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

Latest Episodes:

Calming Anxiety - The NSDR Protocol - A 10 Minute Non-Sleep Deep Rest Reset Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

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 Chapters

00:00 – "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 It
00:41 – Introduction from Martin & Anchored App Overview
01:16 – Resetting the Nervous System Before We Rest
01:38 – The Physiological Sigh & the Stanford Research Behind It
01:56 – Settling In: Lying Down, Letting the Body Fall Heavy
02:15 – Guided Physiological Sighs (Three Rounds Together)
03:15 – Letting the Breath Go Free: Effortless Rise & Fall
04:31 – Planting Today's Truth: The Warm Amber Light
04:52 – NSDR Affirmations for Nervous-System Reset (First Pass)
06:32 – Staying Off Duty: Nothing to Solve, Nothing to Reach
06:41 – Affirmations for Deep Subconscious Integration (Second Pass)
08:00 – Reuniting Mind, Body & Soul: You Are Worthy
08:27 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for Building an NSDR Habit
09:12 – Gently Awakening & Returning to the Room
09:47 – Closing Reflection & Notice How You Feel Now
09:55 – Outro, Community Support, & Sign-off

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations Repeat each line silently on your out-breath, picturing the words as a warm, amber light glowing at the centre of your chest — or simply let them land without fighting to believe them right away:

"I allow my body to enter non-sleep deep rest."
"This NSDR practice is resetting my nervous system right now."
"I do not have to force calm. Deep relaxation comes to me naturally."
"My vagus nerve is my built-in off switch, and I know how to find it."
"Rest is not something I learn. It is something I allow."

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

After Any Rest Like This, Rehydrate: Drink a full glass of water. Deep rest shifts your system out of high alert, and a little water helps you come back gently and clear-headed.
Protect One 10-Minute NSDR Window: Set a single 10-minute NSDR window in your day and protect it the way you would protect a meeting. Deep rest works best when it is a habit, not a rescue.
Use the Sigh Before the Alarm Builds: When your mind races tonight, use one physiological sigh — two breaths in, one long breath out — to switch the alarm off before it climbs.

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere If this session gave you a little more room today, 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 If you know someone who's running on empty but can't seem to switch off, please share this episode with them. Leaving a short rating or review on Apple Podcasts takes just 30 seconds and helps another anxious listener find us.
Until tomorrow, my friend… be kind.
👉 Click to subscribe and unlock ad-free episodes now!
Support the Show:Ad-Free Listening: Enjoy Calming Anxiety without ads at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety--4110266/support
Buy Me a Coffee: Support hosting costs at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/calminganxiety
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/
Backing Music: Chris Collins
===================
Affiliate links to the gear I use the items that give me a more tranquil life.
=============================
Items I use for a more relaxed way of life :)
Organic Pure Hemp CBD Capsules - https://amzn.to/3
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 Feel So Low Today - 10 Minutes Guided Meditation to Lift the Soul Aug 23, 2026

Show notes

Calming Anxiety: Finding Light When You Feel Low
When 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 Chapters

00:00 – Intro & Welcome: Meeting the Low, Grey Days
00:51 – Introducing Anchored: Your Companion App for Sleep & Mindfulness
01:20 – Grounding Breathwork: Lengthening the Exhale to Release Tension
03:04 – The Lifting Breath: Making Room Behind the Heart
04:32 – Affirmations for Low Mood & Self-Tenderness
08:15 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for a Happier, Gentler Life
09:33 – Awakening, Outro & Be Kind

Affirmations 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 Tips

Move 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.
👉 Click to subscribe and unlock ad-free episodes now!
Support the Show:Ad-Free Listening: Enjoy Calming Anxiety without ads at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety--4110266/support
Buy Me a Coffee: Support hosting costs at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/calminganxiety
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/
Backing Music: Chris Collins
===================
Affiliate links to the gear I use the items that give me a more tranquil life.
=============================
Items I use for a more relaxed way of life :)
Organic Pure Hemp CBD Capsules - https://amzn.to/3
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 Feel On Edge All Day — A 10-Minute Meditation for a Wired, Tired Nervous System Aug 22, 2026

