A little escape can be a healthy thing
Added on 09 March 2021
Everyone wants to escape sometimes; it is natural that life will overwhelm us all at one time or another. The need to escape can be fleeting or long-lasting & is related to the fact that everyone wants to escape sometimes; it is natural that life will overwhelm us all at one time or another.
Everyone wants to escape sometimes; it is natural that life will overwhelm us all at one time or another. The need to escape can be fleeting or long-lasting & is linked to an ability to accept what is at hand. It is avoidance & a lack of ability to do so that leads us to wish to escape.
Often, the wish or need to escape can be seen by the individual as wrong or be filled with guilt, but sometimes stepping back from what is bringing you down can be good medicine, as it allows for both a recharge. This distance can give new perspectives and help with the matter of acceptance.
Life throws more than its fair share of stones at some. Lack of support from others can hinder life’s darker or frustrating times, & such times can also compound feelings of isolation. So, beware if you feel there is no one to talk to, as your view of the world may simply be blocking you. As escape can be found in simple things, even a chat with a friend can provide enough escape to give you a boost.
If not, where do you escape to? A book? the internet? meditation? family? daydreams? time alone or somewhere darker, as in depression, or eating disorders, or other destructive habits?
Stuck in escape mode?
Although self-destructive means of escape are not healthy & can prolong & even bury what the original issue was, a realisation that the self-destructive behaviour is a mask for something can help an inquisitive mind to move forwards when you’re stuck in escape mode.
Smoking, drinking, drugs, food, bad relationships, etc. can all be the self-destructive means we take to escape but which can get us trapped in their own ropes, therefore leading us to lose track of what it was we originally wished to be free from. Yet this also comes from a fear of not being able to break free, a feeling that escape is not possible.
This all stems from within the mind, solely & totally within the mind. The ‘I can't, I shouldn’t, I don’t know how’s, I’m not good enough’s' & more, which stand in our way. It can also stem from the belief that escaping is the same as giving up. Yet giving up is not a bad thing. When you have tried everything, then sometimes it is the only healthy choice & should be reframed as Letting Go.
If you wish to escape, find a healthy way to do so, but make sure you allow yourself the time & space to get away mentally from what ails you. Be very careful of becoming trapped in escape mode by the means of addiction to what you have chosen.
A healthy person will understand that a healthy escape brings rewards, not just to the self but to those around them also. So, pull out your mental travel brochure and plan how you'll best escape what ails you for that much-needed recharge and reboot.
