Distractions Note

Distractions, good and bad, we all need them. Especially the good ones. Now a “good” distraction may sound unreal to some but it isn’t. A good distraction is anything that helps you escape reality and the things in the world that bring you down. Things to distract you from the negativity that can go around in the world. There are so many things that can act as distractions in this way. Something that brings you peace and lets you forget about the world, even if it is just for a short time. For myself I tend to turn to video games as a distraction. Although some may say that video games are a negative distraction and unproductive, it is video games that have gotten me through some of the toughest times. Whether it was just a short session after an argument to clear my mind or a longer one with friends after just an overall bad day or week. Video games get my mind away from the negativity and stress of the world. Once I picked up the controller or started up my PC it was like logging out of reality and logging into peace. Watching as my character moved around the screen killing off monsters or collecting gems and coins, focusing on the goal of the game and forgetting about the world outside the screen. Joining into parties filled with both friends and strangers, playing and talking for hours all enjoying our time escaping the world.

Once in high school with less time to play video games to distract myself I could feel my mental health begin to slip. So I sought out to find another distraction that could fill in for games. This ended up being sports which is one of the biggest escapes from reality for me. I could have been stressing about an entire day’s worth of homework but once I get to practice or a game it all goes away. I get away from everything and just focus on the task at hand, getting better at what I am doing or winning the game. This has been one of the best distractions since I got into it and although it may take up a lot of my time it's time well spent. 

Distractions are necessary. Although there may be some bad forms of distraction, in a lot of ways distractions can help. Escaping from reality through these distractions is something that all of us can benefit from. Distractions are therapy.