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This guided meditation for anxiety relief is here to help you feel grounded, safe and find calm again.

If your thoughts are spiralling or you feel the stirrings of a panic attack, come to rest in a comfortable position and let's turn the tide gently together and help your nervous system settle.

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As you find stillness.

Draw a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for a moment and sigh out in relief.

Breathe in steadily and exhale for 321.

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Inhale and slowly release for 4321.

You are safe.

You are OK.

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But if you're struggling to believe that tonight, you're not alone.

So I invite you to consider that to be here listening to this guided meditation for anxiety right now, you must have survived all the bad days you have ever come up against.

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Even if it doesn't always feel like it, you are OK.

You are capable of overcoming these worries and obstacles, and you have proved that you can overcome these feelings time and time again.

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As you lie there relaxing, let me remind you that you made it here.

You did it, you made it through, and you have likely survived much worse than whatever has LED you to this meditation.

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Today, take a deep breath in through your nose, feeling your lungs stretch out before you let go of that breath on a long lazy sigh of relief.

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You are safe.

You are safe in your body.

Let this meditation be your reminder that any symptoms you are noticing are really just symptoms of anxiety.

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In your calmest moments, when you are clear headed and able to think rationally, you know that to be the truth.

Know that the way you feel right now cannot alter the facts and the fact is that you are safe.

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Repeat this affirmation after me.

The symptoms I am noticing are really just symptoms of my anxiety.

The symptoms I am noticing are really just symptoms of my anxiety.

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The symptoms I am noticing are really just symptoms of my anxiety.

I am safe, I am safe.

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Take a deep breath in through your nose, and as you sigh out in relief, let's begin to build the case against your anxiety symptoms at your happiest, In the moments when you are most present, when you're engaged in a sport or a hobby that you love, do you notice the same symptoms that you're noticing right now?

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Perhaps you notice them to a lesser extent, or maybe you don't notice them at all.

When you're eating something truly delicious, Do you notice the same symptoms you're noticing now?

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When you're really busy, engaged, or otherwise occupied and you simply don't have the time to search for these symptoms?

You don't notice them, do you?

Not until your intrusive thoughts resurface and you start to check for them.

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Perhaps when you've had a few drinks and your brain activity is slowed down, you don't notice symptoms like the ones you're noticing.

In this moment, consider your answers.

If you find any or all of that to be true, allow that information to constitute proof for you that what you are experiencing is a symptom of anxiety.

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These symptoms crop up when you are already anxious, even if you are unaware of it.

When your anxiety levels are up, you become hyper aware of things that aren't really there or are very minor and begin overthinking.

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That kind of attention paid to feelings or sensations that you wouldn't even ordinarily notice heightens your anxiety further, causes your thoughts to spiral, and ultimately leads to a panic attack.

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Tonight I invite you to take back control of your thoughts and calm your mind.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and as you sigh out in relief, send your attention to the very crown of your head.

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What physical tension are you holding in your head, across your scalp, in the muscles that knit your brow together, around your eyes, deep in your jaw and in your tongue?

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Now send your attention deep into your brain, rooting out any mental and emotional tension wound up in the muscle of your mind.

Take a deep breath in, and as you do, gather up all that tension.

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When you're ready to let it go, release your breath.

Release the stress and strain that has wound its way into your body.

Breathe in calm.

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Exhale all worry.

Inhale peace and release all fear on your out breath.

You are safe.

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Send your attention into your neck and shoulders, into the strong muscles that span your back, and gather up any tension residing there.

Perhaps you find that you're still braced against the day.

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Send your attention into your neck and shoulders, into the strong muscles that span your back, and gather up any tension residing there.

Take a deep breath in, hold it for a moment, and sigh out only when you're ready to let go of that physical and emotional tension.

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There is no need to brace against the world or keep your guard up.

You are safe.

There is nothing you need to be ready for, nothing to anticipate.

You are safe in this moment and the next.

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Tonight, I'd like you to ask yourself, what were you bracing against in the first place?

Look within and however uncomfortable it is, ask yourself what it is that you're worried about.

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Perhaps it's unnerving and a little stressful to confront thoughts like these, but more often than not, giving them grace and a little space to breathe, your mind can properly process and dispel them.

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Before you take a moment to truly process those thoughts, let me remind you that just because you think something or give your full attention to a worry doesn't make it any more likely to occur.

