Four common reasons you just want to escape!

Hey all!

Many people have an ‘escape’ or bad habit that they feel guilty about – like stress eating (guilty). Due to the saturation of distractions in this day and age, through technology and general abundance, it is very easy to misinterpret feelings and feel like you need an escape when really you may need a healthier alternative. Here are some common reasons why you may feel like escaping.

1. You don’t have good health habits and your body (perhaps secretly) feels awful. You can’t afford to not exercise and eat junk food for every meal. You just can’t. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting down in front of a screen or chopping wood – you need a well energized and exercised body to properly keep focused.
2. You’re in emotional pain and are unsure why. It could be something that happened earlier in the day that you had to set aside, something that happened earlier in the week or even your childhood that has boiled to the surface. It is necessary to sometimes ask yourself why you feel like escaping and it could be an unresolved emotional issue – in which case you have to give yourself space (such as through meditation or general relaxation) to figure out what is bothering you and decide how to let it go in a positive way.
3. You’re bored. Sometimes one may be attacked by boredom when they have an abundance of free time, and turn to some sort of escape to kill it. Instead of trying to kill off the boredom use it as a stimulus to drive you to something useful.  It could be a hobby, some work, building a relationship, planning a hike. Boredom is our conscience driving us towards our goals, it’s the alarm bell that tells us to get up and do something useful!
4. You’ve taken on too much. Whether saying yes to too many commitments, or working beyond your limits for too long. Your way of relaxing may even be an addictive stressor (think endless, mindless internet browsing). Figuring out our real stress levels and taking the time to know how much to take on in terms of workload is essential if you don’t want to constantly feel like you want out.

Be prepared to choose healthy alternatives to each situation – like making positive lifestyle changes such as exercise, diet, more sleep, learning to say no, and taking time to learn how to identify stressors and emotions. Each time you feel like you want to escape is an opportunity to instead say ‘I still want in’ and get stronger!