This is a script for ordinary anxiety: the tight chest before a meeting, the worry that will not switch off, the general sense of being wound too tight. It takes about ten minutes, and it builds a cue you can use afterwards in a few seconds.
It is for everyday stress. It is not treatment for an anxiety disorder, panic attacks or trauma. If anxiety is stopping you functioning, see your doctor.
Before you record
- Speak slowly, about half your normal speed.
- Pause for three to five seconds at each set of dots, and ten at each (pause).
- Change the place to one that means something to you. A real place you know is usually best.
- Keep the ending. Unlike a sleep script, this one brings you back alert.
- Use it seated, somewhere safe, never while driving.
The script
I sit comfortably, with my feet on the floor and my hands resting in my lap… For the next few minutes there is nothing I need to do.
I let my eyes close… and I breathe in gently through my nose… and out slowly through my mouth… as if I were blowing through a straw… And again… in… and slowly out… Each breath out is a little longer than the breath in. (pause)
As I breathe out, I let my shoulders drop… I let my jaw loosen… my forehead smooth… my hands grow heavy and still.
I notice the chair holding me up… I do not need to hold myself… I can let the chair do the work. (pause)
Now I count slowly from five down to one… and with each number I settle a little further into calm… Five… Four… letting go… Three… quieter… Two… steadier… One. (pause)
I imagine a place where I feel completely at ease… a real place, or one I invent… I am there now.
I look around… I notice the colours… the light… the shapes of things near and far… (pause)
I listen… to whatever sounds belong to this place… (pause)
I feel the air on my skin… the ground or the seat beneath me… the temperature, exactly as I like it… (pause)
Here, nothing is asked of me… I am safe… I have all the time I need.
I notice how my body feels in this place… my breathing slow and easy… my chest open… my stomach soft… my hands warm… This is what calm feels like… and my body knows how to find it. (pause)
If a worry comes to mind, I do not need to push it away… I can notice it… and set it down beside me… It will keep… Right now, I am resting.
I remind myself… I have dealt with difficult things before… I can deal with what is in front of me… one step at a time. (pause)
Now I press my thumb and forefinger together, gently… and as I do, I notice this calm feeling… I link the two together… this touch… and this calm. (pause)
Whenever I press my thumb and finger together… and breathe out slowly… this feeling returns… quickly… and easily… Each time I practise, the link grows stronger.
I let my fingers relax… and I stay a few moments longer in my calm place… knowing I can come back whenever I choose. (pause)
In a moment I will count from one to five… and at five I will open my eyes… feeling calm… clear… and steady.
One… beginning to return… Two… feeling my feet on the floor… Three… taking a deeper breath… Four… alert and refreshed… Five… eyes open… calm and ready.
How to use it
Build it first. Listen once a day for two weeks. The cue only works if the link has been practised while you are calm.
Then use the cue. Before a meeting, in a queue, when you notice your shoulders round your ears: press thumb and finger together, breathe out slowly, and let the feeling come.
Top it up. Listen to the full recording once or twice a week to keep the link strong.
Why it is written this way
- A long out-breath. Slow exhalation engages the body’s calming response.
- “I do not need to hold myself.” Gives permission to stop bracing.
- A place described through the senses. The more senses, the more real.
- Noticing how calm feels in the body. So you can recognise and return to it.
- Setting a worry down instead of fighting it. Trying not to think of something tends to bring it back.
- Believable reassurance. “I have dealt with difficult things before” is true. “Nothing can go wrong” is not.
- An anchor. A physical cue paired with the state.
- A proper return, so you are alert afterwards.
Adjust it
- Short of time? Skip the count and go from the breathing straight to the place.
- Imagery hard? Stay with the breathing and the feeling of the chair, and anchor that.
- Prefer “you”? Record it in the second person.
- Feel uneasy with eyes closed? Keep them open and rest your gaze on one point.
- Add your own line about a specific situation: “When I walk into the room, I feel my feet on the floor.”
If it makes you feel worse
A small number of people feel more anxious when they relax or close their eyes, particularly those with a history of panic or trauma. If that happens:
- Open your eyes
- Feel your feet on the floor
- Name five things you can see
- Keep future sessions shorter, with eyes open
If it continues, stop, and talk to a doctor or therapist.
Alongside the script
- Keep moving. Regular activity lowers anxiety.
- Watch the caffeine.
- Protect your sleep.
- Write worries down and give them a set fifteen minutes a day.
- Talk to someone.
When to seek help
See your doctor if anxiety:
- Is present most days for several weeks
- Causes panic attacks
- Stops you working, sleeping or going out
- Comes with low mood or thoughts of harming yourself
Anxiety disorders are common and respond well to treatment, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy.
The bottom line
Record it slowly, practise daily for a fortnight, and you will have a ten-minute way of settling yourself and a five-second cue that brings it back. Calm is a skill, and it responds to practice.
Next in the series: A Self-Hypnosis Script for Pain
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Never practise self-hypnosis while driving.