Friday, March 12, 2010

Do Professionals Have Work Anxiety Dreams?

Woke up this morning almost as exhausted as I was when I went to bed. I had one of those dreams where my work had incringed onto my home life. I was living in an old farmhouse that was filthy and in need of many repairs, and I was hand washing my work uniforms. A customer had just dropped off a "gift" of eight golden retrievers and the grocery store that I work for now had purchased my home and added a grocery store on the side of it. A door in the kitchen opened directly into the checkout area of the store.

I walked through the door and a customer complained that we didn't have the product advertised. I offered her a rain check but she didn't want one and had wandered off. I went back into my home and there she was. There was no lock on the door. She went into my kitchen and washed her hands. When she came out she handed me my range hood and said when she pulled on the paper towel dispenser which was attached the whole thing came out. I gently reminded her that the grocery store was on the other side of the building and this part was my house. I was still trying to guide her out of the house when I woke up.

I often do have these weird mixed dreams that feature bits of my work mangled together. One night I worked at a fruit stand/gas station/department store/hotel and had to work the entire thing by myself. My question today, is does everyone have this sort of dream or is it only the ones who are dissatisfied with their lot in life. If you completed all of your education and landed your dream job, make enough money to live comfortably, and are basically happy do you still occasionally have these dreams?

2 comments:

  1. I suppose I'd be considered a professional now, though I usually associate that with doctors, lawyers, etc. You know, white collar professionals. Well regardless, I most certainly still have those dreams. Then again, you specify the groups being happy vs. dissatisfied in their lives and I'm still in various stages of transition so ... maybe I don't qualify at all. :)

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  2. Hi--came here via Frugal Scholar. Sorry so late!

    When I was a server, I used to have waitressing dreams ALL THE TIME (you know, 15 tables of 10, and I'm the only waitstaff in sight!). Later, when I was in graduate school, I had teaching dreams (I would turn to face the blackboard, and find out that a full lecture hall was there to see me teach calculus, when I haven't had math since high school!). Boy.

    Now, with a Ph.D. and self-employed, I sometimes have insomnia and lie awake worrying, but I am happy and feel basically in charge--so no more nail-chewing anxiety dreams :-)

    XO Velma

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