Show notes

Tired But Wired — Why You Can't Switch Off After a Day on Edge | Physiological Sigh Meditation
That feeling where the body has been braced since the moment you woke up. Shoulders up around your ears, jaw tight, exhausted and somehow still wired. Wired but tired — running on a battery that is flat and jangling at the same time. If today has felt like being on edge from the first alarm right through to now, then these ten minutes are for you, because there is a single breath, just one, that can start to switch that off.
If today catches you somewhere you can't press play for a full ten minutes, the Anchored app has the Instant Calm session ready any time — no signing in, no subscription, works offline. And tonight, when you're ready to properly wind down, Anchored's ambient night light sits alongside your sleep sounds: a soft glow to fall asleep to.
👉 Download Anchored on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Today's breath is the physiological sigh, and if you haven't come across it before it is worth knowing its name — it is the fastest way we know to bring the nervous system back down. You breathe in through the nose, then a second short sharp top-up right at the top, and then a long slow release through the mouth, like misting a window on a cold morning. Three rounds is usually enough to feel something in the chest loosen. That isn't your imagination. That is your nervous system changing state while you sit there. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former frontline paramedic Martin Hewlett.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – Wired but tired: braced since the moment you woke
* 00:37 – Welcome from Martin
* 00:47 – Anchored: Instant Calm and the ambient night light
* 01:20 – Finding your quiet place
* 01:29 – Today's breath: the physiological sigh
* 01:58 – Three rounds together
* 02:58 – Something in your chest has loosened
* 04:22 – How much power there is in words
* 04:56 – Today's gentle affirmations
* 07:41 – Your three daily caring tips
* 08:53 – Coming back gently
* 09:21 – That is it for today
* 09:38 – Share the show and sign-off
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
New instructions for your body to settle into. See them as I say them, repeat them, and allow the echo of them to float gently down and become part of all that you are:
I am allowed to come out of this high alert.
My nervous system knows how to find calm, even after a wired, edgy day.
I release the tension I have been holding since this morning.
Being tired doesn't mean I have to stay wired.
My body can do both — rest, and let go.
I trust the sigh, the breath and the light. Small things, and they are enough.
I am safe in this moment, exactly as I am.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. The next time you notice you are on edge, take one physiological sigh — double inhale through the nose, long exhale through the mouth — before you do anything else.
2. Give yourself a proper wind down tonight. Dim the lights an hour before bed, so your body gets the signal that the day is actually over.
3. Say one kind sentence to yourself out loud today. Your nervous system listens to tone as much as words.
📱 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 the ambient night light for the small hours. Your daily tips are saved automatically on the home screen — a little library of healthy ideas, there whenever you need them.
👉 Download Anchored on the App Store today: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
If this settled something in you, even a little, do share it with someone who has had one of those wired but tired days too. A friend, a colleague — it might be exactly what they need to hear.
Learn to let go of the negative anchors that hold us to the mistakes and regrets of our past, and love all that you are. I'll be here with you again tomorrow, so take care — smile often, positive thoughts whenever you can, and then in everything my friend …be kind.
Support the Show:
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins
Become 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.

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - In The Orchard - By Virginia Woolf Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

In the Orchard by Virginia Woolf — Full Short Story Read Aloud | Sleep Story for Insomnia, Anxiety & Deep Sleep | Books at Bedtime
A calming bedtime story to help you fall asleep — the complete, unabridged short story In the Orchard by Virginia Woolf, narrated slowly and softly for anyone lying awake with insomnia, anxiety or a racing mind in the small hours.
Miranda is asleep in the orchard, in a long chair under an apple tree. Her book has fallen into the grass. That is all that happens — and Woolf tells it three times over, from three different heights. First from four feet above her head, where the schoolchildren's chanting and the church organ and a drunk man's cry all pass over the sleeping girl. Then from inside her own drifting mind, where the sounds turn into cliffs and horses and the sea. Then from nowhere at all: twenty-four apple trees, a wagtail, a thrush, a purple dress, and the whole orchard held quietly together by its walls. You can listen offline, any time you wake in the night, in the Anchored app —
👉 download on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
It is under nine minutes, and it is one of the most purely beautiful things Woolf ever wrote — a piece about the layers of sound and light moving over a sleeping person who notices none of it. Which makes it, more than almost any story we have read, exactly the right shape for a wakeful night. There is no plot to hold on to, nothing to solve, and each of the three tellings ends in the same place, with the same small cry: oh, I shall be late for tea.
If you have a short window before sleep, or want something gentle after a longer reading, this is the one. Perfect for anyone who finds classic literature and short audiobooks more restful than silence. If you drift off in the first few minutes, that is exactly what this reading is for.
First published in 1923, this is our sixth Virginia Woolf reading in the Books at Bedtime series, following Kew Gardens, The Mark on the Wall, Solid Objects, The Lady in the Looking Glass and A Haunted House — all of which are in the feed if this one suits you.
Books at Bedtime is the sleep story and classic audiobook series from Calming Anxiety, hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett — alongside Coffee Break for the Soul and the daily ten-minute guided meditations for anxiety, panic attacks and sleep. If long-form bedtime stories for adults help you sleep, this series is written for those long, wakeful hours.
📱 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/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
In the Orchard by Virginia Woolf was first published in 1923 and is in the public domain.
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 is the single kindest thing you can do for a small independent show.
Sleep well. And until tomorrow …be kind.
Support the Show:
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.
Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

