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

Kismet by L. M. Montgomery — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with Kismet by L. M. Montgomery, a short, quietly romantic Victorian story read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

It is a brilliant September afternoon at the races. The crowd on the grandstand is cheering the mare Lulu home in the free-for-all when a young woman drops her scorecard, and the man in front of her turns to offer his own. As their eyes meet, both of them go pale. He is the husband she left five years ago.

 

She married him at eighteen, a high-spirited society beauty. He was older, a quiet scholar who loved books and seclusion. Their strong wills clashed, and after two unhappy years they parted without scandal. Now, side by side in the grandstand, they make polite small talk about the race while old feelings rise to the surface.

 

As Lulu and her rival, Mascot, line up for the deciding heat, he asks her a question she isn't ready to answer, and she makes an impulsive bargain that leaves everything to fate. What follows is a gentle, satisfying story about pride, second chances and the things we leave unsaid.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Calm narration, a soft, unhurried pace and a tender ending make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including The Story of an Invitation, A Case of Trespass, A Golden Wedding and Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner.

 

Kismet was first published in 1899 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896 to 1901. L. M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.

 

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

 

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

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.

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.

The Story of an Invitation by L. M. Montgomery — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with The Story of an Invitation by L. M. Montgomery, a gentle and heart-warming short story read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

Bertha Sutherland is bright, pretty and popular at the academy in Dartmouth. Her roommate, Grace Maxwell, is quiet, pale and dressed in mourning, alone in the world since the aunt who raised her died. Over one pleasant school year the two become close friends.

 

As the summer holidays approach, Bertha receives a letter she has been hoping for. Her beloved Aunt Meg invites her to Riverdale for strawberries and cream, picnics, parties and long sunny days with friends. Grace, meanwhile, plans to spend her whole summer working behind the counter of a hot city bookstore, because she can't afford anything else.

 

Lying awake after midnight, Bertha makes a quiet decision of her own. What follows is a tender, comforting story about kindness, friendship and the joy of giving something away, with an ending that feels like a warm blanket.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Calm narration, a soft, unhurried pace and a reassuring ending make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including A Case of Trespass, A Golden Wedding and Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner.

 

The Story of an Invitation was first published in 1901 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896 to 1901. L. M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.

 

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

 

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

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'm Scared of Losing My Parents — Anxiety About Ageing Parents' Health | Guided Meditation

 

Anxiety about your parents' health is one of the quietest, heaviest worries there is. It arrives in an unexpected phone call, in an "I'm fine" said a little too quickly, in the sight of their hands on the kitchen table looking older than you remember. And it usually lands late at night, when the house is quiet and you finally stop being the capable one.

 

This 10-minute guided meditation for anxiety relief is for anyone carrying the fear of losing a parent — the anticipatory grief, the caregiver worry, the exhaustion of booking the appointments and keeping the tone light while quietly falling apart. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.

 

Today's session uses vagus nerve breathing — in for four, out for eight — with a hand at the base of the throat to settle the nervous system, followed by a calm-light visualisation and gentle affirmations for anticipatory grief, ageing parents, and caregiver anxiety. You don't have to carry it alone here.

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

 

* 00:00 – Cold Open: The Fear You Haven't Said Out Loud

* 01:04 – Welcome & Finding Your Quiet Place

* 01:44 – Vagus Nerve Breathing: In For Four, Out For Eight

* 04:05 – Visualisation: The Aura of Calm Light

* 05:14 – Gentle Affirmations (First Pass)

* 06:58 – You Are Never the Clouds, You Are the Sky

* 07:29 – Gentle Affirmations (Second Pass)

* 08:21 – Your Three Daily Caring Tips

* 09:09 – Gently Coming Back

* 09:55 – Anchored & Sharing This Episode

* 10:22 – Until Tomorrow — Be Kind

 

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations

 

See these words in your thoughts as I say them, then repeat them silently or out loud — whatever you choose is perfect just for you.

 

* I am safe. I am here. There is nothing to fear right now.

* I am allowed to be frightened and still be the strong one.

* Worrying about those we love is not the same as protecting them.

* I cannot grieve for something that has not happened.

* I can only lose today by spending it on tomorrow.

* Today they are here. Today, so am I.

* I am doing enough.

* My love for them is bigger than my fear of losing them.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

 

1. Ring them about something ordinary. The garden, the football, the weather — so that not every call is about their health.

 

2. Write down the one practical thing that is actually within your control this week. And do only that single thing.

 

3. Tell one other person. A sibling, a friend, anyone — that you are finding this hard, so that you are not the only one who knows.

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

 

You have done something kind for yourself today, and you did it in the middle of looking after somebody else. That is not selfish — that is how we last.

 

If this helped you, download Anchored on iOS. Access over 3,000 searchable, offline-ready audio sessions, sleep stories with Books at Bedtime, and built-in nightlight features for the small hours. 👉 Download Anchored on the App Store Today: https://apps.apple.com

 

And if you know someone quietly carrying the same worry about their mum or dad, please share this episode with them — they probably haven't told anyone either. If you have a moment, a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps another frightened person find this at 2am.

 

Be gentle with yourself today. You are doing so much better than you realise. To your beautiful soul, in everything you do — be kind.

 

 

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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

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 Case of Trespass by L. M. Montgomery — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with A Case of Trespass by L. M. Montgomery, a gentle and warm-hearted short story read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

It is a hazy, breathless summer morning, and thirteen-year-old Dan Phillips is trout fishing up the cool green creeks of the pond at Carlton, under birches and willows that shut out the heat. Dan is a freckled, hard-working lad, and selling his catch to the big hotels at Mosquito Lake helps his widowed mother keep their small home together.

 

But the pond has a new owner. Mr. Walters, the stern factory master, has a reputation for being hard and unforgiving, and when Dan unfolds a four-week-old newspaper at the dinner table, he finds a notice that turns him pale. Anyone found fishing on the pond will be prosecuted. Dan has been fishing there all summer.

 

His mother's answer is simple: go and tell him the truth. Ignoring his friend Sam French, who swears it will land him in jail, Dan cleans his best trout and walks up the hot white road to face Mr. Walters in his office. What happens there is a quiet, kind story about honesty, courage and how wrong first impressions can be.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Calm narration, a soft, unhurried pace and a reassuring ending make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including A Golden Wedding and Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner.

 

A Case of Trespass was first published in 1897 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896 to 1901. L. M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.

 

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

 

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

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.