Escape

Yesterday was a day that totally stressed me out and for no apparent reason. I just couldn't keep from focusing on a situation that is distressing me, yet I have no control over. Eventually I got a headache and I was totally tired out. I just wanted to escape.

So I did escape to Alaska. Thanks to Dani Pettrey and her book Shattered, I entered a different world with different problems. I could let go of mine. What a blessed release! What a great escape!

Books are one of my favorite escapes. I can go to a new part of the world. I can meet new people. I can choose to be entertained, challenged, immersed in someone else's problems, or enjoying another's good fortune. Reading helps me to relax, to let go, and to push the day's anxiety away for awhile. I usually read before bed until I can't keep my eyes open and then I can sleep... Then my worries are not at the forefront of my thoughts.

Sometime a good movie will help me to escape, too. I can just let myself be pulled into their story and mine fades for a bit. We also watch old sitcoms like Gilligan's Island. Our current favorite is the Mary Tyler Moore Show. We have found many old TV series at our library. We laugh at the clothes, furnishings, and especially the lack of political correctness. They lend us a short light-hearted escape where we can just laugh.

I like to go for a walk, too, but it it is winter here and I don't like the cold. I do exercise, but a walk outside (when it's warmer) is a great escape. I love to see God's handiwork and marvel at the beauty of the world in which I live.

Occasionally a shopping trip can be an escape. I love to go to antique stores and just see the old items that were once loved or used by someone long ago. I don't often buy, but it fills me up to look and imagine and enjoy. Sometimes finding a new piece of clothing can be a fun excursion. I love to capture a great deal.

Being with a friend or a date with my husband  is wonderful, too. I, also, enjoy doing things with my two daughters that are still at home. I love spending time with those special people (and many others)
They often give me the boost I need to feel like I have escaped!

Sometimes I immerse myself in a project to escape. I might sew or bake or write or go volunteer at something until I forget my troubles.

Once in a while I just go take a nap. Sleep can be so healing. I disappear to my room with a book, music, and a quilt and just rest for a short time.

I need these escapes. They help me to get past the stresses that life presents and to keep functioning. They are healthy ways of coping. They help to keep life on a more even keel when the storms are raging. I don't feel guilty when I need to escape and I do it for a while. I always come back, usually refreshed and more ready to tackle the next thing. So from my perspective, escape can be a good thing. My family rarely worries when I say I need to escape. They understand and let me go if I need it.

What about you? What are your escapes? What do you need when life wears you down? Do you know how to escape?