Former first lady Michelle Obama got candid about how she deals with self-doubt, fear, and anxiety ahead of her new book’s release.

In an exclusive interview with People, Obama shared a few tricks on how she manages tough times in life, a topic she tackles in her upcoming book “The Light We Carry.”

Obama said she was struggling with “a crushing sense of hopelessness.” as the COVID-19 pandemic led into the 2020 summer of racial injustice and thereafter the 2021 Capitol insurrection.

The former first lady said she picked up knitting needles and began learning to use them through YouTube tutorials. The small exercise of control Obama had over her ball of yarn helped calm her anxiety at a time when everything else felt out of her control.

In “The Light We Carry,” Obama shares stories of how she is also lifted up by her “kitchen table” of close girlfriends during hard times. These women, Obama told People, “they help me vent, they help me see myself. They give me laughter and love.”

The “Becoming” author also opened up about her struggles with self-image and appearance.

On the mornings when she can only see “what’s dry and puffy,” Obama said she’s practicing being kinder to the woman in her mirror.

The former first lady also said she sometimes copes with anxiety and fear by simply turning on the TV and zoning out.

“The Light We Carry” is scheduled to release on Nov. 15.