When we’re undergoing very difficult moments in life, the temptation is always to run away. Fantasizing about doing this is more common than you think because we all feel like we need to escape something, whether it’s a stressful life or things aren’t serving us in the way we want, such as being bored with your job, overwhelmed with your day-to-day duties, or feeling like those big life decisions are too much to deal with. While running away isn’t a good long-term solution, we need to ensure that we are practicing certain types of self-care that will serve us well. Let’s explore some simple practices:

Taking Personal Time Out

Sometimes, time out that’s just for us can stop our desire to escape from our metaphorical cage. A few hobbies can do wonders for our sense of self. If you feel like you’re not able to dedicate any time to yourself, even if you are, this feeling that you’re not is going to loom large in your mind. Even something as simple as watching your favorite TV show can take you out of those stressful thoughts. Whether you’re wondering where to watch Yellowstone TV show for free so you can immerse yourself in a long-form drama or you start watching sports for the cathartic emotional release that’s so common, taking personal time out can work wonders for you.

Personalized Solutions

Everybody’s experience of stress is different, so we need to find solutions that suit our needs. This can involve escapism, such as watching TV, sports, or exploring personalized coping strategies. Not everybody is keen on meditation and mindfulness, so we’ve got to figure out how to get similar benefits with less obvious practices. This could be a hypnosis tape that you listen to at bedtime, which can make changes in your mind over time, or incorporate deep breathing strategies into your life. Five minutes of mindful breathing could be all you need to dampen down that fight-or-flight response.

Prioritizing and Learning How to Say “No”

If we feel like we need to escape from a situation, it’s likely because we didn’t create it. Setting limits on responsibilities can prevent us from taking on more than can be handled, which means we don’t succumb to overload. You can start treating yourself with compassion if you cannot change the situation, but you can also manage the feeling of being trapped by it, which stems from negative thinking. This negative approach can warp our perceptions of reality, because our brain cannot tell what is real and what is imagined, which is why we need to learn how to take control of our lives. Setting limits and saying no will instill more confidence, making us feel like we are in control of the situation.

When it’s all too much, we need to find a comprehensive strategy not just to reduce the stresses of the world, but when this is impossible, we need to learn the best coping mechanisms that work for us. If you feel like you need to escape, there’s always a little way to step outside of the stress.

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