Show notes
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
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
Let these words settle. You don't have to believe them yet — just allow them to land.
* I am still here, and that is not a small thing.
* I have come further than I have ever given myself credit for.
* I am not behind. I am on my own path, at my own pace.
* Setbacks have shaped me. They have not stopped me.
* I am allowed to begin again, as many times as it takes.
* I am building something, even on the days it doesn't quite show.
* The quiet work I am doing still counts.
* Every setback I have survived is already inside me as strength.
* I am becoming resilient, one ordinary day at a time.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. Name what you have already survived — write down one thing you have already survived this year and read it back to yourself tonight before sleep.
2. Make the next step almost silly — choose the smallest possible next step, so small it feels almost silly, and do only that today.
3. Turn the measurement around — when you catch yourself measuring how far you have left to go, turn it around deliberately and measure how far you have already come.
📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere
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. 👉 [Download Anchored on the App Store Today](https://apps.apple.com)
Anchored launches on Thursday the 13th of August. Please put it in your diary now, while you are thinking of it, before the day takes over. The more of us who arrive on the same day, the further it travels, and the more people it reaches who need it.
And if today's episode found something in you, please share it with someone who has been knocked back lately. You probably know exactly who. If you have thirty seconds, a rating and review on Apple Podcasts helps more people find their way here.
Sleep well, my friend, or go gently into your day. I'll be right here with you again tomorrow.
And in everything, my friend, be kind.
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Music: All music by Chris Collins
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.
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