I Can Feel My Heart Pounding - A Guided Meditation for Heart Palpatations and a Racing Heartbeat. Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Why Is My Heart Racing When Nothing Is Happening? — Heart Palpitations, Health Anxiety and the 5-10 Breath | 10 Minute Guided Meditation
You get that feeling right there under your hand. Too fast, too hard, too loud for a room this quiet — and yet nothing is happening. You're sitting down. You haven't run anywhere, you haven't climbed anything, and still your heart is going like you've just sprinted up a flight of stairs.
And here's the thing: the beating isn't the worst part. The worst part is the question that arrives behind it. What if this isn't anxiety? Tonight we answer that question — not with reassurance, not with someone telling you you're fine, but with your own body. This session is about a racing heart, heart palpitations, and a pounding heartbeat that will not slow down. Inside Anchored there are proper breathing tools — not a page of instructions to read when your chest is hammering, but an actual pacer, a shape that grows while you breathe in and shrinks while you breathe out. In the dark you don't have to count, you don't have to remember, you don't have to get it right.
👉 Download Anchored on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Today's breathing is longer than usual: in for five, no pause, out for ten, always out through the mouth — soft, like you're steaming up a window. A long exhale is the most direct lever you have on a heart rate you can't talk down. Then one hand flat on the chest, a warm amber light spreading under it, and a set of affirmations built around the idea that the alarm has been heard, and it can stop ringing now. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
Please note: this session is for anxiety-related palpitations. If a racing heart is new for you, or comes with chest pain, fainting or breathlessness, please book in with your doctor and get it checked properly. Take care of you.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – Too fast, too hard, and nothing is happening
* 01:20 – Welcome from Martin
* 01:47 – Anchored: the breathing pacer for when you can't count
* 02:09 – One hand flat on your chest
* 03:56 – Today's breath: in for five, out for ten
* 04:29 – Letting go of the count
* 04:48 – The warm amber light
* 06:33 – Today's gentle affirmations
* 08:14 – Second pass: within the beauty of your mind's eye
* 09:09 – Your three daily caring tips
* 09:30 – Coming back gently
* 09:44 – Your heart carried you here today
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
Say these words with me, silently or out loud, whichever the room allows — but feel them, see them:
I am safe, I am here, there is nothing to fear right now.
This is anxiety in my body, and anxiety always passes.
I can feel my heartbeat and I do not have to be frightened of it.
Every out breath slows me down.
The alarm has been heard, it can stop ringing now.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. When you notice your heart racing, put one hand flat on your chest and breathe out for twice as long as you breathed in. Three rounds is usually enough to feel the brakes engage.
2. Cut caffeine out eight hours before bed. Caffeine alone can produce a pounding heartbeat that feels exactly like anxiety.
3. If a racing heart is new for you, and comes with any chest pain, fainting or breathlessness, do book in with your doctor and get it checked properly.
📱 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. The breathing pacer is right there on the explore page, and you can set your own timings — it's rather wonderful. On iOS now, and coming to Android in September. 👉 Download Anchored on the App Store today: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
The pounding, the fear, the what if — they move, they are loud, they are absolutely convincing. And yet they pass. They always, always pass.
Your heart carried you here through everything today, without ever once being asked. It's on your side. It always was. If you have 30 seconds, a review on Apple or Spotify helps more people find us.
Have a wonderful day, truly. Smile often, positive thoughts when you can, and then in everything …be kind.
Support the Show:
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins
Become 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.

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - The Haunted House - By Virginia Woolf Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

A Haunted House by Virginia Woolf — Full Short Story Read Aloud | Sleep Story for Insomnia, Anxiety & Deep Sleep | Books at Bedtime
A calming bedtime story to help you fall asleep — the complete, unabridged short story A Haunted House by Virginia Woolf, narrated slowly and softly for anyone lying awake with insomnia, anxiety or a racing mind in the small hours.
Don't let the title worry you. This is one of the gentlest ghost stories ever written, and there is nothing in it to frighten anyone. A couple who died long ago move quietly through their old house at night, hand in hand, opening doors and looking for something they left behind. Here we left it, she says. Oh, but here too, he adds. They are careful not to wake the sleepers. And all the while, under the floorboards and behind the glass, the pulse of the house beats softly: safe, safe, safe. You can listen offline, any time you wake in the night, in the Anchored app —
👉 download on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
It is barely seven minutes long and reads more like a poem than a story — apples in the loft, a wood pigeon bubbling with content, rain sliding silver down the window, moonbeams spilling across the floor. There is no plot to hold on to and no ending to stay awake for. If you have a short window before sleep, or you want something to follow a longer reading, this is the one.
Woolf wrote it in 1921, and the thing the ghosts are searching for turns out to be very simple, and very kind. Perfect for anyone who finds classic literature and short audiobooks more restful than silence. If you drift off in the first few minutes, that is exactly what this reading is for.
This is our fifth Virginia Woolf reading in the Books at Bedtime series, following Kew Gardens, The Mark on the Wall, Solid Objects and The Lady in the Looking Glass — all of which are in the feed if this one suits you.
Books at Bedtime is the sleep story and classic audiobook series from Calming Anxiety, hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett — alongside Coffee Break for the Soul and the daily ten-minute guided meditations for anxiety, panic attacks and sleep. If long-form bedtime stories for adults help you sleep, this series is written for those long, wakeful hours.
📱 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/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
A Haunted House by Virginia Woolf was first published in 1921 and is in the public domain.
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 is the single kindest thing you can do for a small independent show.
Sleep well. And until tomorrow …be kind.
Support the Show:
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.
Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Panic and Anxiety - 10 Minutes to Soothe Your Soul Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

How Do I Stop Dwelling on the Past? — Let Go of Regret, Mistakes and Negative Thoughts | 10 Minute Guided Meditation
We all have it. That feeling of dread, of fear and panic, that sick sensation in our bellies. I've been there, you're there — but together we can take back control. So stay with me for ten minutes and find your moment of calm within the storm.
Today is about the things you still carry from before: the regrets, the mistakes, the anchors that hold you to a past you cannot change. We settle into the almost hypnotic rhythm of the rise and fall of every breath, and then imagine that feeling of letting go as a colour — an aura of light and comfort spreading out from the chest with every exhale, cascading through every fibre of your being. You can find more of this in Anchored, the app I've just brought out. It's free, it's on iOS, and Android follows next month.
👉 Download Anchored on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
This one is unscripted and recorded in a single take — the old style, just me and the microphone. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett. I'm here on the end of a microphone, but whenever I record, whenever I talk, I truly believe you are right there with me, and that we will get through this together.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – That feeling of dread, and finding calm within the storm
* 00:24 – Welcome from Martin
* 00:43 – Anchored: free on iOS, Android next month
* 01:06 – Finding your quiet place
* 01:22 – The rise and fall of every breath
* 02:59 – The aura of light: letting go as a colour
* 05:03 – Today's gentle affirmations
* 06:30 – Second pass: within the beauty of your mind's eye
* 08:02 – Your three daily caring tips
* 08:46 – Coming back gently
* 09:12 – Thank you for taking care of you today
* 10:24 – Sign-off
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
Relax, and in your mind's eye visualise these words, repeating them silently afterwards:
I am in control of all that I am.
My negative thoughts do not define me.
I can love myself now and let go of the regrets and mistakes of my past.
I am worthy of happiness and success.
I am here. I am now. And I am safe.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. Do not define yourself by the mistakes or regrets of your past. We are all allowed to move on.
2. When negativity crops up, stop the thought. Think of something positive about the event, or about whoever you are with, and reframe how you view the past.
3. When panic or anxiety strikes, be kind to yourself afterwards. We all have them — you are not broken. Drink a glass of water and get two minutes of outside time.
📱 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. You don't have to buy anything — just try it out. There is nothing hidden, and a review would be wonderful: it helps spread the word about all the work that has gone into this over the last few months. 👉 Download Anchored on the App Store today: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
So take care of you today. And more than that my friend — empower yourself, and don't give up. Even I have my own duvet days, where life just gets a little bit too hard. But I bounce back. I understand we're fragile, but we'll get there.
Take care. May your God go with you, and in everything …be kind.
Support the Show:
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins
Become 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.

