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On the first day of this new challenge, Dave offers the most important advice during today's ten-minute walk.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain Trackerdave@walkingisfitness.comSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Monday Morning Anxiety — Calm the Dread of the Week Ahead | Vagus Nerve Breathing Meditation  Monday morning anxiety has a weight all of its own — that heavy, anticipatory dread that arrives before your feet have even touched the floor. In this 10-minute guided meditation, Calming Anxiety host Martin helps you put the whole week down and meet Monday with a nervous system that is working with you, not against you. Today's practice uses vagus nerve breathing — a slow nasal inhale, a gentle hold, and a long, soft exhale — to press the brake pedal on your stress response. Three guided rounds, followed by a warm golden-light body scan and a set of gentle affirmations for anxiety relief, work anxiety and the Sunday scaries that spill into Monday. It closes with three practical daily caring tips you can carry into the day. Whether you're listening in bed, on the train, in the car park, or in the ten quiet minutes before you walk in through those doors — this is deep relaxation and breathwork you can use anywhere. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.  ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – Cold open: the weight of a Monday morning* 01:06 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety with Martin* 01:23 – Anchored: over 3,000 searchable sessions* 02:00 – Finding your quiet place and settling* 02:47 – Vagus nerve breathing: three guided rounds* 05:01 – Warm golden light body scan* 06:10 – Today's gentle affirmations* 08:30 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:17 – Coming gently back into the room* 09:38 – Closing thoughts and sign-off  

If you're skeptical about a ten-minute walk, Dave issues a challenge within the 10-Minute September Walking Challenge.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain Trackerdave@walkingisfitness.comSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Waking Up at 3am — Anxiety Relief to Get You Back to Sleep | Extended Exhale Breathing Waking up at 3am with anxiety is one of the loneliest experiences there is — your eyes open on their own, your heart is faster than it should be for someone lying perfectly still, and your mind has already found the one unfinished thought it saved up especially for now. This 10-minute guided meditation is built for exactly that hour. Martin explains why it happens: there is a small, ordinary rise in cortisol in the early hours meant to get your body ready for morning, and when you're anxious that rise arrives a little louder and wakes you. It isn't a warning. It isn't a sign. It's chemistry arriving early. From there the session uses extended exhale breathing — a gentle breath in, a brief pause, and an out-breath always longer than the in — because breathing out directly, mechanically slows your heart rate. It's the simplest somatic tool there is, and the one that works best lying down in the dark, when you don't want to count hard or hold anything. A warm light at the centre of the chest, gentle affirmations for sleep anxiety and insomnia relief, and three practical caring tips follow. If you drift off partway through, that's the point — let the voice fade. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.  ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – Cold open: awake at three in the morning* 00:39 – Why you wake: the early-hours cortisol rise* 01:23 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety with Martin* 01:39 – Anchored: the nightlight and offline sleep sessions* 02:24 – Settling: letting the pillow take the weight* 03:36 – Extended exhale breathing: the science* 04:17 – Guided rounds: longer out than in* 05:37 – A warm light at the centre of your chest* 06:08 – Tonight's gentle affirmations* 08:19 – Drifting off, or coming gently back* 09:01 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:43 – Closing thoughts and sign-off  

What do you say to get yourself out the door when it's a struggle? During today's ten-minute walk, Dave explores what others might be saying and then shares his own "mantra".Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain Trackerdave@walkingisfitness.comSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerIf you're planning on doing the September Challenge so Dave can give you a podcast shout: dave@walkingisfitness.comSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How is it changing my walking habit? During today's ten-minute walk, Dave reviews what he likes about the Apple Watch, a surprise, and the feature that is impacting his walking.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What are the reasons that make creating a walking habit so difficult? During today's ten-minute walk, Dave talks about five of themDownload your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anxiety Relief for Irritability & Overwhelm — I Just Need to Feel Calm Again | Alternate Nostril Breathing Guided Meditation Anxiety relief for those days when everything is getting under your skin. This ten minute guided meditation is for the moment you catch yourself thinking "I just need to feel calm again" — when the noise, the questions, the one more thing have worn your patience thin, your shoulders are tight, your jaw is clenched, and your voice is sharper than you meant it to be. Underneath irritation there is almost always something quieter. You're tired. You're overloaded. You've been holding too much together. Today we use alternate nostril breathing — nadi shodhana, the balancing breath — breathing in for four and out for six, giving your mind one gentle thing to do at a time while your nervous system finds its way back down. Slow, rhythmic breathwork for stress relief, overwhelm and an overstimulated nervous system. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, Calming Anxiety is a daily ten minute guided meditation for anxiety relief, panic attacks, stress and sleep. You don't have to become a different person today. You don't have to be endlessly patient. You simply need a little more space. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – I just need to feel calm again * 00:20 – When the smallest things get under your skin * 00:47 – What's underneath the irritation * 01:13 – Welcome — this is your moment * 01:31 – Finding your quiet place * 01:42 – Alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) explained * 02:23 – Guided breathing — in for four, out for six * 04:24 – Softening the shoulders, forehead and hands * 04:56 – Visualisation — laying the weight down * 05:44 – Today's gentle affirmations * 08:04 – You don't have to become a different person * 08:21 – Three daily caring tips * 09:14 – Returning to the room * 10:05 – Anchored, sharing and closing thoughts 

