Days can feel like years when we can’t seem to move with ease. Walking around with a lump of overwhelming emotions is as motioning through life beyond the force of gravity; it will drag us down into the darkness of the underground. Those days are hard. It feels like we can’t seem to escape the fear within us. Fortunately, our anxiety doesn’t define us. It’s only an overpowering glitch in our daily lives that we need to find ways to cope to stay sane. What works for me, may not work for you, but let me give it a shot by sharing my ways of coping on a bad anxiety day.
1. Give aromatherapy a try
The right kind of aroma works healing in a way that it calms you down and reduces stress and fatigue, thus in the end, boosting your overall mood. Tip: purchase an aroma humidifier to use at home or even at work (if you have an office job) to get a daily mini aromatherapy to unwind yourselves. There are tons of aroma oils available, so just choose any scent of aroma oil that you like. Start afresh in the morning or let the aura of relaxing scent rocking you to falling in a deep sleep if you have troubles with sleeping.
2. Immerse yourself in a book, movie or game
Distance yourself from the chaos of your mind and give it a break by immersing into another world. How? By shifting the focus from yourself to another persona that’s not you, even if it’s just for a little while. There are some active and less active ways to immerse. The least active way is to watch a movie. Important here is to focus on how the character develops while the story little by little will unfold towards the end of the story. This will help you to see that ups and downs are essential to growing in life and that you are not alone in this. Even if it’s a movie, there are always some realistic aspects that you can take from it.
Do you have some energy left? Grab a book and color the world of the story. Let yourself carry away into another dimension where you hold in your breath as the story gets more complex as you read away the black on white. Without much thinking about it, you will develop emotions towards the persona in the book, which can declutter your anxiety for the time being because of the fact that you are concerned with someone else.
Last but not at least, take the lead from a different perspective in a game. Boost your confidence by unlocking each level to advance to another challenge.
3. Bake, bake and bake
There is something magical behind the art of baking, almost therapeutic in a way. Unlike cooking in general, baking requires more than combining some ingredients together in the hope it will turn out delicious. Just pick any recipe you like on the internet or from a cookbook that you already have, clear the kitchen station and get all your ingredients and baking tools ready. Start from scratch, watch how a block of cream cheese gets smooth out by eggs with the right amount of swirls of the mixer. A sniff of salt here and a tablespoon of sugar there; baking is strictly following a formula that is still able to awake your sense of wonder and give you a feeling of fulfillment after you take out your own freshly baked creation out of the piping hot oven.
4. Take regular walks in nature
In the end, all we need is already provided for us for free to cope or heal. If you live in a big city, go to the nearest park and leave your smartphone either at home or in your bag. Look at the lush greenery around you and really take in what you see. On less cold days, bring a rug with you and choose a spot to lay down on. Sit against a tree, take out your sketchbook and let your imagination run wild as you get inspired by the environment. Taking regular walks in nature also helps to get enough Vitamin D if you are feeling gloomy and dull by sitting inside at home. The best timing to go around the block is after dinner time because of the tiredness that suddenly hits you after eating. Instead of letting your body and mind crash into hibernation far before your regular sleeping routine, go out to let it slap you awake and to process the food well by keep moving instead of sleeping right away. 
