Escape is the new 20

The thing I find the hardest about writing a blog entry on a frequent basis is how do I start it? Do my intros all sound the same? Anyway the thing I wanted to talk about is escaping. One of the things that is a requirement to help deal with anxiety is finding an activity that takes your mind off of your current worries/stress. Many people turn to drinking as a coping mechanism but I don't drink so I am unable to leverage that method although I crave a Killians now and again.

What I have found as my escape right now is RC Car racing. It works for me on a few levels. First it reminds me of being a kid when days were mostly worry free and I could do whatever I wanted. It also gives me something to tinker with and to think about. How do I want to upgrade the car or change my setup so it handles better on the track. When I show up to the track I have no concept of time. When I am racing for those intense moments I am completely concentrating on the race at hand. There is no stress about what I need to do the next day for work. I don't think about will I freak out driving home. All I can do is concentrate on driving and hopefully winning.

So how does my RC hobby/addiction benefit someone else. Well I can tell you it is important to find something to do. The first thing you want to do especially if you are feeling anxious and get up and do something. Go clean the garage or finally organize the closet. Distract your brain from what it is a constant flood of worries and scary thoughts. By giving your brain a break it helps relax you and helps make dealing with the pressures of anxiety a little easier.

See its all about breaking the anxiety snowball. First you have stress about something then you let that stress manifest into scary thoughts. Then those scary thoughts lead to other scary thoughts which lead to physical ailments which then lead to even more anxiety thus creating the circle of fun. Once the circle of fun is kicking up full speed its then hard to get motivated to do anything much less something that can help reduce your stress.

Finding the right escape for yourself is not a silver bullet but it will make things better. In my line of work we take a layered approach to solving issues. We have multiple mechanisms working together so if one fails another can pick up and ensure the mission gets accomplished. You have to eat right, you have to exercise, and you need to find a way to give your brain a break. These things combined with getting some sleep will give you extra gas in the tank when dealing with anxiety,