We all need to escape reality sometimes.
And everyone has their favorite things that make them forget about all the actual worries and responsibilities of their lives for a while.
And I bet you do, too!
Folks on AskReddit opened up about what they do to escape reality.
Let’s see what they had to say.
1. Sounds nice.
“Stargazing sets me straight.
I’m headed out on a stargazing trip right now, just for a night.
My grandfather put a little observatory in one of the “darkest places” in Utah, I’m going to check it out.”
2. Daydreaming.
“Maladaptive daydreaming.
I’ve had it all of my life and only recently learned it’s a thing. I’ve daydreamed so many possible scenarios that some of them have actually come true, just based on the odds. Mostly, it saps my mental strength and makes me feel disassociated from the real world. When I’m anxious it fuels the anxiety because I can see the bad thing happening SOOOOO clearly.
I think it’s a mechanism my mind developed to help me cope with a lonely childhood but never disassembled, and it continued to churn away even when it was no longer needed.
On a positive note, I write fiction and have come to recognize that the daydreaming is my mind’s way of telling me there are stories I need to get out.”
3. Writing.
“Writing is such a relief!
On nights when I am too tired (and want to avoid screen time), I either imagine my way through plot and dialogue or make small notes on paper.
There are times when I am writing that I truly zone out for hours at a time and I’m just *there* with my characters.”
4. Take a break.
“For me, reading fanfiction is one of my fave hobbies.
Completely takes my mind off of everything.”
5. Gaming.
“When my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer I hid in video games, notably World of Warcraft. It was the only thing that kept me sane.
I mean, I still worked and interacted with people and took her to appointments and spent time with my dad, but when I found myself alone with my thoughts I would log into the game and spend hours there.
The beautiful thing about video games is that the problems have solutions. You can generally solve every dilemma and even get a reward. That’s not the case in real life.”
6. I like this.
“I walk my dog early in the morning.
We pretend we are navigating an apocalyptic landscape in the search for treats.”
7. Keep going.
“Run, and not in some fitness guru way where “it really brings me into a meditative headspace”
When I’m running I just can’t think about anything but running.”
8. The good stuff.
“Exercise and if I have more time go for a longer hike and enjoy nature.
I don’t care how old I am I will always enjoy walking around forest, fallen leaves up to your knees, kicking them around, listening to rustling.
And walking on freshly fallen snow.”
9. Late at night…
“Late at night, I take my bike and ride to my old elementary school that’s now a public park. I sit down on the same bench I’ve always sat at, and I start recording.
I’ve found that talking my problems out, or talking about anything, just helps me to escape. Some of those audio logs I’ve listened to countless times. I catch myself thinking “wow, I actually said that.”
Maybe someday I’ll post them online, or preserve them as a memento to the times I’ve lived through.
I can tell you right now, if I never started making those logs I wouldn’t be half the person I am now.”
10. Green thumb.
“Gardening.
Saved me from depression. No meds ever worked.”
11. Fantasy world.
“I create fantasy worlds and build ’em up, complete with languages, culture, people, history, etc.
It’s fun.”
12. Cool.
“I am a flight simulator hobbyist, and I escape by delving into the simulator.
For over 10 years now, when life gets to me, I make an escape by perfecting my flight sim world, not much unlike a model train enthusiast creates dioramas in their basement.
Aircraft modelling, sound engineering, environment textures such as the sky, ground, water, and trees, buildings, airport details, there’s always something to tweak and work on and improve to make actually using the simulator for simulating just a bit more fun and realistic!
But my favorite part of it all is AI traffic.
Myself and a team of other enthusiasts have worked for years now to “back-date” the AI traffic in flight sim with schedules and aircraft going from the late 90s and early 00s all the way back to the 30s in some instances. We can choose what year we want to fly, and with a week or two of work on installing schedules, we can fly in that year in our flight sim. Currently my project has been 1998, and this has been so incredibly rewarding!
I live by and love my flight sim. It has always been there for me when life is too much and continues to be there for me when I have free time. Nothing else like it on this planet.”
What do you do to escape reality?
Let us know in the comments!
Thanks, friends!
