Panic Attack Help - What Your Body Is Doing and How to Stop It

Panic Attack Help - What Your Body Is Doing and How to Stop It

Author: Martin Hewlett - Calming Anxiety May 29, 2026 Duration: 12:05
If you are in the middle of a panic attack right now, or carrying the heavy dread of the next one, take a deep breath and stay right here.

You are not in danger—you are experiencing a temporary shift in chemistry, and chemistry is something we can absolutely work with. In today’s episode of Calming Anxiety, we dive into a powerful, physiologically proven breathing technique designed to physically press the pause button on your panic response. By adding a simple "micro-sip" of air to the top of your inhalation, you will learn how to deeply activate your vagus nerve and signal to your entire nervous system that you are completely safe.

No mindset tricks here—just pure biology utilized to bring your body back to a steady, peaceful rhythm. Support the Show & Join Our Community🚀 Help Us Launch the Anchored App!We are working hard to bring the brand-new Anchored app directly to the Apple ecosystem to help even more people navigate anxiety. Because Martin has never owned an Apple product, a wonderful friend has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help him secure an old MacBook to code on. We are so incredibly close to reaching this goal!
  • Get Premium For Life: As a massive thank you, anyone who donates to the campaign will receive a free premium lifetime membership to the Anchored app.
  • Donate Here: Support the GoFundMe Campaign
  • Explore the App: Take a look at what we are building at calminganxiety.org/anchored. Once you donate, simply email your receipt to hello@calminganxiety.org to claim your lifetime access!
Episode Chapters
  • 00:00 – Introduction: Chemistry vs. Danger
  • 01:12 – Community Update: The Anchored App GoFundMe
  • 01:55 – Guided Breathing: The Vagal Brake Technique
  • 04:29 – Safe Space Visualization & Letting the Wave Pass
  • 06:40 – Mindful Affirmations for Grounding
  • 08:49 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for Anxiety Interruption
  • 10:49 – Final Thoughts & How to Share the Calm
Today’s AffirmationsLet these words move past your mind and settle deep into your physical body:
  • "I am safe in this moment."
  • "The feeling is temporary, it always passes."
  • "My body is doing its job, I trust the process."
  • "I am not in danger, I am in chemistry and chemistry is changing."
  • "I breathe in calm, I breathe out fear."
  • "I am stronger than this feeling."
  • "I choose calm, right now in this breath, I choose calm."
3 Daily Caring Tips
  1. Name it to Tame it: When a spiral begins, say out loud or in your mind: "This is a panic response, it is not danger, it is chemistry." This single act activates your rational brain and interrupts the alarm pattern.
  2. The Cold Water Reset: If you can, run cold water over your wrists or splash your face. This triggers the ancient mammalian dive reflex, physically dropping your heart rate in seconds.
  3. One Thing at a Time: Pull your mind out of the future by engaging your five senses. Find 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste.
A Heartfelt Request & Deeper HealingIf this session helped you find your feet and ground yourself today, please consider sharing it with just one person. Whether it is a friend, a family member, or a colleague who might be quietly struggling, sending them this...

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
Letting Go of the Past — A Meditation on Time, Wisdom and Peace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:25
Calming Anxiety: Setting Down the Past In this episode, Martin explores the concept of time as a river, teaching us how to observe our past without being swept away by it. Whether you are carrying old memories, missed co…
Morning Anxiety Relief   Science-Backed Breathing for a Fresh Start [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:26
Does your morning ever feel heavy, like a lingering frost that won’t quite melt? In this session, Martin—clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic—guides you through a "biological fresh start." Using the Physiological…
How to Be Kind to Yourself  | Guided Meditation for Anxiety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:25
In this episode of Calming Anxiety, we explore the essential practice of how to be kind to yourself through a transformative guided meditation for anxiety. If you have been struggling with a harsh inner critic, this sess…
Sleep Better Now  | Anxiety Release & Deep Mind Relaxation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:01
If you are struggling to sleep better now or finding that racing thoughts are keeping you awake, this session offers you the clinical permission to let go. Using deep mind relaxation and anxiety release techniques, forme…
Feeling Lonely – 10-Minute Guided Meditation to Feel Less Alone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:25
Do you find yourself sitting alone, wondering, "Why do I feel so alone?" You aren't failing at life; you are experiencing a biological signal for connection.The companion chat on YouTube - https://youtu.be/KeE3dIowHlo Th…
Can't Sleep Anxiety   10-Minute Guided Meditation for Racing Thoughts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:29
Staring at the dark and can't sleep because of anxiety? Put the phone down and just listen. You aren't failing at sleep—your mind is simply stuck in a loop. This 10-minute guided meditation for racing thoughts is specifi…