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - THE LADY IN THE LOOKING-GLASS - By Virginia Woolf Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

The Lady in the Looking Glass by Virginia Woolf — Full Short Story Read Aloud | Sleep Story for Insomnia, Anxiety & Deep Sleep | Books at Bedtime
A calming bedtime story to help you fall asleep — the complete, unabridged short story The Lady in the Looking Glass: A Reflection by Virginia Woolf, narrated slowly and softly for anyone lying awake with insomnia, anxiety or a racing mind in the small hours.
People should not leave looking glasses hanging in their rooms. So begins one of Woolf's most beautiful pieces of writing — a summer afternoon in an empty country house, a long Italian mirror hanging out in the hall, and someone lying on the sofa watching the world go quietly on without them. In the room, everything moves: lights and shadows, curtains blowing, petals falling. In the glass, nothing moves at all — the hall table, the sunflowers, a grass path held so fixedly they seem caught there forever. You can listen offline, any time you wake in the night, in the Anchored app —
👉 download on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Half an hour ago the mistress of the house, Isabella Tyson, walked down that grass path in a thin summer dress carrying a basket, and was sliced clean out of the picture by the gilt rim of the mirror. What follows is a mind trying to imagine its way into another person — inventing her, furnishing her with thoughts and letters and secrets — while it waits for her to come back into view.
This is a gentle listen for a wakeful night. Almost nothing happens: a room, a mirror, some sunlight, the post arriving. Woolf writes the drawing room like a nocturnal wood full of shy creatures, and the whole story moves at the pace of an afternoon in which nobody is expected anywhere. Perfect for anyone who finds classic literature and long-form audiobooks more restful than silence. If you drift off in the first few minutes, that is exactly what this reading is for.
First published in 1929, this is our fourth Virginia Woolf reading in the Books at Bedtime series, following Kew Gardens, The Mark on the Wall and Solid Objects — all of which are in the feed if this one suits you.
Books at Bedtime is the sleep story and classic audiobook series from Calming Anxiety, hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett — alongside Coffee Break for the Soul and the daily ten-minute guided meditations for anxiety, panic attacks and sleep. If long-form bedtime stories for adults help you sleep, this series is written for those long, wakeful hours.
📱 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/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
The Lady in the Looking Glass: A Reflection by Virginia Woolf was first published in 1929 and is in the public domain.
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 is the single kindest thing you can do for a small independent show.
Sleep well. And until tomorrow …be kind.
Support the Show:
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins
Become 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.

