ESCAPISM
THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE
How do you choose to relax?
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Redirecting the negatives
We practice distraction and escapism in all kinds of ways.
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But of course, too much escapism can turn into an unhealthy addiction. You can’t avoid your emotions altogether, sometimes you need to actually engage them, accept them, learn from them, and finally move on.
The power of healthy escapism.
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Instead of venting your negative emotions, sometimes it is better to just shift your awareness toward something completely different to allow yourself to “cool down” and temporarily forget about your troubles.
In many ways, this is the powerful role that entertainment plays in our lives. It is a way to escape from the stress, anxiety, and negativity of our everyday lives – and sometimes that is what we need to stay sane and healthy.
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In many ways, those little forms of escapism help keep you emotionally healthy and balanced.
When you feel completely overwhelmed by your emotions, sometimes the best strategy is to just walk away and do something else. Most of our emotions are temporary, if you wait them out they will often subside and lose their impact.
Fairy Tale Visual Meditation
Cottagecore
Cottagecore is an aesthetic - admiration of rural beauty.
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It was developed throughout the 2010s and received that name on Tumblr in 2018. It values traditional skills and crafts such as foraging, baking, and pottery, and is related to similar nostalgic aesthetic movements such as grandmacore, farmcore, goblincore, and faeriecore.
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Some sources describe cottagecore as a subculture of Millennials and Generation Z. Because this lifestyle can be adopted by virtually anyone, the cottagecore community is highly diverse.
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The ideas of cottagecore can help to satisfy for its proponents a desire for "an aspirational form of nostalgia" as well as an escape from many forms of stress and trauma.
The New York Times described it as a reaction to hustle culture and the advent of personal branding. The Guardian called it a "visual and lifestyle movement designed to fetishize the wholesome purity of the outdoors."
It emphasizes simplicity and the soft peacefulness of the pastoral life as an escape from the dangers of the modern world.
It became highly popular on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Adopters of cottagecore typically purchase second-hand or vintage furniture; they like to live slowly and spend more time for self-care. Those to adhere to this way of living avoid the use of electronic gadgets and read or watch the news less often.
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Similar aesthetics and ideals have a long cultural history. The ancient Greeks had seen the geographical Arcadia as a savage and inhospitable place but as the drawbacks of urban habitation became increasingly obvious they came to see an idealised Arcadia as a representation of an untainted rural life and spiritual haven.
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Pastoral escapism returned as a theme of the arts during the Renaissance through the fourteenth-century Italian poet Petrarch who was known for his hill-walking and gardening as well as his poetry.
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In eighteenth-century Europe, it was fashionable among nobles to build ornamental country houses in the style of rural villages. The Arts and Crafts movement of the nineteenth century was an approach to art, architecture, and design that embraced 'folk' styles and techniques as a critique of industrial production.
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I've added this here as one that really appeals to my soul. For me, it is a fashionable rehash of simple living.
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It speaks with beauty derived from nature and its essence speaks to me of another time and space forgotten in the urban modern era - escaping to nature to heal and feed the soul.
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I love the blending of realism with fantasy, and that's what this is. It's pretty snapshots of a world romanticised and shared on social media. A gentle reminder that we are human and can reconnect with a slower pace of life
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We all have something that speaks to us, helps us relax and unwind. These are tools for daydreaming and remembering to take time out.
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Healthy escapism includes working, daydreaming, travel, reading, art, hobbies, mediation, exercise, really anything that distracts oneself from life or lets the mind expand into a new realm. These sorts of activities are beneficial coping and relaxation methods that improve well being in the long term.
Moonlight Cottage ASMR
Psychological sensations (how you feel): deep and soothing feeling of relaxation, calmness, comfort, peacefulness, restfulness, or sleepiness.
ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is a relaxing, often sedative sensation. Also known as "brain massage."
ASMR Herbal Healer Hut. Flower Elixirs. Medieval Fantasy
ATMOSPHERIC ASMR
ASMR, Mindfulness, & Meditation are all helpful ways to relax. A key difference is that ASMR results from someone else paying attention to you, but Mindfulness & Meditation result from you paying attention to yourself. In other words, ASMR results from someone else being kind to you, but Mindfulness & Meditation result from you being kind to yourself.
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Relaxing Ambient Music
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