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The desire to push thoughts aside on the basis that paying them attention makes them more probable is, for many people, a symptom of OCD or anxiety.

Pushing these thoughts to the back of your mind isn't making you any safer.

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It's stopping you from applying logic and thinking things through.

It's keeping you from experiencing true anxiety relief.

So safe in the knowledge that thinking these anxieties through has no bearing on what will actually happen in the future.

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Ask yourself, what are you really worried about?

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When you're ready, I'd like you to consider why you were worried about that particular thing.

Is it because you think it will prevent you from doing the things you love?

Because you think it will make you unlovable?

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Because you think it will?

What?

Fill in the blanks?

Why are you worried about this particular thing?

Whilst I know it's uncomfortable, this next part is an important step to help you let go of the worry.

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I invite you now to consider the worst case scenario.

Take a moment to really think it through.

Visualize it if you can.

If everything went as badly as it possibly could, what would that actually look like?

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It's not a nice task, and it takes real bravery to commit to, but if you can, try to trust yourself.

Try to trust that you can handle this.

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As you center your attention back on my voice, perhaps you notice that the fear is no longer looming at the corner of your mind or threatening your peace.

You've thought it through, you've looked it in the eye, and still everything is OK.

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You're OK.

Having properly acknowledged your worries hasn't made them any more likely to come true.

If anything, you find that it has taken their power away.

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Take a deep breath in through your nose and as you exhale, perhaps you find that you are truly ready to let go of that anxiety.

Breathe in calm and on your out breath, release it.

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Feel how easily it flows from you.

Now that you have confronted that intrusive thought, you are safe in this moment and the next.

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Breathe in calm and exhale chaos.

Tonight you are leaning into that feeling of calmness beginning to bloom at the core of your being.

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As you breathe in, calm flows into that well within you and as you exhale, the fears that have followed you around for the past days, weeks, months and years are expelled.

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Breathe in calm, feeling it well up within you and exhale anxiety, letting it drain from you on the tide of your out breath.

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You are safe.

Feel that sense of calm flowing down into your hips, helping them open and release.

On your next deep breath in and out.

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Feel the long muscles of your arms and legs unclenching, loosening and releasing as you realize that you no longer need to carry those same old worries around with you.

Breathe in calm.

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Breathe out chaos.

You are safe in this moment and the next.

There is nothing you cannot handle.

You are more than capable of overcoming every obstacle in your way, and so I invite you to turn your attention to the future.

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As you lie there relaxing, name one thing that you're looking forward to in the next few hours.

If you don't have anything in mind, this is your time to decide upon something just for you and commit to it.

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Maybe you add a trip to the bakery onto your To Do List or listen to a podcast you love, something you enjoy that will take your mind off of your worries entirely.

Once you have decided on something in the next hour, I'd like you to name something you're looking forward to doing for yourself tomorrow.

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Again, if you don't have anything, this is your time to plan something, big or small, just for you, to help you take your mind off of things, even for just a moment.

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Focus on that feeling of excitement, that joy, that calm, that inner peace offered to you by these things and activities you're fitting into your future.

Take another deep breath in and out as you think about something you have to look forward to in the next few weeks.

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In the next few weeks, let the positive feelings wash over you.

Breathe them in and as you exhale, turn your attention on to the next few months.

What will you do to bring joy into your life?

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What plans do you already have and what plans could you make?

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You have a lot to look forward to and let this meditation serve as your reminder that the things you are worried about happening will not stop you from doing the things you love.

Your anxiety about those bad things happening is what stops you from doing the things you love.

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It is simply your body's attempt to keep you safe, to find ways to stop you engaging in the things that excite you or take you beyond your comfort zone.

But you know you're already safe.

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So take a moment to thank the body for its efforts, for all its attempts to care for you, and gently remind yourself that you are already safe.

When you're ready, repeat the following affirmation.

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Thank you, buddy, for trying to protect me, but I am already safe.

Thank you Buddy for trying to protect me but I am already safe.

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Thank you mind for guiding me, but I can take it from here.

Thank you mind for guiding me but I can take it from here.

I am capable and competent.

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There is nothing I cannot handle.

I choose calm if this guided meditation for anxiety relief and panic attacks helped you.

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A review and a follow really helps others to find this space too.

Thank you for listening and feel better soon.