self care

Healthy forms of escapism

September 11, 2021Rabea

Escapism isn’t always bad. It helps us step away from overwhelming emotions when we need to. But there are definitely harmful ways of escaping. Pretty much anything can become an unhealthy form of escapism if you do it too much. That’s why I wanted to share with you what some healthy forms of escapism can be if you don’t overdo them.

Creative Writing

Doesn’t matter if it is poetry, a novel or a fanfiction. Writing and escaping the current world a little bit while writing the alternate world down can relief a lot of emotions. Your fantasy will often automatically bring up things you need to get out of the system but in more subtle ways. In that way writing can actually be therapeutic. Try not to lose yourself in it too much though, you still have a real life that can be made better!

Meeting up with friends

Social interaction is healthy for pretty much all of us. Escaping your daily grind and emotions by going on a little adventure with friends or meeting up for dinner can give you the right motivation. I feel like meeting friends can be a great act of self love. Surround yourself with people you feel seen by and that you can ask advice from. Interdependence is a wonderful thing.

Painting & Coloring

I don’t do this enough myself, even though it is such a great thing to get your mind focused on creating. Get a piece of paper and pencils or paint and start doodling without expecting it to be perfect. You could also get a couple small canvases and simply have fun with spreading cheap acrylic paint all over it. I recently got acrylic pens and painted pink clouds onto a midsized canvas. Good addition to my room if I do say so myself.

Reading books

Reading can definitely be an unhealthy escape. Especially when you drown yourself in fantasy worlds. I mostly read non-fiction to understand myself and the world around me a little better (and because I’m obsessed with reading about psychology research). Maybe you could balance your fiction reading habit with reading about really interesting lives that actually happened. There are so many cool historical figures that are overlooked!

Cooking & Baking

Doesn’t matter if you cook your favorite meal, meal prep or try to learn a new recipe. Cooking and baking have a healing effect on the soul. I also just like baking because you can bring others cake or muffins and get the joy of giving gifts. Currently I’m on a mission to find the perfect brownie recipe for myself and learn one new recipe for lunchtime. Let’s see where that goes.

Gaming

Yes, gaming can also be a healthy form of escapism. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are struggling with sensing when it’s been enough for the day. I have like an inner gaming clock. Usually my body will just be done after 2-3 hours of playing and I usually don’t wanna play that much the days after. Also try to play games that don’t have upsetting imagery. There are plenty of relaxing games and sandbox games out there.

Those were some healthy forms of escapism. If you wanna learn more about learning to fulfill your own needs, I would love to send you my mini guide on fulfilling your needs and identifying needs in yourself. All you need to do is enter your email below and I’ll send it to you: