Over the past couple of years I’ve been finding comfort in escapism. As I think many of us have. Life has been challenging for all of us since the pandemic, and it can be soothing to lose yourself in an alternate reality, whether it be in books, TV shows, movies, music, or your own imagination. It can be a wonderful way to distract yourself and find relief from the demands of daily life.
I realize that escapism is often seen in a negative light, and recognize that it can have negative impacts, like anything when we overindulge. However, overall I think it’s been given a bad rap, and there is beauty that can be found in this space as well. Because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love getting lost in a good book, binge watching your favourite TV show, or immersing yourself in your favourite artists’ latest album? I often find myself fleeing to the Scottish Highlands during the 18th century, running around Hawkins Indiana, visiting Harry’s House in London, or sailing the Sea of Cortez…can you tell that travel is one of my personal favourite ways to escape? Whether it be in real life or through TV, literary works, or my own imagination — I love to immerse myself in different times, places, and realities other than my own.
However, in the past I’ve often felt shame around time spent engaged with escapism. Feeling like I “should” be doing something “more productive”, rather than “wasting my time with my head in the clouds.” Especially when I take time to read, watch TV, or just lay around listening to music. If you’ve ever felt this way, know that you’re not alone. We’ve all been conditioned to put productivity above all else, even our own wellbeing. Being led to believe that if we aren’t being productive we are lazy, which leaves us feeling “not good enough” and unworthy of rest. But this is far from the truth. What I’ve come to learn is that escapism is not purely laziness or disassociation from our reality, it is a pleasure practice, one that has the power to enhance your reality when engaged in intentionally.
Escapism has the power to fuel the mind, body, and soul by allowing your body to rest and activating your imagination centre by engaging with art, nature, and your own energy. All of which are deeply nourishing and restorative for your nervous system, and better equip you to show up in your life, work, and relationships — including the relationship with yourself. Which can support you in feeling not only more well rested, but more confident, self-assured, and more well resourced making you more solution oriented. This can also aid you in communicating more effectively, visualizing ideals, boosting your creativity, and clarifying your dreams.
One of the biggest benefits I’ve witnessed for myself when I grant myself the time and space to engage in escapism as a pleasure practice is the respite it offers for my nervous system from the demands of my life and work. It lends space to my body to recoup. Taking the edge off by allowing my nervous system to come into a state of rest and relaxation. It is necessary for all of us to make space to experience this in our bodies, especially during times when what is happening in our reality is causing us to be in an activated or triggered state of stress. When your body is resting it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates your body — reducing stress and giving your subconscious space to process. As a result, you will often feel your energy renewed and your mind more clear, making you more decisive and better able to communicate your thoughts, feelings, and needs to both yourself and others.
Now, I’m not suggesting that engaging in escapism is a cure all, far from it. But, it does have a lot of benefits — including the power to create more ease in your life by creating space for you to simply be. Which inturn, helps you to become more resourced to deal with the pressures of life. Proving that taking the time to allow your body and mind to rest and recharge is a crucial part of your nervous system health. The truth is, if you want to be able to do more, you likely need to be resting more than you think you should. Because when you take time to slow down and be, the time you spend doing becomes more focused and productive, which helps you to hit your goals more quickly and easefully.
I know it may seem counterintuitive to slow down in order to do more, but it’s time for us as a society to rewrite this narrative because the belief that pushing through is the only way to get sh*t done, is a one way path to burnout. I’ve experienced it, and I’m betting you have too. This belief is deeply ingrained in capitalism and the patriarchy, and it’s not serving any of us. It’s burning us out and keeping us stuck in cycles of belief that we have to achieve our goals in order to be worthy of rest. And it’s time to take a different, more holistic approach. You do not have to earn rest, you are inherently worthy of it. The narrative that we have to earn it is dangerous, because it makes us feel as though we aren’t doing enough, or that we ourselves aren’t enough. This leads us to negate the needs of our bodies, and can have detrimental effects on our mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing by making us feel like we are always behind because the goal post is always moving. Which prevents us from celebrating how far we’ve come and what we’ve already accomplished. Thus perpetuating the cycle of suffering.
So, in case it didn’t land the first time — you are inherently worthy of rest.
You do not need to earn it. Remember, you are living on your own timeline, you do not need to rush. Take your time, go slow, allow yourself to simply be. Take the time to rest, recharge, and don’t forget to celebrate your progress — big or small, it’s still progress. You deserve it, no matter what.
Truth be told, when you’re well rested and your needs are taken care of, everyone benefits. You get to share from overflow, rather than from depletion. When you pour into yourself first, you are more able to pour into your work, family, friends, and community — and create a deeper impact in the world. The invitation here is to rest more, pour into yourself, and put your pleasure first — before you hit burnout and have no other choice but to rest. If you need it, consider this your permission slip to fill your cup up first, and give from the overflow. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
In addition to escapism being a pleasure practice that offers a reprieve for your nervous system, it is also deeply nourishing for your creativity and self-expression. I have felt my creativity reignited, and unlocked new depths of my self-expression through engaging in escapism. Whether it’s through escaping from work and the pressure of life while on holiday, getting lost in a good book or TV show, or driving around listening to Billie Eilish and being transported back to seeing her live in concert. The content you escape with impacts the lens through which you see yourself and the world around you — and can either expand or contract you and the way you live your life. When you immerse yourself in content that inspires you, that makes you feel seen and heard, it opens you up to what is possible for you. It sparks a fire of desire within you. And when you engage with content that evokes your desire, it encourages you to explore how you can live and express yourself more authentically, more creatively. Opening you up to experience even more pleasure, and aligning you with your soul’s truth.
Now, if you’re like me, you may have a complicated relationship with engaging in escapism, especially the pleasures of watching TV, and it may require some work with your nervous system to feel safe to allow yourself to engage. For me, this is due to the messaging when I was younger that TV would rot my brain. In the past engaging with it would bring up feelings of shame because it was demonized and made out to be something bad. But what I’ve come to realize and appreciate as an adult is that it is an expression of art. And engaging with it can actually be a magical, awe inspiring, and rewarding experience. Because within the artist’s expression, we can find ourselves. We can see ourselves in the characters on TV, and we can explore sides of ourselves that we may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. This feeds our soul and nourishes our nervous system at the same time because it helps us to feel seen, heard, understood, and validated in our experiences. Whether it’s through the words on a page, the lyrics of a song, or the scene on a screen — we can find ourselves in the artist’s expression. Which is deeply cathartic, for as human beings our innate desire is to belong, and through escapism and engaging with art, in any form, we are able to find belonging.
This sense of belonging provides reassurance to our nervous system that we are not alone in our experiences, which helps us come home to ourselves. By sparking the fire within and leading us deeper into our truth. Building confidence and sense of self, encouraging us to live bravely, to create the change we hope for, and to follow our desires and share our stories with the world. It’s the permission slip to be all of you, to let your light shine, and allow your light to inspire others to do the same. When we allow ourselves to escape and be inspired by it we create a ripple effect of positive impact on the world. Proving that escapism is a pleasure practice. One that is deeply healing and beneficial for us not only as individuals, but as a collective as well. Creating an ecosystem of healing so that we may all live more fully in our truth.
The next time you feel shame for engaging with escapism and feel like you should be doing ‘more’ remember that when we seek to escape, we often find ourselves.