Top Ways to Escape Reality and Relax

I agree with this. I go on vacation for fun, not for release. That becomes a release in and of itself though. I want to experience life, get the most out of it. That’s what my vacations are for. But to relax, I find my little nuances at home (literally at home, or out and about in my city). I don’t find a vacation relaxes you, because you have to come back to your hectic lifestyle and nothing changes. Relaxation is something that should be done daily or weekly. Not just a 2 week sprint once or twice a year. My 2 cents :)

I love the idea of taking a vacation, but I’ve not taken a vacation since the Clinton administration and honestly I wonder if I even know how. It’s like I’ve been hanging on a rope for 20 years; even if I could let go, I’m not even sure how to open my hand. How do workaholic knots of pent-up stress and exhaustion break the cycle? Is it as simple as getting away? Are there ways of optimizing a vacation for mental health and stress relief? Is there any psychological study into vacationing for the purpose of recharging mentally and emotionally?

Not that I know any more than the next guy, but I recommend looking at relaxation as an active goal more than an “escape”. It’s about the presence of positive experiences, not the absence of negative ones. You can also keep it small - think of something you like, think of a place that’s REALLY good for doing that thing you like, and go there for a three day weekend. Work will be there when you get back.

Yep, whatever could go wrong will go wrong. Like I said, my car has been broken into despite there not being anything of value in plain view. These things happen. And because these things happen, you should plan for the fact that they can and will happen. So...

Yes, great list! Oh my gosh, a good book and camping. Heaven. right. there. I feel sorry for people who don’t read, truly. And those who don’t appreciate living in the wilderness for a few days. Aaah ... total rejuvenation. And then there’s a good swim, or a nice long run. All the good things that I just can’t live without

I recently tried floating as a way to relax and escape my stressful life/job. Had heard comedian, podcaster, UFC announcer Joe Rogan talking about how amazing it is and I have to agree. Essentially you are in a sensory deprivation tank filled with water that’s heated to 98.6 degrees and has 900 pounds of epsom salt which causes you to float. Water temp means you can’t tell where your skin ends and water begins, giving your brain the sensation your floating. Paired with some meditation breathing exercises I emerged from the tank feeling great, both physically and mentally. Places with float tanks certainly aren’t everywhere, but if you live within the vacinity of somewhere that offers I suggest trying it out. One word of caution. If claustrophobic I could see not liking floating due to the tank you’re inside. Otherwise give it a shot and if nothing else you’ll end up with a interesting experience.

Great list! I’d like to add stretching! There are plenty of videos online. You’ll be surprised what a little stretching can do to uplift your mood.

Sing Street was terrific fun. Shout-out for “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” as well.

I also loved Hunt for the Wilderpeople!

Just do it! (I’m not being flippant) Don’t make a big deal about it, just get away, spend sometime doing something you enjoy, read a book (start with The Tao Te Ching), relax, get a little exercise.

Try tacking on an extra day to the weekend. I’m assuming you take weekends or other days off every week. If not, start with a regular weekend and just head out of town. I knew someone who lived a few hours drive from the beach. He’d leave work after rush hour died down on a Friday night and drive to the beach. Watch the sun come up, grab some breakfast and lay out on the beach. Check into a motel in the early afternoon for some quality sleep. Go back out to the beach to watch the sunset. Have a seafood dinner somewhere. Sack out again that night at the motel and head home the next day. The simple act of driving away from the office and finding yourself in a totally different environment by sunup untangles your mind from the chaos of the usual grind.

Hiking and camping are great but nature can be more accessible. Drive to a park in your area, leave your phone in the car, go sit on a bench, and watch nature. If you want to be adventurous, bring some seeds to scatter for the birds and squirrels.

Oh man, that’s horrible advice! Leaving your phone in the car is just asking to have your car burgled. :(

Although apparently car companies are working on a startling new security technology called “a glovebox”.

Right, right. So presumably you’re constantly returning to your car to find the windows smashed and the glovebox jemmied open on the off-chance that there was something inside it. Or...did you have in mind some radical new technology that allows thieves to detect phones that have been left inside gloveboxes? You should post an article on it.

