We all need to escape now and then
Escapism from worries, melancholy–even people. One of the reasons many writers enjoy their craft is because it provides an absorbing method of escape. Unlike other forms of escape writing is one of the best options you could choose when you just need to get away from real life for a while.
It’s easy to see how financial hardships, family strife, illness, and other issues can make the daily grind too much to take. Add to that the near-constant stream of negative news or a worldwide pandemic and you can see why anyone would want to get away for a while.
People, on average, spend nearly 13 hours each week escaping their reality. Writers will be happy to know that about one-and-a-half of those weekly hours were spent reading or writing books, with about two-and-a-half hours spent watching movies and about 45 minutes dreaming of vacation. Other popular forms of escape included exploring new places and listening to music.
Finding a way to escape from real life helps us avoid distress and psychological harm. Escape is a coping mechanism, a method of gaining calm and tranquility so we can rally the inner strength we need to face our daily challenges.
3 Reasons Why Writing is a Healthy Form of Escape
Writing is a healthy escape because it helps us to hone our skills, enjoy a healthy form of distraction, and improve our quality of life.
- Writing Helps Us Hone Our Skills: To write a publishable novel, you have to learn a lot about writing, editing, publishing, and marketing. Writing is also a beneficial skill to have. Developing the ability to write well—even if you never become a bestseller—helps you master communication skills that can be applied to other areas of your life, particularly on the job.
- Writing Is a Healthy form of Distraction: Expressing your emotions can be healing. Ruminating over your problems is not always the best way to deal with them. A moment’s distraction can be a better alternative. After emerging from a writing session I feel a lot better than when I started. The wonderful thing about writing is that it’s so constructive. Writers build and create something that one day is of value to another.
- Writing Improves Our Quality of Life: Escaping in a healthy way, though, is not always easy in today’s world. There are so many forms of entertainment available that make it much too easy to flee problems than to face them. Writing often helps writers to better understand themselves. It holds up a metaphorical sort of mirror, allowing us to see ourselves more clearly.
Writing as a form of escape
There are several healthy ways to escape from the world, for a while, and writing is one of the most creative, productive, and healthy options. So next time you need to check out, sink yourself into your story. It’s good for you!
“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write,
compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia,
the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.” Graham Greene
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“Linda has published twenty books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish. She has mentored many authors and edited their work.”
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