It takes my mind off things. And, of course, there's the satisfaction of completing a project. We all have different ideas and motivations for scale modeling. Another might seek out kits that are fun to build. Or subjects that are unusual.
Some people like to go for the ultimate in detailing.
The beauty of scale modeling is all of these approaches are equally good. I think scale modeling is an art form, just like painting, sculpture, dance, or music. There are different approaches within these art forms, too. This is no difference between the guy who super details and his friend who builds four-foot models. People fail to recognize that building scale miniatures is an art form, but I guess that's the way life goes sometimes.