Anxiety Help – The Best Breathing Technique for Chest Tightness

Anxiety Help – The Best Breathing Technique for Chest Tightness

Author: Martin Hewlett - Calming Anxiety April 6, 2026 Duration: 10:25
Are you looking for anxiety help because you're struggling with chest tightness, a racing heart, or the feeling that you can't take a deep breath? This physical sensation of anxiety in the chest can be overwhelming, but you can physically override your nervous system and return to calm in just ten minutes.
 
In this session, Martin—a clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic—shares a scientifically proven technique to help you find relief. Drawing on years of experience in the back of an ambulance and in clinical practice, he guides you through the Physiological Sigh, a powerful tool to clear CO2 buildup and reinflate the lungs' tiny air sacs (alveoli) that often collapse during high stress.
 
What you will learn in this episode:
  • The Physiological Sigh: A step-by-step guide to the most effective breathing technique for shortness of breath and panic attacks.
  • Grounded Visualization: Open your chest and mind with a guided "Summer Window" visualization designed to soften tension.
  • 3 Daily Caring Tips: Practical paramedic-backed advice, including the "Tripod Reset" to physically open your lungs and the "2-Minute Phone Break" to reduce anxiety triggers.
Take Back Control
Even after seven years of helping others through Calming Anxiety, Martin shares how he uses these exact techniques to navigate his own recent health scares and tension. You’ve done brilliantly today by listening to your body's message and answering it with calm.
 
Ready to break the cycle of anxiety for good? Access the full Anxiety Breaker Course at: calminganxiety.fm
Remember to smile often, think positively where you can, and in everything... be kind.

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Finding a moment of quiet in a busy mind can feel like a distant hope. Calming Anxiety | Guided Meditation, Sleep Hypnosis & Panic Attack Relief is built on the understanding that relief is a practice, not a single destination. Hosted by Martin Hewlett, a certified practitioner, this podcast serves as a personal, audio sanctuary for anyone whose days are shadowed by worry or whose nights are spent wrestling with restless thoughts. Each episode is crafted with a gentle, caring tone, providing a practical library of tools you can return to daily. You might find a short, ten-minute mindfulness session designed to defuse afternoon stress, or a longer, immersive sleep hypnosis track to guide you out of insomnia and into deep rest. The focus is on genuine, accessible techniques-from guided meditations that calm racing thoughts to specific panic attack relief-all aimed at fostering a tangible sense of peace. This isn't about abstract concepts; it's about hearing a supportive voice that helps you navigate back to calm, one breath at a time. Tune in whenever you need a resource to quiet the noise and reclaim a sense of stillness.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Calming Anxiety | Guided Meditation, Sleep Hypnosis & Panic Attack Relief
Podcast Episodes
The Uncertain Moment   A Meditation for Finding Your Ground [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:26
In this deeply personal session, Martin explores how to maintain "unshakable peace" when life puts us in the waiting room—whether for medical news, big appointments, or personal change. Drawing from his own recent experi…
How to Feel Better When You Feel Nothing  A Gentle Reset for Low Mood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:36
Have you woken up feeling "flat," distant, or perhaps just... nothing? If you are experiencing emotional numbness, it doesn’t mean you are broken; it often means your mind has gone quiet to protect itself from overwhelm.…
Let It Go | Your 10-Minute Midday Reset - Guided Meditation, [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:57
The middle of the day is often when "striving and managing" turns into physical and mental fatigue. Today, we invite you to hit the pause button. This 10-minute midday reset is a clean slate for your mind and body, desig…
Loving Yourself Back — A Self-Love Guided Meditation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:51
In a world that often teaches us to measure and compare ourselves against impossible standards, it is easy to forget our inherent worth. In this episode, we step away from the to-do lists and the self-criticism to reconn…
A Walk Through the Trees — Calm for the Soul — Health Anxiety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:05
🌿 A Walk Through the Trees — Calm for the Soul — Health Anxiety If health anxiety has been loud today — the checking, the scanning, the low-level vigilance that never quite switches off — this episode is for you. In toda…
Grounded in the Chaos 5 Minutes of Calm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:19
🌿 The Healing Power of Trees: A Woodland Walk for Your Nervous SystemWatch the full experience here: https://www.youtube.com/@exhalewithmartinMy First Mindful Walk - https://youtu.be/RIC6hGe21b8?si=4KaCK2Bzcgf332cpFeelin…
RIGHT NOW  BREATHE   Guided Meditation for Panic Attack Relief [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:32
Right Now. Breathe. | Panic Attack Relief | Guided Meditation & Clinical Hypnotherapy ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🧠 ABOUT THIS EPISODE If you are having a panic attack right now — this episode is for you. The racing h…
My Mind Won’t Stop   10 Minute Inner Sanctuary Meditation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:33
Is your mind a crowded room of "what-ifs" and endless noise? If you are struggling with racing thoughts, overthinking, or the weight of the world, it is time to build your Inner Sanctuary. Join Martin—a clinical hypnothe…