This is the fifth post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
I’m not sure that “crafting” really encompasses the coping skill that I want to mention, but it’s the best term that I could come up with.  When I say “crafting,” I mean any of the following:

coloring
making collages
sudoku /crossword puzzles
word searches
computer solitaire
kitting
drawing / painting
origami

…see my point?  Semi-creative (and low-stress) activities that keep your hands busy.  I don’t know what it is about keeping my hands busy, but it really helps with the anxiety.
Personally, I prefer …

Coloring aside (and other “active meditation,” I guess), there is something that I hate about meditation (guided imagery especially). Deep breathing maybe helps me when I’m starting to freak out, but I think that’s because I’m telling myself “chill, take a moment, calm down, relax, collect yourself, you’ll be okay.” However, breathing deeply does stop my heart from beating so quickly.
Meditation is different though. I think it’s frustrating and I feel so impatient with it. It’s supposed to be calming, but really it just wears on …

I’ll admit it — sometimes I color. I print out some coloring pages and whip out the colored pencils and plug away for a couple of hours. Often I feel ridiculous afterwards — I’ll sit there looking at my finished pictures and think, “What the heck do I do with this now?” Then I’ll think about how coloring is the least productive thing I could possibly do (aside from possibly watching television). Couldn’t I have done a Sudoku puzzle? There is at least some thinking …