Escapism

By Hannah Marsh

Life always feels like it is constantly on fast forward. Once one test is done, there is another to study for. Once one deadline has been met, there is always 3 more that have yet to been met. Once math’s homework is completed, there are always other subject’s homework that not been completed yet. Everyday follows a similar routine: study, complete homework, tick another box off the never-ending to-do list, get some sleep and then do it all again the next day and the days after that. Everyday starts to become tedious, days blur together and life becomes hazy. In order to get rid of that haze, we must first escape. Escape the routine, escape the blur, and escape the haze. We need to escape reality. Many living in fast forward, hit pause and choose escapism.

What is escapism?

Escapism is the tendency to pursue distraction and relief from distasteful realities, mainly by pursuing entertainment or engrossing in fantasy. In a nutshell escapism is just that: wanting to escape from the harsh realities of the real world. That may seem harmful, especially if the chosen method is something like drugs. Temporary escapism however is not necessarily harmful, escaping to enjoy a slight mental break from life is not always bad.

There are many concerns we have to deal with on a daily basis, the main one student’s face being school. School can be pressuring and in order to maintain good mental health we must escape occasionally. Escapes such as reading, gaming, or watching television are common among students to relieve us from the constant pressure, anxiety, and stress. But these escapes do not necessarily represent true escapism. Escapism can be a bit more complicated and weightier.

Escapism is more than just relaxation. Escapism’s purpose is to remove thoughts of the real world from our mind. In this regard, escapism can be detrimental to us as avoidance is unhealthy and may make our problems worse. Escapism utilizes the human brain’s most amazing function: imagination. Those who practice escapism make great use of human imagination. They imagine themselves as a character in their favourite movie, book or even tv series. Some even create their own reality in their minds. The mind has no limits therefore our escapism fantasies have no limit as well.

You are able to escape to any world, any reality you desire. Instead of schoolwork, you can slay dragons. You can

attend lavish balls, instead of class. In your own reality you can forget about the problems of the real world. It can feel amazing for a short period until you wake up or focus back into the real world and the problems you tried to escape are still there.

In a way escapism is misleading because you can never truly escape your problems. You can only put them in a box and try to forget about them, but the box will always be there. You can close the lid, but the lid will always open back up again. No matter how long you escape for you will always have to return back to reality. This can be very self-destructive and have the opposite effect on your mental health. Instead of helping you relax it can make you more stressed as it emphasizes your real-world problems. As once you come back to reality, compared to your fantasies your problems are even more daunting. Escapism is like wearing rose tinted glasses, all the red flags are still there just not visible to you. And once the glasses are off, they become more striking and alarming.

Is escapism good or bad?

I am going to be completely honest with you, I am often guilty of participating in escapism and I am sure most of you are too. Sometimes a song can make me feel nostalgic even though I have never once run barefoot through an endless forest in a ballgown. But your fantasies my not be as elaborate as mine because believe me, my fantasies include multiple seasons, a large cast, and a complicated plot. Maybe that is just because I am an only child. I like to think my escapism is not unhealthy because I can differentiate the difference between reality and fantasy. Many live their lives in escapism fantasies, which can be extremely harmful as the line between fantasy and reality blurs. And when it does you may not be able to live your life to the fullest. If life it so tiring and stressful try instead to romanticize it. Instead of creating a fantasy, live your real reality like you would your fantasy. Be the person you hope to be and make your life more like your fantasy.

How to romanticize your life?

Start small. Take time to appreciate the small things in your life (take time to smell the roses so to speak). The stress will always be there but by doing small things that you enjoy you may be able to relieve some stress like reading, writing or painting. I personally have started journaling to feel less stressed. You have to try to make the unbearable a little more bearable. This can be done by finding ways to enjoy studying and homework. Listen to music or light a candle with a nostalgic scent while studying. You can do small changes to make your reality slightly represent your ideal fantasy. Change the way you dress, cut your hair, go on a walk at sunset, or redecorate your room. You can even just change the way to see things, placing a positive spin on things can make you a bit happier. Like instead of saying “I have three more tests to study for”, say” I have completed two tests”. This can give you a sense of achievement and motivate you further, lifting your spirits and reducing your stress. There is no time like the present. Live everyday on your terms by doing things that make you happy and hopefully if you start paying attention to the small things your reality will not seem tedious, hopefully if you live everyday slightly different like wearing different pyjamas to bed or eating your favourite food for lunch, they will stop blending together and hopefully the haze will slowly start to disappear.

Face your challenges head on, romanticize your life, take a small break, and only escape in your dreams. We only have one life, so we need to make the most of it and live it with our eyes wide open without rose tinted sunglasses.