Calming Anxiety | Guided Meditation, Sleep Hypnosis & Panic Attack Relief

Latest Episodes:

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - The Messengers - By Lord Dunsany Nov 05, 2026

Show notes

The Messengers by Lord Dunsany — A Short, Poetic Fable for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime
Drift off with The Messengers by Lord Dunsany, a short, lyrical and thought-provoking fable about the muses, their messengers and the people who will not listen, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.
One wandering night, a man out chasing hares hears the high muses calling: "Take us a message to the golden town." He would far rather stay in the happy valleys, but the muses call him by name, again and again, until at last he goes to them. They give him a wreath of laurels carved from emeralds, as only the muses can carve, so the wise men of the golden town will know where he has come from.
Dressed in scarlet silks, he runs through the golden gateway crying his message. But the wise men sit cross-legged before their houses, reading from parchments an older message the muses sent long before, and they will not believe him. Still the muses do not rest, and still they send their messengers, until one day they call to the storyteller himself.
This classic short story for adults is a reflective wind-down for a busy mind, with Dunsany's rich, rhythmic, almost biblical prose and Martin's calm, unhurried narration. Like many of Dunsany's fables it carries a sharp, serious edge beneath its beauty, so it suits listeners who enjoy something to ponder as they drift towards sleep.
If you enjoyed it, you'll find more Lord Dunsany on Books at Bedtime, including Alone the Immortals, The Hen and The Return of the Exiles, all from the same collection.
The Messengers was first published in Fifty-One Tales (London: Elkin Mathews; New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1915). Lord Dunsany (1878–1957).
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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 Jolt Awake When Falling Asleep - 10 Minute Guided Meditation for Sleep Anxiety Nov 05, 2026

Show notes

Why Do I Jolt Awake When Falling Asleep? — Hypnic Jerk Sleep Meditation | Physiological Sigh & Sleep Affirmations
Why do I jolt awake when falling asleep? You're just beginning to drift off, your thoughts softening, the bed warm beneath you, and suddenly your body jumps. A falling sensation, a kick of the leg, a sudden twitch that brings you back to wakefulness wondering what just happened. This gentle guided sleep meditation helps you settle after a hypnic jerk or sleep start, without turning bedtime into something else you have to get right.
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist Martin Hewlett. These sudden movements are common during the transition into sleep, and they can feel surprising when you were nearly asleep a moment before. For more guided meditations for sleep and anxiety, find Martin's Anchored app, with familiar Calming Anxiety sessions plus Books at Bedtime to keep you company as you unwind. On iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. And try Thole, Martin's new health app, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
We begin with three small, gentle physiological sighs: a soft breath in through the nose, a tiny extra sip of air at the top, then an easy, unhurried breath out. Then we let the technique go, soften the forehead, shoulders and hands, and stop waiting for the next jolt. Five gentle sleep affirmations and three daily caring tips help you rest, and there's no need to stay awake until the end.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – That sudden jolt as you drift off
* 00:26 – Why do I jolt awake when falling asleep?
* 00:44 – Welcome from Martin
* 00:55 – Getting comfy in bed
* 01:13 – What is a hypnic jerk or sleep start?
* 01:57 – Noticing where the body meets the bed
* 02:18 – Three gentle physiological sighs
* 03:40 – Returning to natural breathing
* 04:16 – Softening forehead, shoulders and hands
* 04:49 – Letting thoughts stay unfinished
* 05:04 – When you start waiting for the next jolt
* 05:37 – Five gentle sleep affirmations
* 06:49 – Drifting deeper
* 07:07 – Affirmations, once more
* 08:05 – Letting the words grow quieter
* 08:30 – Your 3 daily caring tips
* 09:22 – Drifting off, or gently returning
* 09:43 – Anchored and Books at Bedtime
* 10:01 – Share with someone who jolts awake
* 10:10 – Let the bed do the holding, and be kind
🌿 Tonight's Gentle Sleep Affirmations
Repeat each one quietly in your own mind, or simply listen:
* I can rest without forcing sleep.
* My body can settle at its own natural pace.
* I can meet a familiar sleep start with kindness.
* I do not need to monitor every moment of falling asleep.
* For now, I give myself permission to let go.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. Pause before checking the clock: If a familiar sleep start wakes you, give yourself a moment before checking the time. Feel the support beneath you and allow your breathing to find its own rhythm.
2. Practise rest without the goal of sleep: Tomorrow, give yourself a brief moment of rest without making sleep the goal. Sit comfortably, soften your hands, and practise letting a quiet moment be enough.
3. Talk to your GP if it keeps happening: If sleep starts keep disrupting your nights, make a note to speak to your GP or doctor during the day. You don't have to solve every sleep concern alone in the middle of the night.
📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere
Let the next breath be ordinary, let the bed do the holding, and know you don't have to try any harder tonight. Keep Anchored by your bed for sleep sessions and Books at Bedtime:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
For Martin's calming tips, visit https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Help test Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app. iPhone beta: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
If someone you care about has mentioned that sudden jump as they drift off, please share this session with them, and leave a 30-second review on Apple Podcasts.
Take care of yourself, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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.