Barbara's story is jaw-dropping. Dave shares how walking has put constipation in the rear view mirror for her AND the research behind how this can happen.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The String Quartet by Virginia Woolf — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime Drift off tonight to a dreamlike bedtime story for sleep and insomnia, read slowly and gently to help you fall asleep naturally. Tonight on Books at Bedtime, Martin reads Virginia Woolf's "The String Quartet" — a short, hypnotic piece from her 1921 collection Monday or Tuesday. It begins in a crowded London drawing room, full of overheard fragments — the weather, the traffic, a rent too high, a glove left on the train. The small anxious chatter of a mind that cannot settle. Then four musicians take their seats, the first violin counts one, two, three, and everything changes. The music carries the listener somewhere else entirely. A pear tree on a mountain. Fountains and falling drops. The waters of the Rhône running swift and deep over silver fish and yellow pebbles. Lovers on the grass, silver horns at dawn, a rose leaf falling from an enormous height like a little parachute. It is one of the loveliest things Woolf ever wrote about how it feels when sound takes over from thought — when the fretting mind finally lets go and simply floats. Which makes it, we think, close to perfect for the last thing you hear tonight. There is no need to follow the story. There is no plot to lose. Let the words move over you like the music moves over the people in that room, and let yourself drift. Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) remains one of the most quietly beautiful voices in English literature, and this piece is in the public domain. Read by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, host of Calming Anxiety and Coffee Break for the Soul. Sleep well, my friend.  Buy Me a Coffee: Support hosting costs at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/calminganxiety Newsletter: Subscribe on Substack at https://calminganxietypodcast.substack.com/?r=6zm0sc&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist 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.

Dave gets a humbling reminder that his daily walking habit is NOT a competition. He shares that story during today's ten-minute walk.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gentle brown noise provides soothing relief for tinnitus and promotes a calm, balanced mental state.https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/brownnoisesleepsounds/brown-noise-sound-3Buy me a Coffee Support me here ☕ Thank you!buymeacoffee.com/BrownNoiseSleepSounds

Title NSDR / Non-Sleep Deep Rest — Reach Deep Rest Without Forcing It | 10-Minute Physiological Sigh Meditation If you feel tired in a way that sleep never seems to touch — wired, switched-on, unable to power down even when you're exhausted — this 10-minute NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest) session is for you. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this guided meditation helps you reach deep rest without forcing it, resetting an overstimulated nervous system while you're still awake to feel it happen. Today's practice is built around the physiological sigh — a double breath in through the nose followed by one long, slow breath out. Research from Stanford found it's one of the fastest ways to bring the body down out of high alert, flipping the biological off switch and engaging the vagus nerve. From there we let the breath go completely free and sink into non-sleep deep rest: nothing to solve, nothing to reach, entirely off duty. Whether you're looking for anxiety relief in the middle of a racing day, a way to quiet a "tired but wired" mind, or a daily NSDR habit to protect your calm, give yourself permission to lie down, soften, and let the whole system settle. ⏱️ Time Chapters00:00 – "The Tiredness Sleep Doesn't Touch" (Why You Need Deep Rest, Not More Sleep)00:36 – Today's Focus: I Can Reach Deep Rest Without Forcing It00:41 – Introduction from Martin & Anchored App Overview01:16 – Resetting the Nervous System Before We Rest01:38 – The Physiological Sigh & the Stanford Research Behind It01:56 – Settling In: Lying Down, Letting the Body Fall Heavy02:15 – Guided Physiological Sighs (Three Rounds Together)03:15 – Letting the Breath Go Free: Effortless Rise & Fall04:31 – Planting Today's Truth: The Warm Amber Light04:52 – NSDR Affirmations for Nervous-System Reset (First Pass)06:32 – Staying Off Duty: Nothing to Solve, Nothing to Reach06:41 – Affirmations for Deep Subconscious Integration (Second Pass)08:00 – Reuniting Mind, Body & Soul: You Are Worthy08:27 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for Building an NSDR Habit09:12 – Gently Awakening & Returning to the Room09:47 – Closing Reflection & Notice How You Feel Now09:55 – Outro, Community Support, & Sign-off

Dave usually walks in the morning, but today's ten-minute walk happens mid-afternoon as he talks about the benefits of walking later in the day.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Calming Anxiety: Finding Light When You Feel LowWhen you wake up to a low, grey weight rather than a racing mind or sharp panic, simply getting through the day can feel like too much to ask. In this episode of Calming Anxiety, Martin Hewlett—clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic—guides you through a gentle, 10-minute session designed to help you set that heavy weight down without forcing a mood change or trying to fix how you feel.Through a grounding breathwork practice focused on lengthening the exhale and filling the space behind the heart, we signal to your nervous system that it is safe to soften. Accompanied by soothing hypnotherapy-inspired affirmations, this session offers a compassionate space to meet yourself with tenderness rather than blame on the days when you feel low.This session and over 3,000 others are available on Anchored, our companion app. Featuring a vast library of soothing meditations, Books at Bedtime, and a soft nightlight feature, Anchored is ready for you whenever you need it, day or night.Time Chapters00:00 – Intro & Welcome: Meeting the Low, Grey Days00:51 – Introducing Anchored: Your Companion App for Sleep & Mindfulness01:20 – Grounding Breathwork: Lengthening the Exhale to Release Tension03:04 – The Lifting Breath: Making Room Behind the Heart04:32 – Affirmations for Low Mood & Self-Tenderness08:15 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for a Happier, Gentler Life09:33 – Awakening, Outro & Be KindAffirmations for Healing & Self-TendernessRepeat these gently to yourself or simply let them settle as you listen:"This heaviness is not the whole of me.""I am allowed to feel low, and I am allowed to feel better.""I am worthy of care, even on the days I cannot feel it.""When I feel low, I meet myself with tenderness, never with blame.""The light returns in its own time, and I allow it.""I am allowed to rest without first having to earn it.""I am still here, and today, that is enough."3 Daily Caring TipsMove the Body Just a Little: You don't need a walk that fixes everything. Simply stand up, reach both arms toward the ceiling, and let them fall. Motion lifts the mood in ways thinking rarely can.Lower the Bar for Today: On a low day, a good day isn't a productive one—it's simply one you move through with kindness toward yourself. Let enough be enough.Reach Toward One Connection: Send a message or make a quick call to one person. Leave the door open just a crack, and remember you were never meant to carry this heavy weight alone.Outro & Call to ActionIf these ten minutes lifted even the smallest corner of your day, please consider sharing Calming Anxiety with someone who might be quietly struggling. Leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts also helps other souls find their way to our community.Don't forget to download Anchored, the companion app! Get all of our daily episodes, sleep stories, and calming audio tools packed into one simple place in your pocket whenever you need them.Until tomorrow, my friend... in everything, be kind.