Am I Enough — Positive Affirmations for Self-Worth, Confidence & Calm Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Why Do I Never Feel Good Enough? — Confidence, Self-Worth and the Half-Smile Breath | 10 Minute Guided Meditation
You have already done the hardest thing today. You woke up, and you came back. No fanfare, nobody clapping — you just did it. And I wonder whether anyone has told you lately that this counts, because there is a particular kind of tiredness that comes from believing you have to earn your place over and over, every single day.
Today we are going to put that down. This session is about calm and control, about positive breathing, about confidence and self-worth, and about the smallest, simplest thing in the world — a smile on the out breath. Inside Anchored there is now a whole tab given over to confidence and self-worth. Not a handful of sessions buried somewhere: a tab, its own place. Free to download, offline whenever you need it, and on Android next month.
👉 Download Anchored on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Today's breath is in through the nose for three, hold for two, out for five — and on every out breath, consciously feel like smiling, however dark your day may be right now. It is a small smile, not a grin, nothing anyone would notice across the room. Just the corners of the mouth lifting a little. This is called the half-smile, and it isn't decoration: the muscles of a smile send signals back to the brain, and the brain reads the face as evidence. A smile you didn't feel first, a smile you simply chose, still lands. Your body doesn't check whether you meant it. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
⏱️ Time Chapters
* 00:00 – You have already done the hardest thing today
* 00:51 – Welcome from Martin
* 00:59 – Anchored: a whole tab for confidence and self-worth
* 01:21 – Settling: uncross anything that's crossed
* 02:45 – Today's breath: in for three, hold two, smile out for five
* 04:35 – Why the half-smile works
* 05:07 – Today's gentle affirmations
* 06:39 – Second pass: visualise and repeat
* 08:02 – Your three daily caring tips
* 08:42 – Coming back gently
* 09:17 – Keep the smile if you can
* 09:30 – Share the show and sign-off
🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations
Visualise these words in your mind's eye, repeat them after me if you wish, with a smile as well if you want — but feel them land:
I am worthy of love and respect exactly as I am today.
I am enough on the days I feel it, and on the days I don't.
I release the need for approval to feel worthy.
I am allowed to take up space without apology.
I inhale confidence, and I exhale fear.
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
1. Set one alarm for the middle of your day. When it goes off, take three coherent breaths with a small smile on every out breath.
2. Write down one thing you did today that you would have praised in somebody else — then praise yourself for it, using exactly those same words.
3. When you catch yourself apologising for taking up space, don't go back and undo it. Simply don't make the next one.
📱 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. The confidence and self-worth tab is waiting for you inside, and your three daily tips live on the home screen so you can save them and keep them with you whenever you need that little mindful boost. 👉 Download Anchored on the App Store today: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
If today lifted you even slightly, please share this with someone who has been working so very hard at being enough. And if you want more, the back catalogue has thousands to choose from — find your ideal moment, your Coffee Break for the Soul.
Take care my friend, truly. Smile often, positivity whenever you can, and until then …be kind.
Support the Show:
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins
Become 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.

Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - Solid Objects - By Virginia Woolf Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Solid Objects by Virginia Woolf — Full Short Story Read Aloud | Sleep Story for Insomnia, Anxiety & Deep Sleep | Books at Bedtime
A calming bedtime story to help you fall asleep — the complete, unabridged short story Solid Objects by Virginia Woolf, narrated slowly and softly for anyone lying awake with insomnia, anxiety or a racing mind at three in the morning.
Two young men are arguing about politics on an empty beach. One of them, John, stops listening and starts digging his fingers down into the wet sand — and finds a lump of sea glass, worn smooth, so thick it is almost opaque, green when he holds it up to the light. He puts it in his pocket. It goes on the mantelpiece, where it holds down a pile of bills. And that, quietly, is the beginning of the end of his life as everyone else understood it. You can listen offline, any time you wake in the night, in the Anchored app —
👉 download on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
What follows is one of Virginia Woolf's strangest and most tender stories: a man who was standing for Parliament slowly giving his whole life over to looking for broken things. A star-shaped shard of blue china found in the grass outside the law courts. A piece of iron from Barnes Common, so cold and black and heavy it might be the cinder of a dead star. Woolf never once tells you he is wrong to want them.
This is a gentle listen for a wakeful night. There is very little plot, no jeopardy and nothing to solve — just a beach, a mantelpiece, and a mind following its own quiet obsession while the world carries on without it. Perfect for anyone who finds classic literature and audiobooks more restful than silence. If you drift off in the first few minutes, that is exactly what this reading is for.
First published in 1920, Solid Objects is a modernist short story from the same period as Kew Gardens and The Mark on the Wall — our third Virginia Woolf reading in the Books at Bedtime series, and all three are in the feed if this one suits you.
Books at Bedtime is the sleep story and classic audiobook series from Calming Anxiety, hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett — alongside Coffee Break for the Soul and the daily ten-minute guided meditations for anxiety, panic attacks and sleep. If long-form bedtime stories for adults help you sleep, this series is written for those long, wakeful hours.
📱 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/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Solid Objects by Virginia Woolf was first published in 1920 and is in the public domain.
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 is the single kindest thing you can do for a small independent show.
Sleep well. And until tomorrow …be kind.
Support the Show:
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins
Become 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.

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