ESCAPE MECHANISMS

Welcome back to another blog. I hope everyone is doing well. So today I am going to talk about something called escape mechanism.

SO for those of you who do not know what escape mechanism is, in a very lay man language or in Riddhika’s language it is something that we do to escape our problems, stress and issues of life i.e. to basically escape from them for a little while. Now everyone has different coping mechanisms and it changes over time. As you grow, how you divert yourself from the issues instead of beating yourself over it also changes. For someone it might be curling up in their bed and reading a nice book, singing songs, dancing , cooking, going out for a stroll, writing a diary etc.

Mine is watching movies. I’ll tell you why. I have a habit of watching one movie everyday for years now. My head hurts if I don’t do it. I will do all my work throughout the day but at 6 in the evening I need to be in my bed with my laptop and some snacks to munch on. Why is it my coping mechanism? Here’s why. Not all days in our life are good. We have days that are tiring, where we are pissed off about something, where we are heartbroken, where we feel lonely, or days when we are super energetic. Right? So I watch movies depending on the type of day I have had. Lets say that I have had a very tough day and I need to relax… do you really think I will pick a movie like Schindler’s list or the pianist? A big no. I am probably going to pick a nice soft and slow romantic movie or a rom com if I am feeling fancy or maybe just a comedy genre. On days when I am feeling over the top and super energetic I’ll pick a good action movie like John wick or something of that sort. So yes, I am basically submerging myself in an imaginary world which is the exact opposite of what my real life was.

So yes, in a more proper sense Escape mechanism is a defensive reaction involving the use of fantasy as a means of avoiding conflicts and problems of daily living. Escaping from our problems isn't necessarily a bad thing as many believe it to be. The world around is so negative and challenging where everyday and every second we are fighting battles either with someone or with ourselves and hence we develop a strong desire to escape from it all but we cant always take a road trip every time we need a break and some time with ourselves right? What we need is some time alone. Time to sit alone and give ourselves and our minds some rest because its so full sometimes. This is where our escape mechanisms step in. A way to forget everything that is going on around us and create a life or a fantasy in our head and immerse ourselves in it.

There is nothing to be guilty about. We are all human and we need things to feel free. When we hustle we get tired and we, our brain and our body need rest. GIVE IT THAT.

Thank you for sticking around. I will see you next week. XOXO