Trauma is life changing. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave shares Donna's post-trauma challenge of rediscovering the motivation to walk again consistently. Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With more than 1800 episodes available, you can also use the podcast for this as Dave explains during today's ten-minute walk.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Not everyone shares this love. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave talks about some of his favorites seen while walking.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A consistent habit of walking can have a HUGE impact on how well we age. But, during today's ten-minute walk, Dave talks about how his feelings about aging are changing.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A soft pink noise background that soothes infants and toddlers into peaceful sleep.https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/brownnoisesleepsounds/pink-noise-2Buy me a Coffee Support me here ☕ Thank you!buymeacoffee.com/BrownNoiseSleepSounds

How we define this metric is different for each of us...and it probably even changes every day. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave talks about this VERY dynamic way to measure a walk. Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes remembering to take a walk can be the biggest challenge to building consistency. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave talks about five simple ways to remember.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Help your baby sleep soundly with a soft white noise background that soothes and relaxes.https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/brownnoisesleepsounds/white-noise-sound-machineBuy me a Coffee Support me here ☕ Thank you!buymeacoffee.com/BrownNoiseSleepSounds

Have you ever thought about how much walking you need to do to burn the calories of what you're eating? During today's ten-minute walk, Dave shares the math for some of the foods that he REALLY enjoys. It might blow your mind too.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you avoid walking in the rain? There's actually some science behind why that is. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave shares a bunch of reasons why a rainy walk is not enjoyable.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can't Sleep Because It's Too Hot — Coherent Breathing for Hot Night Insomnia & Anxiety | Guided Sleep Meditation Anchored - The bespoke app from Calming Anxiety - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669Can't sleep because it's too hot? You have turned the pillow over three times, the cool side lasted about forty seconds, and now your mind has decided the restlessness means something is wrong. It doesn't. This ten-minute guided sleep meditation is built for warm, balmy August nights when the body can't settle and anxiety fills the gap. Tonight's breath is coherent breathing — also known as resonant breathing or HRV breathing. Five seconds in, five seconds out, no holding and nothing forced. Martin calls it the still breath, because on a night like this everything else is moving and this is the one thing that isn't. Cool air arrives at the tip of the nose and leaves a little warmer, which means every out breath is quietly letting heat go. From there we settle the body the way it actually cools itself — feet out from under the covers, palms up, jaw unclenched — and move into a soft visualisation of silver-blue moonlight, the light of a night that has already begun to cool. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett. If you drift off before the end, good. That is success, not failure. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – The cool side of the pillow: why hot nights feel like anxiety* 00:38 – Sponsored by Anchored* 01:10 – Welcome from Martin* 01:30 – Settling the body: feet out, palms up, jaw unclenched* 02:01 – Tonight's breath: coherent breathing, five in and five out* 05:08 – Visualisation: cool silver-blue moonlight* 05:56 – Today's gentle affirmations* 08:16 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:19 – Coming back gently* 10:26 – Share the show and sign-off 

Moving to a new place can have a HUGE impact on your walking habit. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave shares the story of a friend of his and how a recent move is changing his health.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 14, by Arthur Conan Doyle — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime A calming bedtime story to help you fall asleep — Chapter 14 of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, read slowly and softly for anyone lying awake in the small hours. This is the chapter the whole book has been walking towards, and Conan Doyle gave it the same name as the novel itself. Holmes, Watson and Lestrade lie waiting among the rocks above Merripit House while a great white fog rolls in off the mire, thickening minute by minute over the one path they need to keep clear. What follows is the most famous night on Dartmoor in English fiction — and then, quietly, the unwinding of it. The long walk out across the Grimpen Mire the next morning, guided by wands planted in the peat. An old black boot lifted from the slime. An abandoned tin mine on an island in the bog, and the last of Stapleton's secrets laid bare in the daylight. There is no need to follow the plot tonight, and no need to reach the end. Let the rhythm of the Victorian prose and the hush of the moor after the fog has lifted do the work while your body settles. If you drift off in the first few minutes, that is exactly what this reading is for. Books at Bedtime is the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety, hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett — alongside Coffee Break for the Soul and the daily ten-minute guided meditations. If classic audiobooks help you sleep, this series is written for those long, wakeful hours. You can take the whole library with you — download Anchored on iOS. Access over 3,000 searchable, offline-ready audio sessions, sleep stories with Books at Bedtime, and built-in nightlight features for the small hours.

