Escapism behavior
The foreplay (it’s Important)
We all have a dream planned in our mind that we attempt to live each day. It demands a meaty part of your precious focus to become a Disney reality. Your transition from a sloth to a lion (maybe you dream of becoming a sloth, oh wait you are one). Just like me you inhale “I am a fucking beast “slogan and try to stick to the plans, and when you fail, start feeling crappy, self destructive missiles launch in your head and you blame your silly habits, lazy to getup ass and that Kenny sebastian’s video (hey I am Kenny fan) which made you think”He is awesome” and then buy a ticket to merry go round of escapism. At the end you still feel crappy with lots of instant pleasures. If yes don’t worry I just had one of these moments where I feel a burning desire to own a time a machine and alter the past (oh god, give me the power) and later sat down to write this article( note: this is not a helpful article, it’s just me trying to be yoda)
Confession
I am as confused as you crap bags, just one step ahead at reducing the frequent trips to the merry go round. I accepted the truth that my habits are holding me to an identity which will fail at achieving the Disney dreams. I am also unaware what will I be known for in the future, but that doubt will not hinder my present dream plans. I do indulge in escapism behavior (marvel movies, Netflix, funny YouTube content and then some motivational videos to make me feel good. Send me yours at the end of the article). It is like a gym person having his cheat meal once in a while for the psychological benefits ( so called). It is unavoidable but one can choose the level of escapism he indulges in.
The Main Course( Pay Attention)
A) Escapism differs from person to person
The tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities (Google’s version). Everybody is different with different realities, dreams and escapism behavior. One’s escapism might be a productive task for another crap bag. One makes a living by writing reviews of movies he watches (productive and exciting). On the other hand one watching Jim Carrey’s “Dumb and dumber” while he has to prepare for a fucking exam or a meeting. The second guy has a good time with the benefit of scoring less at an exam( that’s me). The point here is to make a difference between what is productive and escapism for “YOU”. When the current activity(like writing article)coincides with my long term plans it is not an act of escapism, but when I try to memories the lyrics of “bol na aunty aau kya”(don’t judge me ) for fun when I should be dealing with my current trust issues or “I am gonna die” urgency problem, it is an act of escapism.
b) Extremes are dangerous( our lovely addiction)
The trick is to be in moderation like the Luke warm water which you crave in winters. Extremes invite lot of trouble. E.g. A man (age -26) was sent to rehab for after getting into a severe Netflix addiction. Currently he is being given career counseling. Netflix sounds cool for the millennial, watch out, you might be next. Over indulgence in escapism will give severe addictions to you. I am now dealing with phone addiction (oh yass I am, you might be too) which gave me a fucking eye sight problem
The Thing You Are Actually Here For (Process)
Acceptance – your escapism has turned into addiction or is on the highway to fuck your fairy tale life
What you always wanted to do or your life to be?( Making your life a candy)
I always wanted to write( hell no I just enjoy writing it now and want to make it big someday) “productive”. So my writing pays off
I wanted to be in good shape- I started hitting the gym ( I guess I am in a good shape)you think I am bragging, might be
I wanted myself to be more chilled out in relationships and start being less of a sloth – currently chilling out being a sloth on my couch but little less untidy (that’s my goal). Trust issues ( still confused but I will improve)
You might say we all know this say something new.
You guys know better than me how to solve the issue of your lives, I am saying start by making your dream a reality, after that the act of escapism will make you less guilt conscious.
Aim on the chocolaty part of the donut and not on the hole(more on the positive and less on the negative)
The root cause is the fear of something- failure, rejection, success etc. it is also the main cause of procrastination. I was procrastinating writing this article for a month, because I feared that I will fail at writing something good (fear of failure). Thus I Indulged in all sorts of activities that relieved me of the stress of failing. We fear that we might fail at achieving our dreams and so to avoid the pain in the current crappy situation we indulge in escapism (exceptions are always there).
Insecurities– I had a lot of them in all parts of my life. I just assumed it is going to be there and I can’t do anything about it. I should just do what I have to do without giving a fuck about it. You might be insecure of your work (I was in the beginning) later I enjoy criticism as I feel (ghar par bezzati count nhi hoti).
Setting up a ceiling – when you work on yourself, you need to set strong limits for acts of escapism. you may get the help of your annoying brother ( tell him to kick you when you are watching GOT instead of studying for an important exam) just kidding, set timers or reminders( personal choice)
Larger than life self image
When you think of yourself as a normal human and not some prince charming or gold pooping machine, accepting your flaws become easy – insecurities, fears and mistakes become easy to deal and correct.
Let me tell you aloud – the less you think about the outcome or how great you will feel after the work you have done, the more chance of you being productive increases.
Taking the summary for people who want a recap
Accept you are in an unhealthy escapism and try to focus on making your dreams into reality (more positive, less negative). Anything used to escape pain (marijuana, tobacco, alcohol, phone, porn are few common examples) are the escapism tools. Deal with your fear and insecurities and for god sake accept you are a human and it is okay to have flaws. Accepting criticisms and limiting the time spend in escapism activities.
Thank you
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Yours yoda 