stops the joy. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Bracing for Good News* 00:45 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:20 – Why Bracing Feels Like Protection* 02:27 – Breathing: 4-7-8* 05:02 – A Little Room to Hope* 05:51 – Affirmations for Looking Forward* 08:22 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:25 – Coming Back Gently* 09:54 – A Note From Martin 

The Coming-Out of Maggie by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is The Coming-Out of Maggie, O. Henry's warm story of a shy paper-box factory girl who finally gets a fellow of her own — first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million, long in the public domain, with Porter (1862–1910) having died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, plain, overlooked Maggie has always been the one left standing at the Saturday night dances — until she turns up on the arm of a dashing new escort, and her whole social club sits up and takes notice. But as the evening at the Clover Leaf Social Club unfolds, a steady-hearted club man named Dempsey Donovan proves there's more to being chosen than a handsome face. A gentle, old-fashioned tale with O. Henry's trademark twist, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

nttobreathe shownotes · TXTI Just Need a Moment to Breathe — A 10-Minute Meditation to Let Go, Relax and Find Your Calm No theme today. Nothing to fix, nothing to overcome, nothing to figure out before you're allowed to feel better. Just ten minutes to sit, breathe, and reconnect with all that you are. If you've been carrying a lot and simply need a moment to breathe, let go and relax, this guided meditation is exactly that — a quiet reset, with nowhere you need to get to. For a place to return to whenever you need this same kind of calm, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses gentle breath awareness and a warm, spreading light visualisation to settle the body, before moving into affirmations of worth, forgiveness and self-acceptance — a small, simple act of self-love to carry with you into the rest of your day. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – No Theme Today, Just Breathe* 00:36 – Settling In* 01:06 – Noticing the Breath* 02:17 – Deepening* 02:40 – A Light Within Your Chest* 04:31 – A Small Smile, A Small Kindness* 05:09 – Affirmations for Worth and Peace* 08:29 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:12 – Coming Back Gently 

Memoirs of a Yellow Dog by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is Memoirs of a Yellow Dog, O. Henry's funny, warm-hearted story narrated entirely by a put-upon little dog stuck in a fussy New York flat — first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million, long in the public domain, with Porter (1862–1910) having died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, our unnamed narrator — a scruffy, opinionated yellow dog of no known pedigree — takes a shine to his henpecked, downtrodden owner, and the two of them finally strike out together for a bit of freedom. Told entirely in the dog's own sharp, funny voice, it's a gentler, more comic side of O. Henry, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Can't I Accept a Compliment? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Deflecting Praise and Receiving Kindness Somebody said something lovely to you recently, and you did that thing — the little wave of the hand, "oh, stop it," or you fired one straight back at them, quick as anything, so the spotlight had somewhere else to go. Afterwards, maybe an hour later, maybe in the car, there was that little thought: why did I do that again? You can hand out compliments all day long, but you can't take one yourself. This guided meditation doesn't try to fix that in ten minutes — it just asks you to notice what happens when something good is offered to you. For a quiet place to return to, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app. Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses a gentle form of kumbhaka — a short, comfortable pause after the exhale, never a held breath — before moving into affirmation work that separates receiving a compliment from having to believe, correct, or perform in response to it. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – The Reflex Before the Thank You* 00:50 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:42 – Noticing Your Escape Route* 02:28 – Breathing: Gentle Kumbhaka (Out 6, Rest 2–3)* 04:50 – Why We Deflect* 05:40 – Affirmations for Receiving* 08:13 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:03 – Coming Back Gently* 09:36 – A Note From Martin 

Man About Town by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is Man About Town, O. Henry's wry, wandering search through turn-of-the-century New York for one elusive social type — first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million, long in the public domain, with Porter (1862–1910) having died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, our curious narrator sets out to finally pin down exactly what a "man about town" is, quizzing a reporter, a bartender, a Salvation Army lassie and a critic along the way, before the city itself delivers the answer in typically O. Henry fashion. A gentle, unhurried classic, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Pins and Needles Anxiety — A 10-Minute Meditation for Tingling Hands and Panic You're sitting perfectly still and your hand doesn't feel like your own hand. That prickling in your fingers, a strange half-numb feeling in the palm — so you test it, open and close your fingers, hold your hand up and look at it, and the more you look, the stranger it feels. If you've been searching for pins and needles anxiety, or wondering about tingling hands anxiety, this guided meditation is for that exact moment. For a place to return to when the sensation comes back, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app — there's no symptom list inside, nothing to look up, just a voice for ten minutes and somewhere quiet to put yourself.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses "walking the breath" — three steps in, four steps out, or gentle finger-taps if you're seated — to ground the body, then moves into affirmation work that reframes pins and needles as a sensation rather than a verdict on what's wrong with you. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – When Your Hand Doesn't Feel Like Your Own* 00:42 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:22 – Why Pins and Needles Happen* 01:43 – Breathing: Walking the Breath (3 In, 4 Out)* 04:16 – A Word From the Ambulance Days* 05:14 – Warmth Spreading to Your Fingertips* 05:50 – Affirmations for Tingling Hands* 07:28 – Settling Deeper* 08:38 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:38 – Coming Back Gently* 10:11 – A Note From Martin 