Overcoming Social Anxiety: Your 10-Minute Calm Down SwitchDo you ever find yourself standing outside a room, heart racing, rehearsing every possible mistake before you even walk in? In this session of Calming Anxiety, Martin Hewlett (Clinical Hypnotherapist and former Paramedic) guides you through a powerful 10-minute nervous system reset. Learn how to silence the "filter" of social anxiety and reconnect with your true, confident self using vagus nerve stimulation and clinical visualization. What You'll Learn in This Episode:How to trigger your vagus nerve to stop a panic response instantly.Why the "rehearsing mind" is a false filter, not the truth.A paramedic's perspective on high-pressure social environments.Practical tools to take up space in any room with confidence.Episode Chapters00:00 – Understanding the Social Anxiety Response01:09 – The 4-2-5 Breath: Activating the Vagus Nerve03:00 – Visualization: Finding Your True Self04:50 – The Truth About How Others Perceive You06:00 – Affirmations for Social Confidence08:06 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for Social Situations10:11 – Returning to the Present MomentAffirmations for ConnectionRepeat these internally to retrain your brain for any social setting: "I am calm in the presence of other people.""I do not need to be perfect to be worthy of connection.""Other people's opinions of me are none of my business.""I am allowed to take up space in any room I enter.""My presence is enough."3 Daily Caring Tips for Social AnxietyThe Two-Minute Rule: Arrive two minutes early. Let your nervous system acclimatize to the physical space before the room fills with people.Focus on One: Don't try to "work the room." Find one person, one genuine conversation, and let the crowd look after itself.The "What Went Right" Catalog: Your mind will naturally list your "failures." Counter this by naming three things that went fine—a smile, eye contact, or a sentence that landed.Go Deeper with Calming AnxietyIf you found peace in these ten minutes, there is so much more to explore:The Library: Access over 2,300 sessions designed to help you find your "perfect coffee break" for the soul.The Course: Ready to break the cycle? Join the Anxiety Circuit Breaker Course at calminganxiety.fm for 5 focused clinical hypnotherapy sessions.Support the Show: If this helped you, please Subscribe and Share this episode with someone who might be standing outside their own "door" today.In everything you do today, my friend. Be kind.

A consistent habit of walking can have a BIG impact on blood pressure. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave talks about five ways walking can lower blood pressure and shares his own journey with this.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Start your day by reconnecting with your inner sense of peace. In this episode of Calming Anxiety, we explore a gentle guided visualization designed to help you tap into a "golden feeling" of well-being, anytime you need it. Whether you are navigating daily stress or simply seeking a moment of groundedness, this practice will help you soften your shoulders, release tension, and shift your perspective toward lightness and possibility. Join Martin, clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic, as he guides you through a session of self-compassion and mental restoration.Ready to take your practice further? Download the Anchored app for iOS to support your journey toward lasting calm and anxiety management.Episode Chapters00:00 – Welcome and Arrival: Settling into your space01:06 – Guided Visualization: The warm golden light03:53 – Affirmations for self-worth and peace08:21 – Daily Caring Tips for a happier life09:08 – Re-orienting and closing the sessionDaily Affirmations"I am allowed to feel good—not when everything is perfect, but right now.""Good things are already on their way to me.""I bring something to this world that no one else can.""Today, I choose lightness.""I am grateful, and gratitude feels wonderful.""I am well, I am home, and today is full of possibility."3 Daily Caring TipsMirror Appreciation: When you see yourself in the mirror, offer a genuine smile and love the reflection—honor all that you are.Practice Forgiveness: Release the weight of past mistakes; learn from them, forgive yourself, and step forward into the present.Embrace Your Uniqueness: Recognize your worth, celebrate your individuality, and enjoy being exactly who you are.Remember to visit calminganxiety.fm for more resources and our full Anxiety Breaker course. Smile often, and be kind.

The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 13: Fixing the Nets, by Arthur Conan Doyle — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime A calming bedtime story to help you fall asleep — Chapter 13 of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, read slowly and softly for anyone lying awake with a busy mind. Tonight the net begins to close. Sherlock Holmes returns to Baskerville Hall, and over a late supper he notices something in an old family portrait on the wall — a face beneath a plumed hat and curling love-locks that he has seen somewhere far more recently. From that single quiet observation, the whole tangled case begins to draw together. Holmes and Watson leave for Coombe Tracey, call upon Mrs Laura Lyons, and lay the last of the traps. Lestrade arrives on the evening express. And Sir Henry is asked to do the one thing he has been warned against all along — to walk home alone across the moor. This is a slow, unhurried reading. There is no need to follow the plot, and no need to reach the end. Let the rhythm of the Victorian prose and the hush of Dartmoor at night do the work while your body settles. If you drift off in the first few minutes, that is exactly what this is for. Books at Bedtime is the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety, hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett — alongside Coffee Break for the Soul and the daily ten-minute guided meditations. If classic audiobooks help you sleep, this series is written for those long, wakeful hours. You can take the whole library with you — download Anchored on iOS. Access over 3,000 searchable, offline-ready audio sessions, sleep stories with Books at Bedtime, and built-in nightlight features for the small hours.

