the honest answer is i don't. i let it drag me under until i choke, and i want to be there in that miserable headspace as much as i want to get out. there are certainly healthier options for managing sadness, i often transmute it into my writing at a seperate time (when i feel better), usually in the form of rinse and repeat comfort fics/tropes, where i can project myself onto the character that is being comforted and taken care of. but for me all that really is is dissociation, i don't really process things well. or at all. but i always try to identify the root of why i'm feeling that way, the emotional wound that hasn't been dressed yet. i value knowing why i feel certain ways or have certain reactions. when i feel up to it i occasionally talk with my best friend too. talking with someone can smooth over the burden of enduring those difficult emotions. it's enough to get me by.

i hope you're doing alright, anon. make sure to keep yourself hydrated and well-fed. it helps more than you think or feel