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
CAN'T STOP WORRYING ABOUT YOUR HEALTH – GUIDED MEDITATION [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:33
Do you find yourself lying awake, unable to stop worrying about your health? When the house is quiet and the world slows down, health anxiety and "symptom checking" can become overwhelming.In this session, Martin Hewlett…
Calm Your Mind Now  : Guided Breathing to Stop Panic and Overthinking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:31
Struggling with a racing heart, overthinking, or the edge of a panic attack? In this session, Martin—a clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic—guides you through a physical and mental reset to move from high-alert b…
Health Anxiety Relief — 10 Minute Guided Meditation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:29
Do you constantly check your body for signs something is wrong? If you find yourself Googling symptoms at 2 AM or convinced that every flutter in your chest is a crisis, this 10-minute session is designed for you. We tac…
Why Can't I Sleep — Anxiety Relief Bedtime Meditation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:26
Are you exhausted but find your mind racing the moment your head hits the pillow? The harder you try to force sleep, the wider awake you feel. Tonight, we stop "trying."In this episode of Calming Anxiety, Martin—Clinical…
Why Do I Feel Worthless — Anxiety Relief Meditation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:49
Why Do I Feel Worthless? — Anxiety Relief MeditationDo you ever feel like you’re just not enough? That the whispers of self-doubt are louder than your own voice? You aren’t alone, and more importantly, those thoughts are…
Help me breathe  10-Minute Triage for Instant Panic Relief [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:03
Help Me Breathe: 10-Minute Triage for Instant Panic ReliefIf you have clicked on this episode because you are struggling right now, I hear you. Your mind is searching for relief, and your body is saying, "Help me breathe…
Quiet a Racing Mind  10-Min Meditation to Stop Overthinking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:38
Are you struggling with analysis paralysis or an anxiety loop that won't quit? That racing mind is simply your brain trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist in the present moment. In this 10-minute session, we’ll in…
Can't breathe anxiety attack – guided panic relief exercise [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:13
Feeling like you can't breathe or that your chest is tight? You are safe. This episode is a targeted guided panic relief exercise designed to help you stop a panic attack and down-regulate your nervous system immediately…
Self-Worth & Anxiety Relief: Guided Affirmations for Inner Peace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:15
Stop the cycle of defining your worth by your productivity. In this episode, Martin, a clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic, leads you through a powerful box-breathing technique to instantly calm the nervous syst…