When the motivation is deep, we find a way to get the walk done. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave shares a story from Krista and also from his own experience.Download your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sleep Story for Insomnia — The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 12: Death on the Moor | A Sherlock Holmes Bedtime Audiobook | Books at Bedtime A sleep story for insomnia, read slowly and softly for anyone lying awake in the small hours. This is Chapter 12 of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle — Death on the Moor — narrated for Books at Bedtime by Martin Hewlett, clinical hypnotherapist, former frontline paramedic and host of Calming Anxiety. Tonight the mist settles low over the moor and the light drains slowly out of the western sky. Watson sits alone in a stone hut among the ancient dwellings, waiting in the dark for a stranger to return. A step on the gravel. A voice he knows better than any other in the world. And Sherlock Holmes, thin and weathered and quietly amused, is sitting on a stone outside the door. What follows is a long, low-voiced conversation in the twilight — two friends piecing a puzzle together while the chill comes down and the stars come out over Dartmoor. And then, far off across the shadowy plain, a cry. A prolonged yell of horror that turns the blood to ice. The deep, muttered rumble of something running in the darkness. A stumbling chase over broken ground, gorse and boulders and the moon rising behind them. And a shape lying still against the silver stones. This is one of the most atmospheric chapters in all of Sherlock Holmes — night air, granite, moonlight and mist — and it is read here at a deliberately unhurried pace, with long pauses and a lowered voice, so that the story can carry you down into sleep rather than keep you up. You do not need to follow the plot. You do not need to remember a single name. Let the words blur at the edges. Let the moor go quiet. If you drift off long before Holmes and Watson reach the gates of Baskerville Hall, that is exactly what this recording is for — the story will still be here tomorrow night. Best listened to lying down, in the dark, with the volume low. The Hound of the Baskervilles was first published in 1902 and is in the public domain. Books at Bedtime sits alongside the daily ten-minute guided meditations of Calming Anxiety and the reflections of Coffee Break for the Soul — a free library for anxiety relief, insomnia, overthinking and the long nights. You can also take the whole library with you and download Anchored on iOS. Searchable, offline-ready audio sessions, sleep stories with Books at Bedtime, and a built-in nightlight for the small hours.

Panic Attack Relief — Mindful Breathing to Calm a Racing Chest | 10-Minute Guided Meditation with the Physiological Sigh Panic attack relief starts with one breath — and this ten-minute guided meditation gives you the fastest one there is. If your breathing has gone high and shallow, if you are trying to take a deep breath and it keeps stopping halfway, this session is built for exactly that moment. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, today's practice is about mindful breathing and one named technique: the physiological sigh. Two breaths in through the nose, a short sip of air stacked on top, then one long, slow release. It is the quickest way we know of to bring a heart rate down in real time, and it is the breath Martin coached people through on the front line. From there you are guided into stillness beside water at dusk — the setting sun, the ripples and reflections on the lake — while five gentle affirmations settle the nervous system and remind you that a panic attack cannot outlast a long, slow breath out. Whether you are riding out a wave of anxiety right now, managing daily stress, or looking for a breathwork practice you can return to every morning, this is anxiety relief you can carry with you and use anywhere. You are not broken. You are not in danger. Your breathing has simply got ahead of you — and it can be brought back. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – Your breathing has got ahead of you* 01:06 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety* 01:25 – Anchored arrives on iOS this Thursday* 01:45 – Instant Calm: your always-on panic attack session* 02:18 – Settling in* 02:32 – The physiological sigh explained* 02:50 – Guided breathing, three rounds* 04:54 – Letting the words land* 05:23 – Today's affirmations* 06:22 – Stillness by the lake at dusk* 06:51 – Affirmations, second pass* 08:08 – Your three daily caring tips* 08:58 – Coming back into the room* 09:37 – Anchored, sharing, and the sign-off 

Uninterrupted brown noise to mask distractions, enhance focus, and create a peaceful environment for rest or concentration.https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/brownnoisesleepsounds/brown-noise-sound-3Buy me a Coffee Support me here ☕ Thank you!buymeacoffee.com/BrownNoiseSleepSounds

Do you wake up with a tight chest, a racing mind, or a low-level hum of dread before your day even begins? That is morning anxiety, and it is a completely physiological response. In this episode of Calming Anxiety, clinical hypnotherapist and former frontline paramedic Martin Hewlett breaks down the science behind the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) and leads you through a 10-minute clinical recalibration to reset your nervous system.Learn exactly how a high cortisol spike triggers the amygdala to scan for danger, and discover how to instantly interrupt the panic loop using a simple, scientifically backed vagus nerve breathing technique.Whether you are dealing with chronic stress, panic attacks, or simply want a calmer morning routine, this somatic grounding practice is designed to send immediate safety signals to your brain.⏱️ Time Chapters00:00 – The Physiology of Morning Anxiety & The Cortisol Spike02:26 – How the Amygdala Traps You in a Panic Loop02:52 – Vagus Nerve Activation: Extended Exhalation Breathwork04:36 – Guided Golden Light Visualisation for Nervous System Calming07:18 – Mindful Affirmations for Morning Grounding & Safety08:24 – 3 Daily Caring Tips to Interrupt Anxiety Before It Starts09:47 – Somatic Return & Bringing Awareness Back to Your Body✨ Mindful Affirmations for TodayRepeat these truths internally to allow your nervous system to settle and recalibrate:"I am safe in this morning.""My nervous system knows how to recalibrate.""I release what I cannot control.""I am allowed to start slowly.""I am calm, I am grounded, and I am ready."