That would be a reasonable response if your original post had said: “That’s horrible advice! If your car gets burgled you’ll lose it!” In other words, “Cars are broken in to all the time, so don’t leave anything valuable in them!” However, what you actually wrote was: “That’s horrible advice! Leaving your phone in the car is just asking to have your car burgled.” In other words, “If you leave your phone in the car, the chances of it being broken into increase!” And that claim simply isn’t justified. TL;DR: Your logic is flawed. Leaving a phone in your car only increases the chance of a break-in if the phone is lying in plain sight.

Well, no, I just explained why your original post made no sense. If you can’t understand why that is, it isn’t my fault.

Yes, actually. I work in downtown Houston. My car has been broken into nine times in twelve years. After the third time I started leaving my doors unlocked just so they’d stop breaking my windows (though on the sixth time the presumably-male douchebag broke the window anyway). I leave nothing I care about in my vehicle, not even loose change in the cupholder. TL;DR: The original point is to not leave anything of value in a car. If you don’t value a $400+ phone, then by all means, leave it in your car.

Well, no, if you can’t understand why my original post made sense, then that isn’t my fault. We’re just going to have to agree to disagree.

No, that suggests that there is something subjective about the debate. There isn’t. Any reasonable person would have interpreted this: “Leaving your phone in the car is just asking to have your car burgled.” ...to mean: “Leaving your phone in the car will increase the chances of your car being burgled.” If you DIDN’T mean that, you most certainly should not have used such a misleading turn of phrase. If you DID mean it, the only way this makes sense is if a thief knows that the phone has been left in the car. Unless you leave the phone in plain view, this clearly isn’t going to be the case.

Okay, let’s put it this way since it seems to be a difficult concept for you. If you have no valuables in your car, can anything of value be taken? No? So if you leave your phone in your car, is that exposing yourself to the possibility that it can be taken? Yes? So you should not leave stuff of value in your car? Yes? TL;DR: We will agree to disagree.

I honestly think you’re the very first person I’ve met on the internet that is completely unfamiliar with the concept of Murphy’s Law. I don’t know what to think about that. TL;DR: We’ll agree to disagree.

Yes. Murphy’s Law. You’re asking to get burglarized if you open yourself up to the possibility. Really sir, I understand. You’re unfamiliar with the concept and that’s perfectly okay. It’s even okay to get upset when someone points out you gave bad advice. It happens. :) TL;DR: Don’t leave your valuables in the car. We will agree to disagree.

If it were true that anything that could go wrong, would go wrong, you would have your car broken into regardless of what is inside it. You could use identical logic to justify not leaving a nickel in the glove box of your car, and admonish earnestly anybody who did so. This would be very stupid reasoning indeed, and mark you out as a jabbering, mungo-headed simpleton. I admire your spirit, Claire, and your ego, but your analytical skills are not strong.

Another great one, get out in your yard/porch/roof/outdoor space and do some gardening. Even inside! Go find a big glass jar at your nearest hobby mart and make a terrarium! Working with plants puts me at peace like almost no other thing.

Don’t read anything that takes an electronic device to display it Don’t interact with anyone using anything that requires you type on a keyboard Don’t watch anything on TV Actually leave your home and go outside to a place that doesn’t have a TV or an Internet Connection Eat something decadent and don’t worry about the ozone, the whales, the tuna fish, climate change, sugar, caffeine. Best of all do it all with someone who you care about - but don’t talk about current events, politics, religion, sports, or anything except your lives together and your future hopes/dreams. Something the matters instead of what hot or controversial for the next days .. but in the full scheme of things does not matter at all.

I will say that once you’ve learned and dove into your own honest-to-goodness coding/programming project, you truly will feel like you’re in an alternate reality. I mean this, because you actually get an idea how stuff you use everyday is actually built. It’s pretty rewarding too.

And will continue to do...so get a grip, put on your big boy pants, and stop being whiney and forcing political junk into every article. I don’t come here for your political views. Frankly, don’t care about that.

Yeah, not sure how you’re so sure he’s making a political commentary there. Seemed more of a general statement.

Everything is “political” when you’re an idiot though. Hence the proliferation of the “forced agenda” in everything from breakfast cereal, to cartoons, to clothings, to fast food, etc etc.