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

The Three Old Sisters and the Old Beau by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman — A Gentle Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with The Three Old Sisters and the Old Beau by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, a tender, wistful New England tale of lifelong devotion and hearts that never grew old, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

Rachel, Nancy and Camilla have lived all their lives in the house where they were born. The youngest is nearly seventy, yet they are still the most youthful maidens in the village. On summer evenings, their shadows can be seen on the window curtains playing at graces with ribboned hoops. Each afternoon at five o'clock they sit in state in their cool front hall, dressed in the silks and muslins of their girlhood, bent over their embroidery.

 

And always, on a pleasant summer afternoon, the old beau comes stepping across the road from his house behind the pines, in his silk bell hat and blue swallow-tailed coat with bright brass buttons, flourishing his ivory-headed cane. He has never had another sweetheart, and they have never had another beau, and for as long as anyone can remember he has taken tea and pound cake from a blue china cup and plate. But which of the three sisters holds his heart? Nobody in the village has ever known.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Freeman's quiet, old-fashioned village, a gently bittersweet ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoyed Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, you'll also find her Seventoes' Ghost on Books at Bedtime, alongside L.M. Montgomery's Charlotte's Ladies and The Little Black Doll.

 

The Three Old Sisters and the Old Beau was first published in Harper's Magazine in May 1896 and collected in The Love of Parson Lord and Other Stories (Harper & Brothers, 1900). Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1852–1930) 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

 

🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, free in beta for iPhone only: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N

 

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

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.

Manifesting Abundance — Positive Affirmations for Gratitude & an Abundance Mindset | 10-Minute Guided Meditation

 

Do you ever feel there's never quite enough? Not enough time, money, energy or opportunity, and sometimes, perhaps, that you're not enough either. When you're living with anxiety, it's easy to focus on everything that's missing. This 10-minute guided meditation for manifesting abundance uses powerful positive affirmations, gratitude and gentle breathing to help you build a calmer, more hopeful abundance mindset, by noticing what's already there.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett. For a calm place to return to each day, find Martin's Anchored app on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. And Martin's new health app, Thole, is now in free beta testing on iPhone. Join here (iOS only): https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N

 

Manifesting abundance isn't about magic words. It's about recognising opportunities, appreciating the good already in your life, and approaching tomorrow with a little more confidence. We breathe in for four and out for six, then imagine a quiet beach at sunrise as the tide slowly fills every hollow in the sand, with five affirmations for gratitude and possibility and three daily caring tips.

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

* 00:00 – Feeling like there's never enough?

* 00:49 – Welcome: manifesting abundance

* 01:04 – What manifesting abundance really means

* 01:32 – Anchored and Anchored Premium

* 01:55 – Finding your quiet place, palms facing up

* 02:43 – Gentle breathing: in for 4, out for 6

* 03:10 – Why slow breathing helps, from a former paramedic

* 04:38 – A quiet beach at sunrise

* 05:16 – Watching the tide come in

* 05:42 – Breathing in possibility

* 06:06 – Releasing what weighs you down

* 06:36 – Today's abundance affirmations

* 07:44 – Letting the words settle

* 08:14 – Your 3 daily caring tips

* 09:38 – Gently returning to the room

* 10:04 – Abundance is about noticing more

* 10:29 – Share, calming tips and Thole

* 11:27 – Sending you a hug, and be kind

 

🌿 Today's Abundance Affirmations

In this moment of peace and tranquillity, visualise these words and repeat:

* I notice and appreciate the good things already present in my life.

* I am open to new opportunities and willing to recognise them.

* There is room in my life for abundance, happiness and possibility.

* I practise gratitude for the small things that make each day meaningful.

* I take positive steps towards the life I want to create.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

1. Notice three good things: While you're brushing your teeth, making a cup of tea or getting ready for bed, think of three things you appreciate today. They can be tiny: a warm drink, a friendly smile or a moment of peace.

2. Stay open to one small opportunity: Today, look for one opportunity to do something positive. Perhaps it's starting a conversation, trying something new or taking the first step towards a goal you've been putting off. You don't need to change your whole life, just take one step.

3. Remember that joy doesn't always cost money: If you catch yourself thinking you can't afford to enjoy life, look for one simple pleasure that's freely available: a walk outside, your favourite music, or a conversation with someone you care about. Just give yourself permission to enjoy it.

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

Abundance isn't always about having more. Sometimes it's about noticing more: the kindness around you and the moments that matter. You don't need everything figured out today. Just keep your mind open to the possibility that good things can still happen. Keep that calm close in Anchored:

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

Anchored Premium is 5.99 a month: no adverts, full access to Books at Bedtime, and so much more. For Martin's free daily calming tips, visit https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

🌱 Getting your health back in order? Try Thole, Martin's new app, free in beta for iPhone only, and let him know how it could be improved:

 https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N. See what's coming at https://thole.app, with the full launch planned for December.

 

Feeling a little more hopeful? Please share this with someone who needs the same reminder, and leave a 30-second review on Apple Podcasts.

 

Have a lovely day, my friend. Truly, sending you a hug. And remember, especially to yourself, 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

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.

Seventoes' Ghost by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman — A Gentle Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with Seventoes' Ghost by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, a gentle, old-fashioned New England tale of a boy, a puppy, a grandfather's beloved cat and a guilty conscience, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

Young Benjamin Wellman has wanted a dog ever since he was born. So on a hot summer's day he walks three miles to the village and back to fetch a clumsy yellow puppy he has already named Caesar. But Grandsir, his stern old grandfather, has always preferred cats to dogs, and he won't hear a word of it. Nothing must upset Seventoes, his splendid great yellow cat with seven toes on every paw. The puppy has to go.

 

Heartbroken, Benjamin trudges down the dusty road past stone walls hidden in wild roses and fields dotted with haymakers, to give Caesar away to his friend Sammy Tucker. On the long walk home through the orchard, brooding over his wrongs, he comes upon Seventoes stretched out in the sun on the ledge of the old well. In one moment of temper Benjamin does something he instantly regrets, and moments later he sees something on the shed roof that turns him white with terror. (Cat lovers, don't worry. This story ends sweetly.)

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Freeman's warm summer farmyard, a tender ending at sunset and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman is best known for A New England Nun and Other Stories. If you enjoy classic short stories, you'll find many more on Books at Bedtime, including L.M. Montgomery's Charlotte's Ladies, The Little Black Doll and The Gossip of Valley View.

 

Seventoes' Ghost first appeared in Harper's Young People and was collected in Young Lucretia and Other Stories (Harper & Brothers, 1892). Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1852–1930) 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

 

🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, free in beta for iPhone only: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N

 

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

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 Am Enough — Positive Affirmations for Self-Worth, Self-Confidence & Negative Self-Talk | 10-Minute Guided Meditation

 

Feeling like you're not good enough? There's a voice that follows you around. It replays something you said yesterday, reminds you of what you haven't finished, and notices every mistake and imperfection. Would you ever speak to a friend the way you sometimes speak to yourself? I Am Enough is a 10-minute guided meditation with positive affirmations for self-worth, self-confidence and overcoming negative self-talk. Today, we change that conversation.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist Martin Hewlett. For more, Martin's Anxiety Circuit Breaker is at https://calminganxiety.org and built into the Anchored app on the paid plan. Get Anchored on iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. And Martin's new health and wellness app, Thole, is now in free beta testing on iPhone. Join here (iOS only): https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N

 

With one hand resting over your heart, we breathe with Martin's gentle 4-2-6 rhythm, then imagine a misty window on a cold morning. The mist is every unkind thought: I'm not good enough, I should have done better, everyone else has their life together. With each out-breath the glass clears, until you can see something beautiful: you. You'll receive five affirmations for self-worth and confidence, and three daily caring tips for quietening your inner critic.