Sleep Story for Insomnia — The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 11: The Man on the Tor | Arthur Conan Doyle | Books at Bedtime A long, slow bedtime story for sleep and insomnia. Tonight, Chapter 11 of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, read aloud by Martin Hewlett — clinical hypnotherapist, former paramedic, and host of the Calming Anxiety podcast. It is the 18th of October, and Dr Watson finally has two threads to pull. A name behind the initials L. L. And a stranger living somewhere among the stone huts on the hillside. He drives to Coombe Tracey to sit across from Laura Lyons and ask her, gently at first and then not gently at all, about a letter that was burned but not quite burned enough. On the road home he is waylaid by old Frankland, flushed with victory and wine, who takes Watson up to his roof, sets his eye to a telescope, and shows him a small figure carrying a bundle across the empty moor. And so the sun goes down over the great Grimpen Mire, gold on one slope and grey shadow on the other, while Watson sits waiting in the dark of a stone hut for its tenant to come home. When the footsteps finally arrive, the voice that speaks is one he knows better than any voice in the world. This is unhurried, low-stimulation listening built for a mind that will not switch off. No sudden music, no startle, no urgency in the telling. Just a steady voice, a Victorian moor, and thirty minutes of somewhere else to be. If sleep comes before Watson lights his cigarette, that is exactly as it should be. You are not expected to reach the end. Best listened to lying down, with the lights out and the volume set a shade lower than feels right. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was first published in 1902 and is in the public domain. Books at Bedtime is part of the Calming Anxiety family of shows, alongside the daily 10-minute guided meditation and Coffee Break for the Soul. New sleep stories, guided meditations and clinical hypnotherapy sessions arrive every week. Anchored, the companion app to Calming Anxiety, arrives on iOS on the 13th of August 2026 — with a dedicated Books at Bedtime section, offline listening for the nights the signal drops, and a built-in nightlight for the small hours. If this reading helped you sleep, please pass it to someone who lies awake, and leave a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts. It is the single kindest thing you can do to help another tired person find us. Sleep well… and be kind.  

During today's ten-minute walk, Dave tries out something that he recently read about.dave@walkingisfitness.comDownload your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Calming Anxiety | Finding Beauty in the Broken: A Guided Meditation for Self-AcceptanceIf you have arrived here today feeling like you are simply not enough, or if you are completely exhausted from being your own harshest critic, please take a deep breath. You are in exactly the right place.In this gentle 10-minute guided meditation, we explore the beautiful Japanese art of Kintsugi—the practice of mending broken pottery with seams of pure, liquid gold. Instead of hiding the cracks, Kintsugi celebrates them, making the mended piece far more beautiful and resilient than it ever was before.Together, we will apply this philosophy to our own lives. Your past mistakes, your regrets, and the places where life has broken you are not flaws to be hidden away. They are your seams of gold. They are exactly where your wisdom, your deep compassion, and your unique humanity live. Allow yourself to set down the heavy burden of perfection, quiet your inner critic, and take a meaningful step toward a happier life.Today's Three Daily Caring TipsTalk to yourself like someone you love: The next time you catch your inner voice turning harsh or critical, pause. Ask yourself if you would ever say those words to your closest friend. Gently adjust your tone and offer yourself the same kindness you give to others.Collect one good thing: Before you sleep tonight, look back and name just one single thing you did well today, no matter how small it might seem. Building self-worth doesn't require grand gestures; it is built steadily in the simple act of noticing.Let a mistake be a teacher, not a verdict: When something goes wrong, consciously swap the phrase "I am a failure" for "I am learning." One acts as a cage that keeps you trapped; the other is a door that opens up your future.Thank you for sharing your time and space with me today. If this session brought you comfort, please consider leaving a kind review to help others find their way to our community.For more guided meditations tailored to your mood, support on your wellness journey, and to explore the Anchored app, visit us at calminganxiety.fm.Until tomorrow, my friend... love all that you are, and then in everything...Be Kind.

Sleep Story for Insomnia — The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 10: Extract from the Diary of Dr Watson | Arthur Conan Doyle | Books at Bedtime A slow, calming bedtime story for sleep and insomnia. Tonight, Chapter 10 of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, read aloud by Martin Hewlett — clinical hypnotherapist, former paramedic, and host of the Calming Anxiety podcast. Dr Watson sets aside his letters to Sherlock Holmes and turns instead to his private diary. It is the 16th of October. The moor is banked in with rolling cloud, the rain drizzles against the windows of Baskerville Hall, and Watson confesses to a weight at his heart — a feeling of impending danger he cannot name. Barrymore the butler comes forward with a grievance, and then with something far more valuable: the memory of a single letter that reached Sir Charles on the morning he died, and the charred scrap of a postscript signed with two initials. L. L. Then the rain sets in, the light fails over the great mire, and a second stranger waits in a stone hut somewhere out on the moor. This is slow-paced, low-stimulation listening designed to quieten a racing mind at the end of the day. There is no jump, no startle, no sudden music — just a steady voice, a Victorian mystery, and a soft place to land. If you struggle to fall asleep, if your thoughts start their loudest work the moment your head hits the pillow, or if you simply want a gentle classic audiobook to drift off to, let this one carry you. Best listened to lying down, lights low, with the volume just a little quieter than feels necessary. You are not expected to reach the end. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was first published in 1902 and is in the public domain. Books at Bedtime is part of the Calming Anxiety family of shows, alongside the daily 10-minute guided meditation and Coffee Break for the Soul. New sleep stories, guided meditations and clinical hypnotherapy sessions are released every week. Anchored, the companion app to Calming Anxiety, arrives on iOS on the 13th of August 2026 — with a dedicated Books at Bedtime section, offline listening for the nights the signal drops, and a built-in nightlight for the small hours. If this reading helped you sleep, please share it with someone who lies awake, and leave a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps another tired person find us. Sleep well… and be kind.  

