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The Surprising Benefits of Healthy Escapism

How It Improves Our Lives

SodaKite
3 min readJan 9, 2022
Photo by Guillaume Bolduc on Unsplash

Now and then, life seems to weigh on us heavily. School, work, and even our family can cause unexpected stress and emotions. It’s easy to let those feelings control us. Until we’re laying in bed at night — wide awake — thinking about everything. It can become obsessive and unhealthy.

Escapism has a bad reputation but, it is not always bad when done in moderation.

What is escapism?

Escapism is defined as the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.

This may include:

  • Binge-watching TV shows
  • Scrolling through your phone
  • Video games
  • Daydreaming
  • Going on a spontaneous vacation
  • Etcetera

“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.”― Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House

The good news is…

Escapism can have positive effects on our lives.

Imagination

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SodaKite
SodaKite

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