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - Alone The Immortals - By Lord Dunsany Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

Alone the Immortals by Lord Dunsany — A Short, Dreamlike Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime
Drift off to sleep with Alone the Immortals by Lord Dunsany, a short, beautiful and deeply comforting prose poem about the years that have passed and where they go, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.
The narrator has heard a rumour: that far away, beyond the deserts, in a country dedicated to winter, there is a hidden valley where all the years that have died are shut away, hidden from the world but not from the moon, nor from those who dream by its light. So he resolves to travel there by ways of dream, to mourn the good years that are gone and lay a wreath of sorrow at their feet.
But no flower seems frail enough for such an offering. The lily looks too large and the laurel too solemn, until at last he weaves a slender chain of daisies, the way he once saw a girl make one in a summer long ago. With his little wreath in hand, he follows paths of mystery to the moonlit valley, searching the grass for the poor, slight years he came to mourn. What he finds there is not at all what he expected.
This classic short story for adults is a gentle wind-down for a busy mind, with Dunsany's lyrical, dreamlike prose, a quietly consoling ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration. It's a lovely, peaceful listen for anyone who finds themselves looking back on years gone by as they drift towards sleep.
If you enjoyed it, you'll find more Lord Dunsany on Books at Bedtime, including The Hen, A Moral Little Tale and The Return of the Exiles, all from the same collection.
Alone the Immortals was first published in Fifty-One Tales (London: Elkin Mathews; New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1915). Lord Dunsany (1878–1957).
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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.

Calm Racing Thoughts — 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Panic and Anxiety — Part 3 of 3 Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

How to Calm Racing Thoughts — Guided Meditation for a Busy Mind | When Your Mind Won't Stop, Part 3 of 3
Finally stopped for a moment, but your thoughts are still moving? There's something to remember, something to finish, and another idea arriving before the last one has had time to settle. If you're wondering how to calm racing thoughts, you can begin here exactly as you are. There's no need to clear your mind before we start. This 10-minute guided meditation gives a busy mind somewhere to rest in the present.
This is the third and final session in When Your Mind Won't Stop, hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and paramedic of over 20 years Martin Hewlett. It works on its own, whether or not you've heard Part 1 on replaying conversations or Part 2 on overthinking the future. For support between episodes, Anchored is Martin's app for panic and anxiety, with guided sessions and a free, offline Instant Calm tool. Download on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. And try Martin's new health app, Thole, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
There's no counting again today. We notice where the body is supported, follow the natural out-breath, soften the face, and gently acknowledge "my mind is planning" whenever the list-making starts. You'll learn to stop checking whether it's working, receive five gentle affirmations for a busy mind, and three daily caring tips.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – Thoughts still moving when you stop?
* 00:31 – Welcome: When Your Mind Won't Stop, Part 3
* 00:48 – The series so far
* 01:07 – Finding your quiet place
* 01:25 – Noticing where you're supported
* 01:43 – No counting, just the out-breath
* 02:24 – Softening the face
* 03:03 – When your mind is making a list
* 03:34 – Writing down an important thought
* 04:14 – "Am I relaxed yet?"
* 04:37 – Sinking down with every out-breath
* 05:12 – Five gentle affirmations
* 06:27 – Simply be
* 06:50 – Affirmations, once more
* 07:44 – Floating between breaths
* 08:01 – Your 3 daily caring tips
* 09:01 – Gently returning to the room
* 09:41 – Looking back on the series
* 10:04 – Anchored and Instant Calm
* 10:22 – It's just me, helping you
* 10:36 – Smile often, and be kind
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
Repeat each one after Martin or simply listen. Let the words be an invitation:
* I can rest without making every thought disappear.
* I can leave an unfinished task for another moment.
* I am allowed to move at a gentler pace.
* I can bring my attention back with kindness.
* For this moment, I give myself permission to unwind.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. Give unfinished tasks a place outside your head: Write a short list, then choose what actually needs your attention next. If a task can wait, note when you'll return to it.
2. Try doing one ordinary thing at an unhurried pace: Make a drink without checking your phone. Walk to the window and notice the world outside. Finish one small activity before beginning another.
3. Make a little room between activity and rest: When you finish work or a demanding task, allow a brief transition. Put things away, stretch comfortably and sit quietly for a few minutes.
📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere
Across these three sessions, we've made space to leave a past conversation behind, put down some worries about the future, and return to the life happening here. You can come back to them any time you want. Keep Anchored close:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
Find out more at https://calminganxiety.org/anchored, and for Martin's calming tips visit https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Help test Thole, Martin's new app to get body and mind working together. iPhone beta here: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
"All of this is just me. There's no corporate backing, there's no sponsorship, it's just me helping you." If this series helped, please share it with someone whose mind won't stop, and leave a 30-second review on Apple Podcasts.
Have a lovely day, my friend. Truly. Smile often, positive thoughts whenever you can, and in absolutely everything, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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.

