Some mornings the worry gets there before your feet hit the floor. This one gives it company instead of an argument.
About 12 minutes with Steven Webb's calm voice. Perfect for the morning.
Picture the worry as a child tugging your sleeve. It does not want an answer, it wants the adult in the room to notice. So you turn towards it and ask what it wants you to understand, then listen without correcting it. Nothing gets fixed, because nothing needed fixing. You thank it for doing its job.
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Thank you for sitting with me.
Steven
Who this is for
You wake up and it is already there. Before the day has given you a single reason, before your feet are on the floor, the mind is asking what if. Sometimes there is a small ache to hang it on. Sometimes there is nothing at all, and that is worse, because you cannot argue with nothing.
If your worry runs towards your health, this one was made for you. It is also for anybody who wakes up tired before the day has started.
What it will not do is reassure you. Nobody can hand you certainty and I am not going to pretend otherwise. What it offers instead is company.
What happens in this meditation
We let the body down slowly, then you picture the worry as a young child tugging at your sleeve. It is not after an answer. It wants the adult in the room to notice.
So you turn towards it, ask what it would like you to understand, and listen without correcting it. Then a hand on the heart and some lines to say.
At the end you thank it for doing its job. Nothing gets fixed, because nothing needed fixing.
How to get the most from it
Twelve minutes, and it is built for the bed. You can stay lying down for all of it.
The worry will come back during the day. That is what it does, the same as the mind thinking or the heart beating. When it nudges you, put your hand on your heart and say what you said this morning. I have got this, thank you. That is the bit to carry.
If mornings are your worst time, do this before you pick up your phone rather than after.
Questions people ask
I do not have health anxiety. Is this still for me?
Yes. The worry can be about work, money, or a conversation you are dreading. The practice does not care what it is about.
What if nothing comes when I ask the worried part what it wants?
That is fine, and common. The turning towards it is the practice. The answer was never really the point.
Is this religious?
No. There are some lines to say, closer to good wishes than prayers, and you are welcome to skip any that do not sit right with you.
Read along
The transcript
It follows the audio. Press any line to jump there.
anxiety · morning · self-compassion · inner-child
Read the transcript
Hi, I'm Steven Webb and welcome to a morning meditation to help you accept who you are. All the
awesome parts and all the parts that we might sometimes call flaws. Together they make us perfectly
human.
In this meditation we're particularly looking at the way we wake up and we might be a little anxious or
a little bit worried about the day ahead.
But while we settle in, just you don't need to do anything with your breath. Your body knows how to
breathe. Just become aware.
And equally as your body knows how to breathe, your body knows how to relax. We just allow these things
to happen.
You allow your shoulders to relax.
And just while you're settling in, just one thing I'd like to say. I'll talk about worry and
I may mention...
Anxiety. And I mean these for this meditation, they're both the same thing. It's just a voice inside that's
a bit anxious or a bit worried about the day ahead. It's just trying to get your attention.
So as you invite your body to relax, just
imagine your face or your ears relaxing.
Even your eyes and your nose,
your cheeks
And your neck and your shoulders and your arms. Your
fingers.
Even down for your torso and your bum and your legs. Right
down your to your ankles and your toes.
And bring your awareness back to this moment in your breath. Breathing in calm. Breathing out relax
And just for a few moments, we're just going to allow this moment to be what it is.
Notice the mind going a little quieter as the body becomes still.
And if you're anything like me, you wake up in the morning and after your initial stretch or when the
thoughts start coming in, we start thinking about the day ahead.
We might be worried about work or worried about something that's coming up. We might feel a bit anxious and
we may not even know the reason.
There may be a slight ache or
just feeling tired or drained before we've even started.
The mind's already asking, what if? What will happen today?
And the body never really gives a good answer because there isn't really an answer at this point.
But we very often try to brush it off
And we try to just be courageous and get through the day. But
the worry or the anxiety is not the enemy.
It's the part of you that's doing its job.
And just as you're aware of what I'm saying, also be aware of your breath and aware of this moment.
And think of your worry as just a young child perhaps tugging at your sleeve.
It's not asking for an answer. It's just concerned.
It's trying to let the adult in the room know.
And although we're looking for certainty, that's something we cannot give it.
Nobody can. But we can give it some company.
So imagine this worry as a younger you or
just part of you, whichever is more comfortable.
Maybe you feel in your stomach or just tight shoulders or whatever you hold tension to
And let it be there.
It does not have to leave.
You could even turn towards it and as
if it's a frightening child and you can imagine yourself comforting them. It's
normally a younger version of us. For me, it's always around about seven years old.
And you could ask it just gently, what would you like me to understand?
And then just listen.
You don't correct it. You don't argue with it because whatever comes up is what comes up.
And your answer is just to be here.
Your answer is to hold it and be its companion.
And you are the one that can sit with this.
And that's not a small thing.
And as we're settled and we're aware of our breath and this moment,
let's do three affirmations. One for the younger self and one for you. One for
everybody that's woke up a bit anxious this morning.
And you may want to place your hand on your heart.
And for the younger self. May this worried part feel heard.
May this worried part feel heard.
And for you this morning, may I meet what I do not know with kindness. May I meet
what I do not know with kindness.
And for all of us this morning.
May us all feel less alone.
May us all feel less alone.
And just bring your awareness back to this moment.
Bring your awareness to the day ahead.
Maybe keep your hand on your heart and just give a gentle smile
And just say to yourself, may I feel calm enough for this moment.
May I feel calm enough for this moment.
May I meet what I do not know with gentle courage.
May I meet what I do not know with gentle courage.
May I remember that I am held and I am loved. May
I remember that I am held and I am loved.
And as you let your awareness grow bigger than the worry, and
the worry is still here, the worry is still there and that's okay. It's a message. And you've got
the courage to deal with this.
It's not consuming the whole room anymore. It won't consume your day because we're ready
And nothing's been fixed because nothing needed to be.
And just turn to the part that was trying to nudge your attention this morning and say thank you for
keeping me safe.
Thank you for doing your job.
And the worry may come back. And that's what it is. That's what it does. Just like the mind thinking
or the heart beating. That
worried voice may just nudge you during the day and say, hey, don't forget this.
But you know how to sit with it. You know just place your hand in your heart and go, I've
got this. Thank you.
And this little voice is one of hundreds inside of you. Just like the brave voice or the wise one
or the fearful one or the
one that is very quiet.
Every one of them brings something to your life.
Together they make you perfectly human. And
that is the awesome part.
And as we take this courageous open heart and kindness with us during in the day, we're ready for when
those voices come back up and try to protect us.
So five, just become aware of the room or just generally open your eyes. Three, shake out your
arms, wiggle your fingers, maybe wiggle your toes to just look around a little bit and one, just take a
deeper breath and yeah,
just become aware of this moment and just appreciate your body and appreciate the moment that enabled you to
become aware and just allow you to relax in this moment. Thank
you for sitting with me today. It does mean a lot, and all these meditations are brought to you completely
free with no adverts, through the kindness of people who just donate a coffee. If you'd like to support that
or just find out about my other podcast, Stillness in the Storms, head over to StevenWebb.uk. Thank you.
