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The media space has become the place where we spend most of our time. Scrolling the news feed, updating social networks, the incessant TV create the illusion of control over events, but increase anxiety. Psychologists are sure that distance from what is happening and being distracted from the agenda is good for mental health. But at the same time, certain rules must be observed.
Emotions and feelings, even such strong ones as fear and grief, fade over time. It is important to be able to live them, but not to be fully involved in the process. Instead, it’s helpful to learn healthy escapism, the purpose of which is not to hide in a house, as children do, but to help yourself get through troubling times.
Our imagination can become a place of calm and strength. Instead of plunging into the past again and again, it is important to shift your attention to the future and find in it those meanings that will help you adapt to the new reality. “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, while imagination embraces the whole world, stimulating progress, giving rise to evolution.Albert Einstein wrote.
Escapism can take many forms, many of which are familiar. Series, books, computer games — any activity, plunging into which we temporarily escape from reality, can become a form of escapism. If you follow simple rules, avoiding reality helps the psyche to withstand stress, and the brain to adapt to a changing world.
Rule number 1: get away from reality for a while
Set time limits for the practice of escapism. Spending an evening watching your favorite series so that you can plan for the future without panic and stress the next day is wonderful. Spending the weekend without leaving the screen is harmful.
By taking some time to escape from everyday life, we replenish our resources — they help to cope with situations and difficulties that we may encounter. If there is no quick solution to the problem, take the time to move away from it. Then you can regroup and approach any problem better. But remember that escapism is good in small doses, in large doses it can be addictive.
Rule #2: Stay away from reality
We all love to make plans, but for now, long-term planning should be forgotten. The solution to the problem is to shift the focus from mourning missed trips and unpurchased furniture to pleasures that are within your own control. Here and now.
This does not mean that we should abandon all long-term plans.
Let them remain in the form of goals written in the diary. And now it is important to focus on what you can please yourself in the present. In the morning, plan an evening dinner with friends. On Monday, make plans for Wednesday. Dream about what is realistically achievable. Imagination allows you to counteract the growing influence of negative news: think through your weekends with meticulous clarity, as if planning a vacation.
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Rule #3: Take responsibility
It may sound strange, but we are also responsible for dreams and fantasies. Escapism will not change your entire life, but it can temporarily reduce the stress you experience. It is important to strike a balance so that you do not end up becoming a hostage to avoiding reality. Only by taking responsibility for our choices do we retain common sense. Escapism is a powerful survival mechanism that is especially valuable right now, but you need to wield it consciously, otherwise it will control your life.
Rule #4: Don’t discount fantasies
Lack of control over what is happening in the world creates anxiety. Yes, only a few can influence global events, but everyone is able to control their fantasies. By shifting our focus away from painful things we cannot control, we refocus on things we can control.
When we dive into fantasies, we get to know ourselves better: our desires, needs, ideas.
Any creativity helps to fit into the world, to see it more voluminous. We become more flexible and do not look at what is happening only as black and white. In addition to distraction, escapism works by relaxing the mind and relieving stress. This allows you to think more carefully and look at things a little more rationally and logically. The more relaxed we are, the easier it is for us to think things through.
Rule number 5: find like-minded people
Escapism is not something to be done alone. Watching a movie together, playing board games with friends, reading books with children — all this helps not only to be distracted, but also to get closer, to focus on other people. Motivate loved ones to engage in productive escapism practices.
Rule #6: listen to yourself
If you know that going to a bar after work will help you relax, go to a bar. If you want to spend all day reading Harry Potter, read on. Only you yourself know what form of escapism will be useful for you. There are no universal recipes.
Rule #7: Admit to yourself what you’re running from
Now we all spend most of our time immersed in the news feed, which is also a form of escapism. Instead of continuing to live their lives, someone chooses to escape into the world of politics and drama. Instead of solving problems at work or in the family, which have always been, someone is trying to solve the problems of the universe. In any case, it is important to know when to indulge in escapism and when to return to reality.
Escapism, meditation, journaling — all this helps to change emotional and behavioral habits. And if your imagination is now focused on negative images that arise from fear and anxiety, with the help of self-help techniques you can learn to look at what is happening in a more detached and calm way.