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - The Return of the Exiles - By Lord Dunsany Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

The Return of the Exiles by Lord Dunsany — A Short, Mysterious Bedtime Story at Stonehenge | Books at Bedtime
Drift off with The Return of the Exiles by Lord Dunsany, a short, strange and haunting little tale set among the ancient stones of Stonehenge, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.
Cycling across the English countryside one day, the narrator comes upon two very old men sitting by the roadside: one with a hammer and a blackened, hole-filled leather apron, the other with one eye and a spear. They seem shabby, humble and oddly apologetic. Touching his greasy cap, the one with the hammer asks the way to Stonehenge. "After all these years," they keep murmuring to each other, "we might just go back, just once."
The narrator points the way and rides on, but when he reaches the great stone circle himself, he finds a solemn group of about twenty men already waiting among the stones, as if expecting someone. And before long, the two strange old men come striding up the road. Who are they, and why have they been away so very long? Dunsany leaves just enough unsaid to set your imagination wandering as you drift towards sleep.
This classic short story for adults is a quietly eerie wind-down for a busy mind, with Dunsany's dreamlike, mythic prose, the timeless atmosphere of Stonehenge and Martin's calm, unhurried narration. It's ideal for anyone who loves old legends, folklore and a touch of mystery before sleep.
If you enjoyed it, you'll find more Lord Dunsany on Books at Bedtime, including The Hen and A Moral Little Tale, alongside classic stories by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman and L.M. Montgomery.
The Return of the Exiles was first published in Fifty-One Tales (London: Elkin Mathews; New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1915). Lord Dunsany (1878–1957).
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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.

Overthinking the Future — 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Panic and Anxiety — Part 2 of 3 Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

How to Stop Overthinking the Future — Guided Meditation for "What If" Thoughts & Uncertainty | When Your Mind Won't Stop, Part 2 of 3
Do you find yourself worrying about something that hasn't happened yet, then imagining what might happen after that? One thought becomes another, and a small uncertainty turns into a whole afternoon spent trying to prepare for every possibility. If you've been wondering how to stop overthinking the future, this 10-minute guided meditation gives you a little space to step back from "what if" thoughts. For these few minutes, there is nothing you need to predict.
This is the second of three sessions in When Your Mind Won't Stop, hosted by clinical hypnotherapist Martin Hewlett. It works on its own, and if you joined Part 1 on replaying conversations, welcome back. Martin's Anchored app has 2,500+ episodes, easy to search, plus Books at Bedtime, the ambient night light and box breathing. Download on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. And Martin's new app, Thole, is now in testing. Join the iPhone beta: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
There's no counting today, no breath to hold and no depth to achieve. We notice what's supporting you, let the natural breath arrive and leave, and learn to see "what if" questions as something your mind produces, not instructions you have to follow. You'll receive five affirmations for living with uncertainty and three practical daily caring tips.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – Worrying about what hasn't happened yet?
* 00:32 – Welcome: When Your Mind Won't Stop, Part 2
* 00:52 – Welcome back from Part 1
* 01:04 – Finding your quiet place
* 01:21 – Noticing what supports you
* 01:53 – No counting, just the natural breath
* 02:36 – When a "what if" asks to be heard
* 03:01 – "I'm noticing a what if thought"
* 03:30 – Why the mind searches for certainty
* 03:56 – Allowed to rest while you don't yet know
* 04:44 – Every return can be gentle
* 04:57 – Five affirmations for overthinking the future
* 06:14 – Feeling connected to where you are
* 06:38 – Affirmations, once more
* 07:37 – Treating yourself gently
* 07:59 – Your 3 daily caring tips
* 09:04 – Gently returning to the room
* 09:37 – Next time, Part 3: calming racing thoughts
* 09:54 – Anchored: 2,500 shows and more
* 10:24 – Thole, now in testing
* 10:46 – Have a lovely day, and be kind
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
Repeat each one quietly or simply listen, without needing to force a feeling:
* I can leave some questions unanswered for now.
* A "what if" thought is a possibility, not a prediction.
* I can take one useful step without solving everything.
* I am allowed to rest while life remains uncertain.
* I can meet what comes with care, and ask for support when I need it.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. Ask whether you can act on it today: If you can, choose one manageable step. Write the email, check the appointment time, or make a short list of what you need.
2. Give recurring worries somewhere to wait: Keep a notebook or a note on your phone, write down the concern, and choose a brief time during the day to look at it.
3. Make a small plan for support: If a concern feels difficult, consider who could help you think it through: a friend, someone you trust, or a professional who understands the situation. You don't need to know every answer yourself.
📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere
You don't have to feel completely confident about the future. For now, it's enough to feel a little more connected to where you are. Next time, in the third and final session of When Your Mind Won't Stop, we'll explore how to calm racing thoughts and let a busy mind unwind. Keep Anchored close in the meantime:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
For Martin's calming tips, visit https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Thole is Martin's new app to get body and mind working together and reclaim your health and fitness. Help test it, iPhone beta here: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
If you know someone caught up in "what if" thinking, please share this episode, and leave a 30-second review on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you for putting your faith and trust in all Martin does. Have a lovely day, my friend. Positive thoughts whenever you can, and especially to yourself, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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.

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - A Moral Little Tale - By Lord Dunsany Nov 02, 2026

Show notes

A Moral Little Tale by Lord Dunsany — A Short Classic Fable for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime
Drift off with A Moral Little Tale by Lord Dunsany, a short, witty and thought-provoking fable about joy, dancing and the people who would forbid them, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.
There was once an earnest Puritan who held it wrong to dance, and for his principles he laboured hard. He discouraged dancing, helped to close Sunday entertainments, disapproved of fanciful poetry and always dressed in black. Everyone respected his honest face and his flowing white beard, and agreed he was a good man by his own lights.
Then one night, a most unexpected visitor appears to him in a dream and says, "Well done." What follows is a sharp and surprising conversation about laughter and music, butterflies on sunny hillsides, the warm west wind, village couples whispering under the harvest moon, and who really made them all. In just a few minutes, Dunsany turns everything the earnest man believed upside down.
This classic short story for adults is a gentle wind-down for a busy mind, with Dunsany's lyrical, dreamlike prose and Martin's calm, unhurried narration. Like all good fables, it carries a sting in its tail, so it's perfect for anyone who enjoys a little wit and wisdom before sleep.
If you enjoyed it, you'll also find Lord Dunsany's The Hen on Books at Bedtime, from the same collection, alongside Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's The Squirrel and L.M. Montgomery's Charlotte's Ladies.
A Moral Little Tale was first published in Fifty-One Tales (London: Elkin Mathews; New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1915). Lord Dunsany (1878–1957).
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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.

