People Tell Us the Weirdly Helpful Things They Do for Their Anxiety

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 300 million people globally have an anxiety disorder. Thankfully, anxiety disorders are highly treatable, with most sufferers seeing steady improvement with a combination of therapy, medication, meditation, and/or exercise.

But everyone has their own unique ways of coping, too—things you won’t find in the textbooks. We asked people to tell us theirs.

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“I have a collection of complicated knots made out of thickish string, and I sit down undo them one-by-one. It gradually calms my breathing because I totally zone out, and have something benign to focus on.”
– Alice, 28

“I scour secondhand sites for vintage vases. They’re affordable and cute, so it’s like a small treat for myself. Plus going through the listings is kind of a boring, nothing activity that I can channel my nervous energy into.”
– Kathryn, 23

“This might actually make some people’s anxiety worse, so be careful, but I go somewhere with a clear view of the sky and stare at the stars while breathing really slowly. It reminds me how insignificant I am. Like, fretting about a rude conversation at work is so nothing, when you’re reminded how tiny and temporary you are.”
– Jack, 36

“I bake. There’s something about the methodical steps involved, followed by actually having something to show for my efforts. It’s a tiny achievement that reminds me I’m capable, even when my brain tells me I’m really not.”
– Lynda, 29

“I go around my neighbourhood and look for small, colourful flowers. Then I arrange them in a vase. I find it pretty hard to make myself go for a walk, even though I know it helps me when I’m anxious to be outside. This sort of tricks me into doing it, by setting a task.”
– Aarav, 26

“I see if my grandma wants a technology tutorial. The last one was Zoom. Helping her to connect with people makes me feel good, and it requires heaps of attention to make her understand things, which means I can’t focus on what’s currently spiking my anxiety.”
– Liam, 22

“Gregorian chant! There’s loads online, and honestly I barely even know its history—I think it has Catholic origins? But there’s something so soothing about it. I first came across it on a ‘calming’ playlist, and now it’s one of my go-tos when I’m getting bad.”
-Chunhua, 31

“I lie down on the floor—in the kitchen, or wherever. Excuse the pun, but it’s an incredibly simple way for me to feel grounded. I think standing up and moving around makes it hard to get control over my anxiety, because I feel like I should be getting things done, and yet I can’t focus. So I go around in circles. This puts a stop to that.”
– Rachel, 35