Have you ever thought about adding a secondary purpose to your walks? Dave shares five ideas during today's ten-minute walk.dave@walkingisfitness.comDownload your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can't Sleep? Stop Counting the Hours — Guided Meditation for Sleep Anxiety & Clock Watching | Coherence Breathing Can't sleep because you keep doing the maths? If I fall asleep right now, that's five hours… four and a half by the time I actually drop off… and then you look again and it's less. This guided meditation for sleep anxiety is for that exact moment — bone tired and wide awake at the same time, body heavy, mind bright, with the low hum of tomorrow underneath it all. Every time you calculate the hours left, you ask your nervous system to stay ready. It doesn't know the difference between a deadline and a danger. So tonight we're not going to try to fall asleep — trying is effort, and effort is the opposite of sleep. We're simply going to stop counting. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this 10-minute session uses coherence breathing — five in, five out — to slow the heart rate, settle the nervous system and let the mattress take your weight. Gentle affirmations for insomnia and racing thoughts follow, then three practical caring tips for tonight and tomorrow. Turn the clock away from you, let the phone go dark, and let's begin. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – The hour when you lie there calculating* 01:14 – Welcome, and tonight's intention: stop counting* 01:33 – Settling in — phone dark, clock turned away* 01:48 – Coherence breathing: five in, five out* 04:30 – Letting the count go, drifting deeper* 05:43 – Tonight's gentle affirmations* 07:01 – Setting down the weight of the day* 08:07 – Three daily caring tips* 08:50 – Closing words and drifting off 

Sleep Story for Insomnia — The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 9: The Light Upon the Moor by Arthur Conan Doyle | Books at Bedtime If you can't sleep tonight, let this one carry you down. This is a long, slow sleep story for insomnia — Chapter 9 of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, read aloud at a deliberately unhurried pace for anyone lying awake with a racing mind at two in the morning. Read by Martin Hewlett, clinical hypnotherapist and former frontline paramedic. No sudden volume jumps, no startling music, no reason to open your eyes. You are not supposed to follow every word — drifting off halfway through is exactly the point. If you wake in the night, start it again wherever you like. In tonight's chapter, Dr Watson sends his second report from Baskerville Hall. A candle burns at a western window in the small hours. A light answers it from somewhere out on the moor. Watson and Sir Henry sit up through two long, dark vigils to find out who is signalling, and what they uncover on the moor is stranger than either of them expected — a cry on the wind, a chase over wet granite, and a silent figure standing black against the moon. Why classic detective fiction works so well as a sleep aid: the language is rich but the stakes are someone else's. Your brain is given somewhere gentle to rest that isn't your own worry list. That's the whole principle behind Books at Bedtime — a bedtime story for grown-ups who simply cannot switch off. Use this for insomnia relief, for anxiety at night, for shift-work sleep, or just as a quiet audiobook to fall asleep to. Pop it on low, on a sleep timer if you have one, and let the moor do the rest. The Hound of the Baskervilles was first published in 1902 and is in the public domain. Anchored, the Calming Anxiety app, arrives on iOS on 13 August 2026 — with the full Books at Bedtime library, offline listening for when the signal drops, and a soft built-in nightlight for the small hours. Sleep well. And when you wake… be kind.  

Creating a consistent walking habit is HARD. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave shares a life-hack that's hiding in plain sight.dave@walkingisfitness.comDownload your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSupport the sponsors of Walking is Fitness:Check out Topo Athletic shoes. You can buy online or find a retailer near youUse code WALKING for 20% off your first custom protein blend from True NutritionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Panic Attack Relief — Calm the Numb, Shaky Aftermath | 10 Minute Guided Meditation for Anxiety Panic attack relief for the moment nobody talks about — the aftermath. The attack itself has passed, but the body still feels numb, the hands are tingling, the legs are unsteady, and the mind is already asking the frightening question: will I ever get over these? This ten minute guided meditation is for exactly that moment. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this session uses slow out-breath focus and a gentle winter's-morning visualisation — watching your breath leave as small white clouds, then watching the grey mist of fear and dark thoughts drift away on the breeze — to settle a nervous system that is still running hot. There is no need to fight the feeling. You simply breathe, and let the panic evaporate from the surface of the skin. Whether you are looking for panic attack help, anxiety relief, breathwork for a racing heart, or a daily guided meditation to steady you before sleep, take these ten minutes now and regain control, composure and calm. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – The moment after a panic attack — numb body, tingling hands* 00:22 – Welcome, and why this one is personal* 00:44 – Diary note: Anchored launches Thursday the 13th* 01:07 – Settling in — the almost hypnotic rhythm of the breath* 01:50 – The pause between breaths, and letting the panic evaporate* 02:59 – Deepening — muscle fibres loosening, sinking down, safe and secure* 03:34 – Visualisation: seeing your breath on a cold winter's morning* 03:51 – Breathing out the dark grey mist of fear and anxiety* 04:47 – Preparing for today's affirmations* 05:28 – Affirmations, first pass* 06:54 – Affirmations, second pass* 08:13 – Three daily caring tips* 09:05 – Gently returning — fingers, toes, a stretch, and open your eyes* 09:30 – Closing thoughts and the Anchored launch* 10:37 – In everything, be kind 

