Fantasy has a reputation of being whimsical and many think of dragons or magic when they hear the word, but it’s not just a fun way to kill time. It can be far more useful. Fantasy, in small doses, can be known to lower stress. According to the Psyhologer, “Fantasy can serve as an escape from the pressures of everyday life, providing a mental break that can help reduce stress and anxiety.” It can also act in favor of mood enhancement and increase empathy.
Fantasy can be used as a coping mechanism to help people deal with difficult feelings and situations. Emotional regulation, too, is something fantasy can help as people can practice emotional regulation without real-world consequences. That being said, in too large a dose, it can contribute to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and chronic overthinking. It should not be used in place of professional mental help.
The genre remains one of the top ones people read after fiction and history books. It can be used to tell complex stories and provide interpretive insight into larger topics in a way readers can better understand and digest; allowing for a broad spectrum of self-expression. That expression bleeds into other genres as well, since fantasy usually is coupled with another genre such as a fantasy-romance or fantasy-mystery. These genres act as creative outlets for our emotions and anything else we want to communicate.
As Forbes states, “It is important to be authentic and express your feelings constructively. Doing this builds fulfilling communications.” They also note there are three main ways in which we communicate: body language, tone of voice, and words. While books don’t really use body language, words and tone of voice are definitely used. Effectively building communication skills can also reduce stress or anxiety and help overall mental health. While fantasy books can be a good way to express or communicate larger ideas or critiques to a mass audience; they also get those thoughts out there instead of keeping them bottled up.
So, the next time you pick up a fantasy book, think about what the author is trying to get across to the reader. What’s the story within the story? How are you using fantasy as the reader? Is it simply just to pass time or are you subconsciously looking to express something vicariously through the book? After you read, pay attention to your stress levels. Did they go down? Even your brain needs a break every once and a while.
- Robyn McCullah
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