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry's much-loved Christmas classic about a young couple with almost nothing to spend and everything to give, first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million — long in the public domain, with Porter (1862–1910) having died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night. Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, Della has just one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy her husband Jim a Christmas present worthy of him — so she makes a sacrifice of her own most treasured possession, setting up one of literature's most tender surprise endings. A gentle, unhurried classic, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Does September Feel So Heavy? — A 10-Minute Meditation for End-of-Summer Sadness and Seasonal Low Mood You're standing in the kitchen and it's already getting dark. A few weeks ago there was still plenty of light at this time. The summer's gone, the children are back at school, the diary's filling up again — and somehow you're feeling worse, not devastated, not falling apart, just flat. That can be the frightening part, because nothing bad has actually happened. If you've been wondering about September sadness, or asking yourself why do I feel sad when summer ends, this guided meditation is for the next ten minutes of your day. For company on the darker evenings ahead, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app, with Books at Bedtime sessions to fall asleep to and a timer that switches off on its own.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) to settle you, then works with the specific fear that comes from low mood with no obvious cause — reframing it as the season changing, not you failing. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Why Does September Feel So Heavy?* 01:12 – Welcome & Anchored* 02:24 – Breathing: Alternate Nostril (Nadi Shodhana)* 04:53 – Putting Down "What's Wrong With Me?"* 06:45 – Affirmations for the Season Turning* 08:38 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:33 – Coming Back Gently* 10:11 – A Note From Martin 

After Twenty Years by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is After Twenty Years, O. Henry's quietly moving story of an old promise kept between two childhood friends, first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million — long in the public domain, with Porter (1862–1910) having died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, Bob waits alone in a darkened New York doorway for the friend he agreed to meet at this exact spot, exactly twenty years to the night since they last parted — and a passing policeman's chat with him sets up one of O. Henry's most quietly devastating twists. A gentle, unhurried classic, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

I Think I've Lost a Friend, and I Don't Know Why — A 10-Minute Meditation for Friendship Loss and Ambiguous Grief There's a particular kind of loss that doesn't come with a day attached. No one moved away, there was no row, nothing you could point to and say "that's where it happened." It just went quiet — a little less often, then a lot less often — until one evening you realised you couldn't remember the last proper conversation, and underneath it all, the question you've been embarrassed to say out loud: what did I do? If a friendship has faded without explanation, this guided meditation sits with that ambiguous loss and the grief that comes with it. For a place to return to whenever this feeling resurfaces, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses a slow 4-2-6 breath (in for four, a two-count pause, out for six with an audible sigh) before moving into affirmation work that separates the loss of a friendship from any need to know what went wrong — and gives you permission to simply miss someone. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – "What Did I Do?"* 00:56 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:36 – Settling In* 01:59 – Breathing: 4-2-6, the Sighing Exhale* 04:39 – Affirmations for a Faded Friendship* 08:16 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:16 – Coming Back Gently* 09:53 – A Note From Martin 

The Cop and the Anthem by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is The Cop and the Anthem, O. Henry's wry, warm-hearted story of a homeless New Yorker's winter scheme, first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million — long in the public domain, with Porter (1862–1910) having died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, Soapy tries every trick he knows to get himself arrested and land a warm winter berth on the prison island — from a slap-up dinner he can't pay for to a stolen umbrella — only to find the law has other plans, right up until a church anthem changes his mind entirely. A gentle, unhurried classic with O. Henry's trademark twist, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