A 10-minute guided meditation for overthinking after conversations - Part 1 of 3 - Guided Meditation for Panic and Anxiety Nov 02, 2026

Show notes

How to Stop Replaying Conversations — Guided Meditation for Overthinking After Conversations | When Your Mind Won't Stop, Part 1 of 3
Do you leave a conversation only to carry it around for the rest of the day? You replay something you said, remember a silence, a look, a change in someone's voice, and your mind starts filling in the gaps. Did I sound foolish? Have I upset them? Should I have said something different? If you're wondering how to stop replaying conversations, this 10-minute guided meditation is a little breathing space. You don't have to work out what everyone thinks of you before you can rest.
This is the first of three sessions in When Your Mind Won't Stop, hosted by clinical hypnotherapist Martin Hewlett. Each session stands on its own, so there's nothing to catch up with. For more support between episodes, Anchored is Martin's app for panic and anxiety, with guided sessions and a free, offline Instant Calm tool. Download on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. And try Martin's new health app, Thole, free in beta on iPhone (iOS only): https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
There's no breathing pattern and no counting today. We simply notice the out-breath, soften the shoulders, jaw and eyes, and gently name what the mind is doing: "I'm replaying a conversation." You'll learn why another person's silence can have many meanings, receive five kind affirmations for overthinking after conversations, and three daily caring tips.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – Replaying a conversation all day?
* 00:38 – Welcome: When Your Mind Won't Stop, Part 1
* 00:58 – Each session stands on its own
* 01:07 – Finding somewhere comfy
* 01:20 – No breathing pattern, just the out-breath
* 02:14 – If watching the breath feels uncomfortable
* 02:30 – Naming it: "I'm replaying a conversation"
* 03:06 – Why we replay conversations
* 03:24 – Letting the gap remain a gap
* 03:55 – This is where you are now
* 04:37 – Five affirmations for overthinking after conversations
* 06:07 – Letting go of the words of others
* 06:44 – Affirmations, once more
* 07:51 – Drifting with self-worth and courage
* 08:23 – Your 3 daily caring tips
* 09:20 – Gently returning to the room
* 09:45 – Tomorrow, Part 2: overthinking the future
* 10:10 – Anchored, Instant Calm and Premium
* 10:46 – Until tomorrow, be kind
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
Repeat each one quietly or simply listen. You don't have to force yourself to believe anything:
* I can let a conversation end without knowing exactly what everyone thought.
* I am allowed to be human and imperfect when I speak.
* I can learn from a moment and still treat myself with kindness.
* I can take a useful step when needed and leave the replay behind for now.
* I am bringing my attention back to the life in front of me.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. Separate what happened from what you are imagining: You might know someone gave a short answer, but you may be guessing that they were annoyed with you. Try asking, "What did I actually observe?"
2. Ask whether there is one useful action to take: Perhaps a brief clarification would help. Perhaps there is a lesson you need to remember.
3. Turn to something concrete and ordinary: Feel your feet as you walk. Notice the warmth of a mug. Listen carefully to the person who is with you now.
📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere
You don't need a final verdict on that conversation to continue your day. Tomorrow, in Part 2 of When Your Mind Won't Stop, we'll explore how to stop overthinking the future and give those "what if" thoughts a little less of our attention. Until then, keep Anchored close:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
Anchored Premium turns off the adverts and supports all Martin does, for just 5.99 a month or 49.99 for the year. Thank you. For Martin's calming tips, visit https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, free in beta for iPhone only: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
If you know someone who replays every conversation, please share this episode with them, and leave a 30-second review on Apple Podcasts.
Take good care of yourself, my friend, and speak to yourself with a little more care and understanding. I'll speak to you tomorrow. And in everything, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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.

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - The Hen - By Lord Dunsany Nov 01, 2026

