Hello, and welcome back to Anxiety Relief Daily. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here. If you're joining us on a Wednesday morning in mid-November, there's a good chance you're feeling that particular blend of busy-season pressure and anticipation that this time of year brings. Maybe you've got a to-do list that's grown tentacles, or perhaps you're just noticing that familiar tightness in your chest when you think about everything ahead. Today, we're going to work with that feeling together.

Before we dive in, I want you to find a comfortable spot. That could be your couch, a chair by a window, or honestly, even your car during a lunch break. This is your space right now, and there's nothing you need to do but be here.

Let's start by noticing your breath, not changing it, just noticing. Breathing in through your nose, out through your mouth. You might imagine your breath like autumn leaves drifting down a stream, moving naturally without effort. Let's do three rounds of this together. In through the nose, and out through the mouth. Again. And once more. Beautiful.

Now, here's our practice for today. I call it the Anchor and Release, and it's perfect for anxiety because it gives your busy mind somewhere to land. Close your eyes if that feels comfortable. We're going to mentally scan through your body, and wherever you feel tension or tightness, we're going to acknowledge it like you're greeting an old friend at a reunion. You notice it, you say hello to it silently, and then you imagine that sensation softening like butter melting in warm sunlight.

Start at the crown of your head. Any tightness there? Just notice. Then your jaw, shoulders, chest, belly, all the way down to your toes. Don't force anything. We're not trying to fix anything here. We're just creating a little space between you and the anxiety. That space is where your calm lives.

As you move through your body, keep anchoring back to your breath. If your mind wanders into that list of things to do or worries about the future, that's not failure. That's just your brain being a brain. Gently bring it back, like you're guiding a puppy back to its bed.

Spend a few more moments here, just breathing and noticing. You're doing great.

When you're ready, begin to deepen your breath, wiggle your fingers and toes, and gently open your eyes.

Here's what I want you to carry forward today. When anxiety pops up, which it will because you're human, remember that you have this anchor. One conscious breath, one body scan, one moment of noticing. That's your reset button.

Thank you so much for spending this time with Anxiety Relief Daily. If this resonated with you, please subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. You deserve this calm. I'll see you tomorrow.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI