For these cases...when life happens, and the tricks you safely tucked away in your sleeve have failed you, and the complexity of the situation has wiped that once sly smirk clean off your face, you need something to escape to, something to take your mind of the stress and negativity of whatever you're dealing with, even if the relief is only momentary.
Activities that allow you to escape the exhausting stress of a situation doesn't help you run away from your problems. Rather, I'd argue that they serve as a more effective means of conquering that very same problem. An escape is a way to face your challenges in a gradual way. Diving headfirst into the deep end of a stressful situation is almost certainly a terrible idea. These sort of problems are never a quick fix, so a generous leap into the thick of it will only give you a headache. If you let the stress swallow you before you get a chance to clean up the mess, it's over. But if you have an escape; some sort of activity, or hobby that will help relieve you of some of the stress that life's situations may stack onto your conscious, you'll find that facing your fears and problems are less exhausting and more manageable then tackling your challenges without the help of such an activity.
I have several escapes, and I owe just about everything (including my sanity) to them. For me, things like skateboarding, and drawing, and simply producing creative content (whether it be making videos or writing this very blog post) all serve as a lifeline of calmness and familiarity to hold onto when everything else around me seems to be going to Hell.
I deal with what's on my mind by facing them head on while on my board, or while I draw. I believe it helps ground my perspective to think about what's bothering me while being involved in some sort of positive activity. It's sort of therapeutic really. Involve yourself with an activity you enjoy, then you will be free to ration your attention how you wish between the activity you are escaping with, and the situation you are gradually easing into. Doing this keeps your mind busy. Not too busy mind you, but just busy enough not to be overwhelmed with stress. Letting your mind entertain these problems while participating in an activity is a great way to ease yourself into finding a solution to your problem without overwhelming you with the entirety and complexity of it. Trying to deal with a stressful situation with no friends to talk to, and no escapes to turn to would be useless. I'd be overwhelmed by the complexity and would be too stunned to even begin actually dealing with my problem.
But with activities that allow me to escape on the other hand, entertaining my brain with thoughts about both the problem at hand, and the activity I am doing is stimulating. I'm able to problem solve and make progress with my situation when I'm thinking clear, and able to focus on my escape when things start to get too stressful. Alternating, and combining the two subjects keeps my perspective fresh, which will lead to breakthroughs that I would otherwise have missed with a stressed out state of mind.
It's all about keeping your conscious alert and clear. The less stress you have cluttering your mind, the better you will be able to think clearly, and form connections to solutions. Staying positive, and not letting stressful and draining situations get the best of you are hard to do, but I believe that the willingness to sport optimism, even when the situation seems unbearable, and arming yourself with a surplus of positive, mentally engaging activities, will go far in the fight to accept any challenge with the cunning grin you wear so well.
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