Let It Settle: Daily Habits to Move You From Chaos to Calm

by Michael Galyon

A safe place of calm, reflection, and healing as you navigate through life's challenges and find your way home to yourself.

In Let It Settle, veteran professional coach and mindfulness leader Michael Galyon delivers a calm space you can call upon when faced with moments of unrest and overwhelm. The book offers insights into your experiences and emotions that confirm you do not face life alone and provides you with tools and guided meditations you can use to navigate through your experiences to a centered space from which healing is possible.

In the book, you'll find a series of consequential moments that commonly induce stress, worry, overwhelm, anxiety, and fear. Each section highlights a step on the path from unsettled to settled—like finding calm, coming home to yourself, and honoring connection—and walks you through the mindfulness-based tools, daily habits, and guided meditations that will help move you through life's most challenging moments and take you from chaos to calm.

You'll also

Experiential learning techniques that rely on proven methods you can put into daily practice A safe space you can go when the time is right for you to begin addressing the issues affecting you A source of validation that confirms the value of your emotions and experiences An effective and hands-on resource for busy professionals, academics, students, athletes, and anyone else doing their best to confront the challenges life constantly throws at us, Let It Settle is an extraordinary ally in the quest to see clearly and determine with confidence your next best step.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2024

Reviews

[Emily (The Litertarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you seen the dreamy guy on Instagram with the soft comforting voice and the message to slow down, take a breath, center yourself, and let it settle? It'll make you stop scrolling every time. His name is Michael Galyon, and now he's written a book!

I received this book as an advanced listening copy from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and I cannot tell you how much I recommend it. If you clicked over to Michael's IG, you'll know what I mean by saying he has one of the most calming, gentle voices. Listening to it is like warm honey pouring across your shoulders and down your back. I don't know if it would even matter what he was saying, I think it would be a calming experience regardless.

But what he is saying is so valuable.

This book is designed to give you lots of tools he help guide you through stress, anxiety, and bad patterns of thinking. Even more than that, honestly. It is an arsenal to guard you against the chaos the human brain can often be.

There are very introductory meditation exercises here if you're a beginner, like the body scan, but there are also many more advanced exercises explored too, and each includes an anecdote that help to explain how they can be helpful in practical application.

Then there are the actual guided meditations. Again, the audiobook is going to give you more bang for your buck here. I've never felt more relaxed and centered when listening to an audiobook as I did this one. It is so soothing.

If you're looking for some extra help managing the chaos of your life, I really recommend this book. I think anyone could find something in its pages to benefit them.

Originally published to thelitertarian.com. Visit for book reviews & more!

[Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Galyon’s "Let It Settle: Daily Habits to Move You From Chaos to Calm" is a practical and accessible guide to finding peace amid life’s inevitable stress and disorder. Grounded in mindfulness, the book provides readers with daily tools and practices to create inner calm, reconnect with their authentic selves, and nurture meaningful relationships. Galyon invites readers to break free from unproductive habits and limiting beliefs, offering a step-by-step roadmap to mental clarity and emotional well-being.

At the heart of the book is the principle of “letting it settle.” This approach encourages readers to pause and create space for their emotions, even the difficult ones, instead of distracting themselves or reacting impulsively. By learning to sit with discomfort, acknowledge emotional triggers, and ground themselves through techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise, readers can develop a greater capacity for calm and presence. These small but impactful shifts in perspective provide a foundation for managing stress and anxiety more effectively.

Galyon also emphasizes the importance of recognizing and reframing negative thought patterns, such as catastrophizing, rehearsing, or succumbing to self-doubt. Through mindfulness, he guides readers to label and challenge these unproductive thoughts, replacing them with more constructive and empowering perspectives. For example, when faced with catastrophic thinking, asking “What if it goes well?” can redirect focus toward optimism and possibility.

The book offers actionable practices for managing emotions like anxiety and anger, demonstrating how mindfulness can transform these feelings from sources of tension into opportunities for growth. The body scan meditation, for instance, helps readers ground themselves in the present moment and interrupt anxious thought spirals. Similarly, the RAID method—Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Determine—provides a framework for understanding and harnessing anger, turning it into a tool for setting boundaries and advocating for change rather than allowing it to escalate into harmful reactions.

Forgiveness is another central theme in "Let It Settle", presented not as an obligation but as a gift to oneself. Galyon explains that forgiveness allows individuals to release the burdens of resentment and anger, fostering emotional freedom and peace. Guided meditations for forgiving oneself and others encourage readers to embrace vulnerability and compassion, ultimately leading to healing and deeper connections.

Through practical exercises, thoughtful insights, and a compassionate tone, Galyon empowers readers to navigate life’s chaos with grace and resilience. The book’s message is clear: by letting go of what no longer serves you, cultivating self-awareness, and grounding yourself in the present, you can move toward a life of greater peace and balance. Whether you are grappling with overwhelming stress, negative thought patterns, or the weight of unresolved emotions, "Let It Settle" provides a toolkit to help you reclaim your inner calm and live with purpose.

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a world where chaos is inevitable, finding calm can feel impossible duh duh duhhhh

Notes:
- we’re constantly hit with global issues – from pandemics to climate change – that add to the daily stress
- let it settle - instead of desperately trying to distract yourself with screens or other diversions.
- Given what you’ve experienced in your life, it’s perfectly understandable that certain situations trigger intense reactions. Show yourself understanding and compassion.
- ground yourself in the moment. One practical way to do this is through the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. To get started, take a look around and identify five items – anything from the color of the walls to a book on the table. Focusing on these visual stimuli shifts your attention away from anxious thoughts and anchors you in the present moment
- shift your focus to touch. Find four things you can feel – maybe the texture of your clothing or the sensation of the ground beneath your feet
- Find two things you can identify by scent – whether it’s the aroma of coffee or the fresh scent of rain.
- Savor the loosening of your muscles and the calming of your thoughts.
- one of the most powerful mindfulness techniques is the body scan. To do a body scan, find a quiet space to sit or lie down. Start by closing your eyes and bringing your awareness to your breath. Then, slowly shift your focus to different parts of your body, beginning with your toes and working your way up to your head. Notice any tension, discomfort, or sensations, and try to relax each area as you go
- thoughts don’t reflect your true abilities
- Venting anger, on the other hand, is an unchecked release of emotion, often directed outwardly in harmful ways. Allowing anger creates space for mindful reflection, while venting escalates conflict.
- should you express your anger, set a boundary, or give yourself space for self-care?

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let It Settle is a book of tactics and techniques to manage stress, anxiety, and panic. Typically I would say authors would do well to leave the narration of their books to the professionals but Michael Galyon does a great job, a bit slow for my liking, but once I sped it up a bit it's fine and I tend to speed everything up anyway and the book is full of guided meditations which I appreciate though they appear to be mid chapters which would make them a bit difficult to find initially, though I listened to an advance reader copy so it may have gotten restructured upon publication.

This is a great book for dealing with big emotions and reactions or as the parent or caretaker of someone else with really big emotions.

Thanks to Netgalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sj Banham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without sounding like a school report, I think Michael is one of the gentlest people on the planet and has gone into this line of work brilliantly by following his instincts. I've no doubt he has helped/will help a huge amount of people.

His introduction was heart breaking though and made me want to hug that little boy. Throughout the book he shares meditations which will be super useful for loads of people.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. Its content is very much in-keeping with the social media posts he regularly creates, but I found his voice a little too scratchy at times.

It's tricky to say this because he doesn't deserve any nastiness at all, and I know it's a 'me problem' not a 'him problem', but it did impact my consumption of this book.

Worth your time though.

[Mir Shahzad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

The mindfulness and inner calm can help you navigate life’s chaos. By letting go of unproductive thoughts and emotions, you create space for clarity. Grounding yourself with meditation techniques can ease anxiety, while addressing anger and forgiveness mindfully fosters deeper connections with yourself and others. All of this leads to a more peaceful and balanced mindset.

[Pascale Quermia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little breath of fresh air in this chaotic world! I loved it!

[Isa Van Rooijen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like in his videos, Michael Galyon has made the structure of the book very accessible, creating a very welcoming feeling as you read it.

I appreciated that a lot of attention was given to all the techniques, providing a clear understanding and making the techniques memorable.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

exceptional. have to own it. thank you, Michael.

[Linda Horry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic helpful read. Made me feel happier.

[Amanda]

I barely skimmed this book so I cannot give it a fair review.