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

* 00:00 – The unkind voice that follows you around

* 00:51 – Welcome: I Am Enough

* 01:08 – The Anxiety Circuit Breaker

* 01:23 – Finding your quiet place

* 01:45 – A hand over your heart

* 02:02 – Guided 4-2-6 breathing

* 03:43 – The misty window on a cold morning

* 04:15 – Thoughts aren't always facts

* 04:32 – Clearing the mist with every out-breath

* 05:13 – Seeing yourself clearly

* 05:56 – Five positive affirmations for self-worth

* 07:03 – Affirmations once more, as if to someone you love

* 08:02 – Self-confidence when doubts appear

* 08:34 – Your 3 daily caring tips

* 09:26 – Gently returning to the room

* 09:54 – You are allowed to be imperfect

* 10:23 – Share, calming tips and Anchored

* 10:53 – Try Thole on iOS TestFlight

* 11:23 – Love who you are, and be kind

 

🌿 Today's Positive Affirmations for Self-Worth

Choose whichever fits, and allow it to find its place in your soul:

* I am enough, exactly as I am today.

* I can be kind to myself even when I make mistakes.

* My best is enough, even when it isn't perfect.

* I choose to speak to myself with patience, kindness and compassion.

* I deserve love, respect and happiness just as I am.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

1. Challenge your inner critic: When you notice yourself thinking something harsh, ask one simple question: "Would I say this to someone I love?"

2. Celebrate what you've done, not just what's left to do: At some point today, stop and acknowledge something you've completed. It doesn't have to be impressive. Sometimes getting through a difficult day is an achievement in itself.

3. Learn to accept the compliment: If somebody says something kind about you today, resist the temptation to dismiss it. You don't have to explain it away. Simply smile and say, "Thank you."

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

You are not defined by your mistakes. You are not measured by your productivity, and your worth is not something you have to prove. You are allowed to be imperfect, to grow at your own pace, and to be proud of the person you are today. Keep that kindness close in Anchored:

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

 

🌱 Want to take back control of your health, diet and fitness? Try Thole, Martin's new app, free in beta for iPhone only, and let him know what you think: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N

 

If you know someone who struggles with self-esteem, self-doubt or negative self-talk, please share this episode with them. Sometimes a few kind words arrive at exactly the right moment. And a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps more listeners find their way here.

 

"I used to not love me, and when I changed, I became me." Love who you are, my friend. Have a lovely day, and remember, 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

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.

Charlotte's Ladies by L.M. Montgomery — A Heart-Warming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with Charlotte's Ladies by L.M. Montgomery, a sweet and heart-warming story of an orphan girl, two lonely ladies and a very handsome cat, from the author of Anne of Green Gables, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

Charlotte Turner has mouse-coloured hair, any number of freckles, and a home in an orphan asylum, all brick walls, prim walks and doses of sulphur and molasses. But one spring day, searching for the little yellow daffodils that grow in the north-west corner, she discovers a gap in the old asylum fence where a board has fallen away. Through it she glimpses a sunny woodland road, and along it walks a pretty lady with golden hair and lovely blue eyes that ought to be laughing, but are very sad.

 

That same evening Charlotte finds a second gap, looking into the most beautiful garden she has ever seen, full of tulips, lilacs and blossoming trees. There a tall, jolly lady with black eyes tends her flowers, followed everywhere by a big, furry and very handsome cat. Day after day, Charlotte slips away to her two secret gaps, and slowly makes friends with both of her ladies. Neither knows about the other, and each of them is lonelier than she lets on.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Montgomery's gentle springtime gardens, warm humour, a happy ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L.M. Montgomery, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including The Little Black Doll, The Gossip of Valley View, The Fillmore Elderberries, Jessamine and A Redeeming Sacrifice, all from the same collection.

 

Charlotte's Ladies was first published in 1911 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922. 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

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.