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

Silence — A Fable by Edgar Allan Poe — A Classic Gothic Bedtime Story, Narrated Audiobook | Books at Bedtime

 

A classic audiobook narrated aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's bedtime story is Silence — A Fable by Edgar Allan Poe, a strange, dreamlike prose poem and one of his least known and most hypnotic works, perfect for the long October nights leading up to Halloween. It was first published in 1838 under the title "Siope — A Fable" and is long in the public domain: Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) died more than 175 years ago.

 

For more calming audiobooks and gentler sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.

Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored.

 

"Listen to me," said the Demon, as he placed his hand upon my head.

 

In this narrated fable, a demon describes a dreary land beside the river Zaire, where the waters never rest, pale water lilies sigh one unto the other, and the tall primeval trees rock forever though there is no wind. Beneath a crimson moon, a solitary man sits upon a great grey rock, and the demon sets out to unsettle him with storm, thunder and tumult. Nothing moves him, until the demon tries something far stranger.

 

With its rolling, repeating rhythms and rich, incantatory language, this is Poe at his most musical. It's a haunting meditation on solitude, stillness and the power of silence itself, and an unusual choice for anyone who loves classic literature read aloud and a little gothic atmosphere before sleep.

 

Please note: this is an eerie gothic piece, a little darker in mood than our usual gentle sleep stories. If you're feeling anxious or fragile tonight, you may prefer one of our calmer Books at Bedtime readings.

 

Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings.

 

And 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.

I Can Change — New Month New Way of Thinking (Physiological Sigh)

 

A new month can feel like something between a fresh page and a quiet accusation. Part of you is already looking back — at what you meant to do, at what you promised yourself and didn't quite manage. This 10-minute guided meditation offers something kinder: a month is not a report card, and you don't need the first of September to begin again.

 

Martin guides you through setting down the heavy backpack of everything unfinished from last month, then into the physiological sigh — two breaths in through the nose, one long breath out through the mouth. It's the fastest reset your nervous system has, and it makes the point of the whole episode better than any words can: you were already different ninety seconds later. Four guided rounds, followed by a warm golden-light body scan and affirmations for self-compassion, fresh starts and letting go.

 

This is anxiety relief for anyone who feels behind, who is being hard on themselves about how the year is going, or who has quietly given up on something good because they "ruined it" by missing a few days. Every day is a brand new reset — every hour, every breath. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.

 

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

 

* 00:00 – Cold open: a month is not a report card

* 01:08 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety with Martin

* 01:24 – Settling: finding your quiet place

* 01:56 – The heavy backpack: setting last month down

* 02:50 – The physiological sigh: the science

* 03:21 – Four guided rounds

* 05:25 – Warm golden light body scan

* 06:20 – Today's gentle affirmations

* 08:15 – Your three daily caring tips

* 09:15 – Coming gently back into the room

* 09:48 – Closing thoughts and sign-off

 

 

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations

 

Repeat these softly in your thoughts:

 

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

 

• This is a new month, and I am allowed a new way of thinking.

 

• I do not carry last month into this one.

 

• August passed across me. September will pass across me, and I will still be here.

 

• Every day is a brand new reset, and I am allowed to begin again as often as I need.

 

• I have not fallen behind. There is no schedule I am failing.

 

• I am not starting over. I am starting from experience.

 

• I am calm. I am capable. I am enough for this month.

 

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

 

1. One Word, Not A Resolution — Write down one single thing you would like more of this month; not a resolution, not a target, just one word, and put it somewhere you will see it each morning.

 

2. The Day Is Not Scored — When you catch yourself saying "I have already ruined it today", take one physiological sigh and carry on anyway, because the day is not scored.

 

3. Say The Good Thing Out Loud — Choose one small thing you did well in August and say it out loud to yourself, because you will list your failures without any prompting at all.

 

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

 

If today helped, 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. No streaks, no guilt — just somewhere to come back to.

 

👉 Download Anchored on the App Store Today: https://apps.apple.com

 

And if you would do one thing just for me this month, please share this episode with someone who is being hard on themselves about how their year is going. It takes 10 seconds, and it might change how they start their September. A 30-second rating and review on Apple Podcasts helps more than you'd think.

 

Go gently. Be kind to yourself, and be kind to other people.

 

 

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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.

The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe — A Classic Gothic Bedtime Story, Narrated Audiobook | Books at Bedtime

 

A classic audiobook narrated aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's bedtime story is The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe, one of his shortest and most haunting tales, and a beautifully atmospheric read-aloud as the nights draw in towards Halloween. It was first published in 1842 under the title "Life in Death" and is long in the public domain: Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) died more than 175 years ago.

 

For more calming audiobooks and gentler sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.

 Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored.

 

In this narrated short story, a wounded traveller shelters for the night in an abandoned château high in the Apennines. Unable to sleep, he lies in a candlelit turret room hung with tapestries and paintings, reading a small book that describes them. When he moves the candelabrum at midnight, its light falls on a portrait he hadn't noticed before: a young woman in an oval gilded frame, painted with a life-likeness so startling it holds him spellbound. Then he reads her story.

 

This is quiet, dreamlike gothic fiction about art, obsession and love, told in Poe's rich, hypnotic prose. It's a perfect choice if you love classic literature read aloud and a gently haunting tale by candlelight before sleep.

 

Please note: this is a gothic story with a sad and eerie ending, a little darker than our usual gentle sleep stories. If you're feeling anxious or fragile tonight, you may prefer one of our calmer Books at Bedtime readings.

 

Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings.

 

And 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.

Anxiety Relief in 10 Minutes — Turn Your Anxiety Down, Not Off | Guided Meditation With 4-2-6 Breathing

 

Anxiety relief in ten minutes, with nothing to achieve. If you're listening right in the middle of anxiety, stay here. You don't have to switch anxiety off. You can simply learn to turn it down a little, one breath at a time. This gentle guided meditation for anxiety is for any moment you need to unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders and let your nervous system settle, whether you're heading back into your day or getting ready for sleep.

 

For a quiet place to return to whenever anxiety catches you out, download Anchored, Calming Anxiety's free companion app.

Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode uses 4-2-6 breathing: in through the nose for four, a gentle pause for two, and slowly out through the mouth for six. With every out-breath you'll imagine turning the volume of life down a little, drifting into deep, natural relaxation. Then come five calming affirmations to take with you, and three simple caring tips for creating a little space between the feeling and your reaction.

 

Want more support? Download Martin's free Five Things to Try When Anxiety Hits at https://calminganxiety.org/calm.

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

* 00:00 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety

* 00:27 – Finding Your Quiet Place

* 00:57 – 4-2-6 Breathing

* 01:53 – Turning the Volume Down

* 02:33 – You Don't Have to Switch Anxiety Off

* 02:57 – Drifting Deeper Into Relaxation

* 04:41 – This Moment Is Enough

* 04:50 – Five Affirmations to Take With You

* 07:19 – Nowhere to Be, Nothing to Do

* 07:57 – Three Daily Caring Tips

* 08:56 – Coming Back Gently

* 09:34 – A Note From Martin

 

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations

Settle in and repeat these gently to yourself:

* I can slow down one breath at a time.

* I do not have to solve everything right now.

* I can feel anxious and still be safe within this moment.

* I am allowed to rest my body and my mind.

* With every breath I can let a little more go.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

1. Make this moment easier: When anxiety rises today, don't immediately ask, "How do I get rid of this?" Instead ask, "What can I do to make this moment easier?"

2. Three slow breaths: Give yourself three deliberately slow breaths before responding to something stressful. Not to become perfectly calm, just to create a little space between the feeling and your reaction.

3. Phone down before sleep: Tonight, put your phone down for ten minutes before sleep and simply breathe. No scrolling, no news, no solving tomorrow. Just give your nervous system a few minutes without another demand.

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

Download Anchored on iOS at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. Access over 2,500 searchable, offline-ready audio sessions, sleep stories with Books at Bedtime (now searchable by author), and built-in nightlight features for the small hours. And grab Martin's free Five Things to Try When Anxiety Hits at https://calminganxiety.org/calm. If this episode helped, please share it and leave a quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people find their way here.

 

And 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.

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe — A Classic Gothic Bedtime Story, Narrated Audiobook | Books at Bedtime

 

A classic audiobook narrated aloud as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's bedtime story is The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, the most famous short story ever written by the master of gothic fiction, and a perfect read-aloud as the nights draw in towards Halloween. It was first published in 1843 and is long in the public domain: Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) died more than 175 years ago.

 

For more calming audiobooks and gentler sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.

Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored.

 

"True! Nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?"

 

In this narrated short story, an unnamed narrator insists he is perfectly sane while he tells us, calmly and in careful detail, how he came to fear an old man's pale blue "vulture eye", and what followed on the eighth night. Poe's genius is in the voice: the racing thoughts, the heightened senses and the growing dread of a mind that cannot stop listening. It all builds towards one of the most famous endings in literature.

 

Please note: this is a classic tale of suspense and horror, including a murder, and it is darker than our usual gentle sleep stories. If you're feeling anxious or fragile tonight, you may prefer one of our calmer Books at Bedtime readings instead. But if you love classic literature read aloud and a spine-tingling tale before sleep, settle in.

 

Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings.

 

And 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.