Sleep Story for Insomnia — The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 8: First Report of Dr Watson | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Books at Bedtime A calming bedtime story for sleep and insomnia, read slowly and softly for anyone lying awake in the dark. Tonight, Books at Bedtime continues The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with Chapter 8 — the First Report of Dr Watson. The narrative changes shape here. Holmes has stayed behind in London, and from this point onward Watson tells the story through his own letters, written by candlelight from Baskerville Hall and dated the thirteenth of October. He writes of the moor and how its vastness sinks into the soul. Of the prehistoric huts scattered across the hillsides. Of the escaped convict who has not been seen for a fortnight and is surely long gone. Of Sir Henry's growing attachment to Miss Stapleton, and of the curious look of disapproval that crosses her brother's face whenever the baronet pays her attention. There is a walk to the two great weathered stones where the legend of the wicked Hugo is said to have begun. A lunch at Merripit House. An introduction to Mr Frankland of Lafter Hall — red-faced, choleric, ruinously fond of a lawsuit, and lately to be found on his own roof with a telescope, sweeping the moor for a glimpse of the convict. And then, at two o'clock in the morning, a stealthy step in the corridor. A long black shadow. A candle held against the glass of an empty room, and Barrymore staring out into the blackness of the moor. There is some secret business going on in this house of gloom. This is a full-length classic audiobook chapter, read as a sleep story — no sudden music, no jarring endings. Just a familiar Victorian mystery, told at a pace made for drifting off. If you fall asleep before Watson finishes his letter, that is exactly as it should be. The chapter will still be here tomorrow night. Read by Martin Hewlett, clinical hypnotherapist, former paramedic and host of Calming Anxiety — the daily 10-minute guided meditation podcast. Books at Bedtime and Coffee Break for the Soul are the story companions to the daily show, made for the small hours. The Hound of the Baskervilles is in the public domain. Sleep well, my friend. In everything, be kind. 

Sleep Story for Insomnia — The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 7: The Stapletons of Merripit House by Arthur Conan Doyle | Books at Bedtime A calming bedtime story for sleep and insomnia, read slowly and gently by Martin Hewlett of Calming Anxiety. This is Chapter 7 of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles — a free audiobook read designed to quiet a busy mind and carry you softly down into sleep. Morning light floods the mullioned windows of Baskerville Hall, and for a moment the grim impression of the night before is eased away. But Dr Watson has a test to run at the Grimpen post office, and a walk out across the moor that will change everything he thinks he knows. Out among the boulders he meets Mr Jack Stapleton, the naturalist of Merripit House — a man who knows the ground better than anyone, and who leads Watson to the edge of the great Grimpen Mire, where the earth itself waits to swallow the unwary. And then, drifting across the moor, comes a long, low moan that the country folk have a name for. If you struggle with insomnia, anxiety at bedtime, or a mind that will not switch off, this is a story to be listened to in the dark. There is no need to follow every thread. Let the words become a sound to rest inside, and if you drift away before the end, that is exactly as it should be. Part of Books at Bedtime and Coffee Break for the Soul from Calming Anxiety, hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett — bringing you calm, relaxation and better sleep, one chapter at a time. Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, my friend, be kind.  

I'm So Tired of Starting Over — Guided Meditation for Setbacks, Self-Doubt & Beginning Again | Coherence Breathing If you are so tired of starting over, this 10-minute guided meditation is for you. Setbacks, false starts and the quiet exhaustion of beginning again can leave you convinced you are going backwards and somehow behind. This session is not going to ask you to be positive about that. It is going to show you something you have stopped being able to see. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, today's anxiety relief session uses coherence breathing, also known as resonant breathing, at six counts in and six counts out. At roughly five breaths a minute your heart rhythm and your breathing fall into step and synchronise, calming the nervous system and building resilience rather than simply distracting you. From there, gentle affirmations for self-doubt, self-worth and starting again settle you into a beautiful, trance-like state of deep relaxation. This episode also carries a personal announcement. Six years after these meditations began with a microphone and not much of a clue, the Calming Anxiety app — Anchored — launches on Thursday the 13th of August. Slow, interrupted, unglamorous progress is still progress — and that is as true for you as it has been for me. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – "I'm so tired of starting over" — you are not lazy, not weak, not behind* 00:49 – Welcome, and why setbacks are not the end of the story* 01:22 – A personal announcement: six years, a van, a microphone, and Anchored* 02:31 – Settling: feet flat, shoulders down, eyes closed* 02:41 – Coherence breathing explained — six in, six out, five breaths a minute* 03:22 – Three guided rounds of coherence breathing* 04:54 – Affirmations for setbacks, resilience and beginning again* 06:41 – Deepening — drifting down with every out-breath* 07:22 – Second pass of affirmations* 08:51 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:35 – Coming back to the room* 10:07 – Anchored launches Thursday 13th August — put it in your diary* 11:01 – In everything, my friend, be kind