When Was the Last Time You Felt Happy? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Feeling Flat, Numb or Emotionally Stuck Somebody asked how you were, and you said fine, and you meant it — nothing is wrong. But later, standing at the sink, a harder question arrives on its own: when was the last time you felt properly happy? Not fine, not coping, not relieved something was over. Really happy. If you went looking for the answer and couldn't find it, this guided meditation is for that feeling of being flat, numb or quietly stuck, even when nothing in your life seems to justify it. For a place to return to, including a simple daily check-in, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses the physiological sigh (a double inhale followed by one long exhale) to work with the body directly, then moves into affirmation work that reframes feeling flat as information rather than a verdict — and gives you permission to want more than simply feeling fine. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – "Nothing Is Wrong"* 01:02 – Welcome & the Daily Check-In* 01:38 – Breathing: The Physiological Sigh* 03:51 – A Quiet Word* 04:22 – What You're Allowed to Feel* 05:22 – Affirmations for Feeling Flat* 08:05 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:00 – Coming Back Gently* 09:38 – A Note From Martin 

A Service of Love by O. Henry — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is A Service of Love, O. Henry's warm, witty short story about two young newlywed artists in New York who each secretly give up their art to support the other — first published in his 1906 collection The Four Million, long in the public domain, with Porter (1862–1910) having died more than a century ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, painter Joe and pianist Delia marry for love of each other and their art, and when the money runs short, each quietly takes up hidden work to protect the other's ambitions — a gentle, old-fashioned tale of devotion with O. Henry's signature twist, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Does My Mouth Go Dry Before I Have to Speak? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Speech Anxiety and Anticipatory Nerves It happens about 30 seconds before you have to speak. There's nothing there. You try to swallow and the swallow doesn't work either — and now you're not thinking about what you're going to say, you're thinking about whether the first word will come out as a word at all. If your mouth goes dry every time you're nervous, right at the moment you need it most, this guided meditation is your ten minutes. For a place to return to at the moment you actually need it — the ninety seconds before you walk in, not the night before — download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses a slow diaphragmatic (belly) breath — in through the nose for four, out through the nose for six — then works with the fear behind a dry mouth before speaking, reframing it as the body preparing you rather than betraying you. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – The 30 Seconds Before You Speak* 00:49 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:34 – Breathing (Diaphragmatic, In 4 / Out 6)* 04:53 – A Quick, Kind Note* 05:10 – Affirmations for a Dry Mouth* 08:13 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:04 – Coming Back Gently* 09:42 – A Note From Martin 

The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is The Tale of Two Bad Mice, Beatrix Potter's mischievous story of a doll's house raided by two curious mice, first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1904 — long in the public domain, with Potter (1866–1943) having died more than seventy years ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, mice Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca sneak into a beautiful doll's house while its owners are out, only to discover the tempting dinner laid out on the table is nothing but painted plaster. A gentle, unhurried classic, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Can't I Stop Preparing for Tomorrow? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Anticipatory Anxiety and Overthinking the Future Nothing has happened yet. Not the phone call, not the appointment, not the conversation next week — and somehow your mind has already been there, imagining what might go wrong, trying to solve a problem that doesn't even exist. This guided meditation is for that constant sense that you need to prepare for whatever might happen, before it's even arrived. For the next ten minutes, you don't have to live tomorrow today — you can simply be here. For a place to return to whenever tomorrow starts crowding into today, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist Martin Hewlett, this episode uses a gentle four-in, two-hold, six-out breath to settle the body, then works directly with the habit of rehearsing tomorrow's problems today — moving from trying to know what will happen before it happens, toward trusting yourself to meet life one moment at a time. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Already There, Before It's Happened* 00:54 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:24 – Breathing (In 4, Hold 2, Out 6)* 04:01 – Letting Tomorrow Stay Over There* 05:08 – Affirmations for an Uncertain Future* 07:39 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:15 – Coming Back Gently* 09:37 – A Note From Martin 

The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, Beatrix Potter's sleepy sequel following Benjamin Bunny and his cousin Flopsy's large rabbit family, first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1909 — long in the public domain, with Potter (1866–1943) having died more than seventy years ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, the Flopsy Bunnies eat their way through a heap of overgrown lettuces and fall into a deep, soporific sleep in Mr McGregor's rubbish patch — with a little wood-mouse named Mrs Tittlemouse on hand to help when McGregor scoops them all up in a sack. A gentle, unhurried classic, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Do I Suddenly Feel So Hot When I'm Anxious? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Anxiety Sweating, Flushing and Feeling Hot It starts in your chest or the back of your neck — that first prickle, then the hot spreading feeling, and the small horrified thought: please, not now, not here. Nobody else in the room is warm. Nobody else is fanning themselves. Just you. If you've ever wondered why do I suddenly feel so hot when I'm anxious, this guided meditation explains what's actually happening in your body, and works directly with the fear of being seen, not just the heat itself. For a place to return to whenever this happens, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app, where this episode's cooling breath lives as its own standalone session you can save and use any time.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode draws on years spent on ambulances to explain the flush and heat anxiety can bring, then works through a simple cooling breath (in through the mouth for four, out through the nose for six) before moving into affirmation work that reframes the heat as a passing reaction rather than something going wrong. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – The Heat Nobody Else Feels* 00:49 – Naming It* 01:00 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:45 – Why Anxiety Makes You Hot* 03:07 – The Cooling Breath* 05:06 – The Part That Actually Hurts* 05:57 – Affirmations for the Heat* 07:25 – A Story From the Ambulance Days* 08:08 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:01 – Coming Back 

The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse by Beatrix Potter — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse, Beatrix Potter's charming story of a fastidiously tidy little wood-mouse, first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1910 — long in the public domain, with Potter (1866–1943) having died more than seventy years ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, house-proud Mrs. Tittlemouse spends her days sweeping and dusting her sandy little home under the hedge — only for a parade of uninvited guests, including a distinctly unwelcome Mr. Jackson the toad, to track muddy footprints through her nice clean rooms. A gentle, unhurried classic, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

My Legs Feel Like Jelly — A 10-Minute Meditation for Anxious, Weak or Unsteady Legs You stand up and suddenly your legs don't quite feel like your legs — soft around the knees, a little hollow, and that thought arrives: what if they give way? If you've ever thought "my legs feel like jelly" or "my legs feel weak when I'm anxious," this guided meditation is for you. It gently explains why anxiety can make your legs feel strange or unsteady, and works with the sensation directly, rather than trying to check it away. For a place to return to whenever this happens without a signal, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app, with fully offline, downloadable sessions.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by Martin Hewlett, this episode uses 4-7-8 breathing (in for four, hold, out for eight) alongside a simple tense-and-release technique for the legs, before moving into affirmation work that reframes the sensation as a feeling rather than a forecast — no need to keep checking, testing, or proving your legs are okay. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – When Your Legs Don't Feel Like Yours* 00:50 – Welcome* 01:02 – Why Anxiety Affects Your Legs* 02:05 – Breathing (4-7-8)* 04:28 – Noticing Without Checking* 06:25 – Affirmations: Sensation, Not Forecast* 08:30 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:06 – Coming Back* 09:52 – A Note From Martin 

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, Beatrix Potter's much-loved sequel to Peter Rabbit, first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in September 1904 — long in the public domain, with Potter (1866–1943) having died more than seventy years ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night. Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, young Benjamin Bunny slips back into Mr McGregor's garden with his cousin Peter to rescue Peter's lost clothes from the scarecrow — and the pair find themselves waiting, hidden and hopeful, for the danger to pass. A gentle, unhurried classic, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

I'm Tired of Being the Strong One — A 10-Minute Meditation for Emotional Exhaustion, Burnout and Always Saying "I'm Fine" Someone asks how you are, and "fine" comes out before the question's even finished. You're managing. Things are getting done. Nobody's worried about you. But underneath all that managing there's a tiredness you haven't mentioned to anyone — not sleepy-tired, something further down than that. This guided meditation sits with exactly that feeling: the emotional exhaustion of always being the strong one, and the quiet relief of putting it down, just for ten minutes. For a place to return to whenever this feeling catches up with you, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's companion app.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses a slow 4-2-6 breath (in for four, hold for two, out for six) and a body-awareness technique — noticing everything the chair, floor or bed is quietly holding for you — before moving into affirmation work that gives you permission to be tired, worn out, and not okay for a little while. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – The Weight You Don't Mention* 00:57 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:55 – Breathing (In for 4, Hold for 2, Out for 6)* 04:34 – Feeling What's Holding You Up* 05:21 – Affirmations: Putting the Strong Face Down* 08:02 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 08:57 – Coming Back Gently* 09:48 – A Note From Martin 

The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off with this gentle bedtime story for sleep and insomnia relief, read aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime strand. Tonight's tale is The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, one of Beatrix Potter's best-loved animal stories, first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1908 — now firmly in the public domain, with Potter (1866–1943) having died more than seventy years ago. For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. In this soothing bedtime audiobook, a foolish but endearing duck named Jemima Puddle-Duck sets off across the farmyard in search of a quiet place to hatch her eggs undisturbed — and meets a charming, sandy-whiskered gentleman who isn't quite what he seems. A gentle, unhurried classic, perfect for winding down, easing anxiety, and drifting off to sleep. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  Support the Show: Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners! YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/ Music: All music by Chris CollinsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Why Do I Feel Like Everyone Is Judging Me? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Social Anxiety, Self-Consciousness and Fear of Judgement Why do I feel like everyone is judging me? If social anxiety or feeling self-conscious keeps you replaying that question — scanning faces, scanning tone, convinced a room full of people is thinking about you when they're probably not — this guided meditation works with it directly, using a simple diaphragmatic breath and psychology's "spotlight effect" to gently separate what's actually happening from what your anxious mind assumes everyone's thinking. For a quiet place to return to whenever this feeling catches you out, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app. Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode moves you from feeling watched and assessed toward trusting that you can be seen without needing everyone's approval — grounding the body first, then working gently with the thought itself. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – The Question That Won't Let Go* 00:36 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:12 – Naming Social Anxiety and Self-Consciousness* 01:34 – Diaphragmatic Breathing* 03:02 – Working With Being Watched* 04:25 – Affirmations for Self-Trust* 07:36 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 08:44 – Closing and Coming Back* 09:51 – A Note From Martin 

The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime A gentle bedtime story to help you drift off tonight: Beatrix Potter's cosy, homely tale The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, read slowly and unhurried for sleep and insomnia relief. This continues the Books at Bedtime strand — also known as Coffee Break for the Soul — from the Calming Anxiety podcast, a series of classic story readings designed as a calming audiobook for restless nights.For the full library, plus ambient night-light features for the small hours, download Anchored: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored (Android) or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 (iPhone). Narrated softly by Martin Hewlett, clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic, this reading follows little Lucy, who loses her pocket handkerchiefs and climbs a hillside searching for them, all the way to a tiny door and a warm, low-ceilinged kitchen — the home of a small, round washerwoman called Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, who irons and mends laundry for all the neighbouring animals. Unhurried, domestic, and thoroughly soothing, with tea by the fire and freshly laundered bundles for every creature in the valley, it's an easy, gentle listen for falling asleep, insomnia, or quieting an anxious mind before bed. Listeners of last week's Squirrel Nutkin will spot a familiar face among the washing — Nutkin's own little red tailcoat, minus its tail, turns up in Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle's basket. First published in October 1905, Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle is in the public domain worldwide (Potter died in 1943); this reading is Calming Anxiety's own narration of the classic public-domain text. Potter dedicated the book to a real little girl, Lucie Carr, and based Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle herself on her own pet hedgehog of that name and on a Scottish washerwoman, Kitty MacDonald, who worked for her family each summer. This episode continues Beatrix Potter's place in the Books at Bedtime strand, alongside The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, Oscar Wilde's fairy tales, classic short fiction from Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, and Kate Chopin, and longer serialised reads including Alice in Wonderland, The Time Machine, and The Hound of the Baskervilles, with new instalments added regularly to the main Calming Anxiety feed.  

What If I Got It Wrong? — A 10-Minute Meditation for Self-Doubt, Anxiety and Overthinking Self-doubt has a habit of showing up right after we've already chosen — not before. In this guided meditation for self-doubt, anxiety and overthinking, Martin Hewlett works directly with the second-guessing that follows a decision: replaying a message, a conversation, or a choice, and quietly asking "what if I made the wrong decision?" or "why can't I trust myself?" For more calming meditations whenever this feeling catches you, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app, for offline-ready sessions any time you need them.Get it on the App Store athttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. This episode draws on post-event rumination and intolerance of uncertainty — the anxious habit of replaying a decision looking for proof it was right — and moves the listener from "what if I got it wrong?" toward "I don't need certainty to move forward." Guided by a cyclic sighing breath (two breaths in through the nose, one long exhale out) to calm the nervous system before the affirmation work begins. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – The Question That Won't Let Go* 00:48 – Welcome & Anchored* 01:21 – Naming Self-Doubt and Decision Anxiety* 02:56 – Breathing Together* 03:52 – Working With the Thought* 05:37 – Affirmations for Self-Trust* 08:26 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:19 – Closing & Coming Back* 10:17 – Try Anchored Premium 

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime A gentle bedtime story to help you drift off tonight: Beatrix Potter's charming woodland tale The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, read slowly and unhurried for sleep and insomnia relief. This is a new author joining the Books at Bedtime strand — also known as Coffee Break for the Soul — from the Calming Anxiety podcast, a series of classic story readings designed as a calming audiobook for restless nights.For the full library, plus ambient night-light features for the small hours, download Anchored: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored (Android) or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 (iPhone). Narrated softly by Martin Hewlett, clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic, this reading follows a cheeky little red squirrel called Nutkin, his brother Twinkleberry, and their cousins as they sail on twig rafts to Owl Island each day, bringing offerings of mice, minnows, and honey to old Mr. Brown, the owl who owns the nut bushes. While the other squirrels ask politely, Nutkin can never resist a rude riddle instead — and by the sixth day, his impertinence very nearly costs him more than his manners. A whimsical, sing-song read full of old English riddles, ideal for falling asleep, insomnia, and quieting an anxious mind before bed. First published in August 1903, Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is in the public domain worldwide (Potter died in 1943); this reading is Calming Anxiety's own narration of the classic public-domain text. Potter originally wrote the story as a picture letter for a real little girl named Norah Moore, and dedicated the finished book to her — "a story for Norah." This episode introduces Beatrix Potter to the Books at Bedtime strand, joining Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, Oscar Wilde's fairy tales, classic short fiction from Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, and Kate Chopin, and longer serialised reads including Alice in Wonderland, The Time Machine, and The Hound of the Baskervilles, with new instalments added regularly to the main Calming Anxiety feed.  

I'm Tired But Wired — A 10-Minute Meditation for a Body That Won't Switch Off | The Switch Off Breath That feeling where you're so tired — not ordinary tired, the kind where your eyes ache and your thoughts have gone slow and thin — and yet you sit down, and your body hasn't got the message. Jaw still set, shoulders still up near your ears, a restlessness in your legs while the rest of you is running on empty.If you've been quietly asking yourself why you're so tired but your body won't switch off, this episode is for you. Anchored is now on Android as well as iPhone, and if you can't face listening to a voice tonight, not even this one, the app's visual breathing tools work without any narration at all:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored (Android) or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 (iPhone). Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, today's episode puts the paramedic hat on to explain bracing — the body's habit, after weeks or months of pressure, of staying slightly above idle all day, muscles tight and breathing shallow, whether or not you've actually sat down. We use vagus nerve breathing, four in and eight out, which Martin calls the switch off breath, followed by a warm amber light body scan to help release what the day left behind. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Cold open: tired, but your body hasn't got the message* 00:52 – Channel open: Anchored on Android & the breathing tools* 01:31 – The paramedic's view: why the body keeps bracing* 02:28 – Breathing: the switch off breath (4 in, 8 out)* 04:38 – Deepening: a warm amber light* 06:38 – Today's Gentle Affirmations* 08:17 – Three Daily Caring Tips* 09:30 – Coming back, stretch and open your eyes* 10:04 – Outro & be kind 

The Butterfly That Stamped by Rudyard Kipling — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime A soothing bedtime story to help you drift off tonight: Rudyard Kipling's warm, funny Just So Story The Butterfly That Stamped, read slowly and gently for sleep and insomnia relief. Kipling wrote the Just So Stories specifically as bedtime tales, to be told "just so," word for word, until his own daughter drifted off to sleep — which makes this collection some of the most naturally calming listening in the whole Books at Bedtime strand, also known as Coffee Break for the Soul, from the Calming Anxiety podcast.For the full library, plus ambient night-light features for the small hours, download Anchored: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored (Android) or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 (iPhone). Narrated softly by Martin Hewlett, clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic, this reading follows the wise King Solomon, his 999 quarrelsome queens, his beloved and clever Queen Balkis, and one very small, very boastful butterfly who claims he can make the whole palace vanish with a single stamp of his foot. Gentle, playful, and quietly wise about marriage and pride, it's an easy, unhurried listen for falling asleep, insomnia, or quieting an anxious mind at the end of the day. First published in 1902 in the collection Just So Stories for Little Children, Rudyard Kipling's The Butterfly That Stamped is in the public domain worldwide (Kipling died in 1936); this reading is Calming Anxiety's own narration of the classic public-domain text. This episode joins the Just So Stories already in the Books at Bedtime strand — How the Whale Got His Throat, The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo, The Elephant's Child, How the Leopard Got His Spots, How the Camel Got His Hump, The Cat That Walked by Himself, and The Beginning of the Armadillos — alongside Oscar Wilde's fairy tales, classic short fiction from Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, and Kate Chopin, and longer serialised reads including Alice in Wonderland, The Time Machine, and The Hound of the Baskervilles, with new instalments added regularly to the main Calming Anxiety feed.