Show notes

The Hen by Lord Dunsany — A Short, Gentle Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime
Drift off to sleep with The Hen by Lord Dunsany, a tiny, wise and gently funny fable about the swallows, the south and a hen with big ideas, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.
All along the farmyard gables the swallows sit in a row, twittering uneasily, thinking only of summer and the south, for autumn is afoot and the north wind waiting. One day they are suddenly gone, and the whole poultry yard talks of nothing but the swallows and the south. "I think I shall go south myself next year," says the hen.
A year later the swallows rise on the north wind with a strange old knowledge in their wings, flying high over the huge and homeless sea, past glittering fog banks, wandering ships and pearl divers, to the summer valleys they know. And the hen? She spreads her wings, runs out of the poultry yard and flutters off down the road on a great adventure of her own, all the way to a garden full of roses.
This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Dunsany's dreamlike, poetic prose, a quietly funny ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal short sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.
Lord Dunsany, the Irish fantasy writer best known for The King of Elfland's Daughter, is new to Books at Bedtime. If you enjoy classic short stories, you'll also find Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's The Squirrel and The Lost Dog, and L.M. Montgomery's Charlotte's Ladies.
The Hen was first published in Fifty-One Tales (London: Elkin Mathews; New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1915). Lord Dunsany (1878–1957).
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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’t Stop Thinking About Everything - 10 Minute Guided Meditation for Anxiety Nov 01, 2026

Show notes

Can't Stop Thinking? — A 10-Minute Guided Meditation for a Busy Mind | Affirmations & Gentle Out-Breath Relaxation (No Counting)
Can't stop thinking? Sometimes the most exhausting part of your day is everything happening inside your own mind: replaying a conversation, wondering whether you've forgotten something, thinking about tomorrow while still trying to make sense of yesterday. And when you finally have a quiet moment, your thoughts seem to get louder. This 10-minute guided meditation for a busy mind reminds you that you can have unfinished thoughts and still allow yourself to rest.
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett. For more calm moments like this, find Martin's Anchored app on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. And Martin's new app to help get your body fit and healthy, Thole, is in free beta on iPhone (iOS only): https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
There's no counting today and no breath to get right. We simply notice the natural out-breath, the small settling through the chest, the softening of the shoulders, and let the jaw, tongue and eyes ease. You'll learn to notice a thought without it becoming your next task, receive five gentle affirmations for a busy mind, and three daily caring tips.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – Welcome from Martin
* 00:10 – When your thoughts get louder
* 00:43 – Nothing you need to work out
* 00:49 – Finding your quiet, comfy place
* 01:11 – No counting: just the natural out-breath
* 02:02 – Softening the jaw, tongue and eyes
* 02:30 – When the mind wanders
* 02:57 – A thought doesn't have to be your next task
* 03:35 – Allowed to rest before everything is resolved
* 04:03 – A quiet word on the out-breath
* 04:40 – Five gentle affirmations
* 06:00 – Drifting deeper with self-compassion
* 06:41 – Affirmations, once more
* 07:47 – Letting the words settle
* 08:49 – Your 3 daily caring tips
* 09:53 – Gently returning to the room
* 10:29 – Anchored and calminganxiety.org
* 10:54 – Try Thole on iPhone
* 11:22 – Thank you, and be kind
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
Repeat them silently or simply listen, and visualise the colour and shape of each word:
* I give myself permission to leave some questions unanswered today.
* I can bring my attention back to what is here, one gentle moment at a time.
* I deserve kindness when my mind feels busy.
* I can take one useful step and then allow myself to rest.
* I can notice a thought without following it through.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. Give the thoughts somewhere to go: When the same worry keeps circling, write it down in a sentence, then ask yourself, "Is there one useful action I can take?" If there is, choose it. If there isn't, you can leave the thought on the page.
2. Gently reconnect with your surroundings: Feel your feet against the floor. Notice the warmth of a mug in your hands, the colour of something nearby, or the sounds outside the window.
3. Make room for a little less input: Choose a short part of your day to put your phone aside and do one thing at a time. Eat something slowly, walk for a few minutes, or sit somewhere comfy.
📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere
You are here, and for this moment, you can allow that to be enough. One thing at a time. To make more moments like this part of your day, explore Anchored, Martin's app from Calming Anxiety. "It worked for me, and that's why I built it."
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
Visit https://calminganxiety.org for everything to help you overcome anxiety and stress, and https://calminganxiety.org/calm for Martin's calming tips.
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new app to get your body fit and healthy. Free in beta for iPhone only, no catch. Install it and let him know what you think: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
If this helped, please share it with someone whose mind won't switch off, and leave a 30-second review on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you for your time, my friend, and for putting your faith and trust in all Martin does. Have a lovely day. And as always, be kind.
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 Collins at Indie Music Box
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.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Calming Anxiety | Guided Meditation, Sleep Hypnosis & Panic Attack Relief

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected