I don't think one can escape stress or one's problems effectively. What I do is try to pair whatever with an activity of the opposite kind (no stress, "easy"/fun/enjoyable) and work on the stress or problem that way rather than separate myself from it. I figure out what is stressing me and either rest in it, do something specific about it, or explore it from a safer surround sound environment

My environment of choice is reading or working on the Internet. I read novels similar to those of my problems, specifically so the problems will be triggered but I will also have the "excuse" of knowing that "I'm only reading" and the example of the characters in the book (who always eventually find solutions (so, so can I?)).

Sometimes when I'm stressed by something specific, I blog about it and what I "should" (but haven't for whatever reason) do about it. Being aware I have a problem I am not taking care of helps lower the stress of the unknown for me. It has taken me almost 5 days but I finally got my bedroom dusted (first "real" time in 5-6 years) and now feel good when I go up to bed (that there are not dust bunnies hanging from the ceiling, ready to drop in my mouth as I sleep :-) I've been "going to" clean up my second bedroom for months, even a year or two now and do occasionally get one or two things done in there but. . . Talking about it at least gives me the illusion that eventually something will get done and keeps the stress to a bearable level.

Most fear, pain, bad feelings that I want to "escape" from seem to me to be because they are ignored or I'm trying to run from them in the first place. Stopping and acknowledging exactly what they are, listing them, even without intention of doing anything about them right away, gives me a rest.