Last night my brain was working overtime, which meant I'm guzzling the coffee while my animals get the contented rest I completely missed out on last night.
You would think, with all the Halloween movies and spooky stuff around that my nightmares would be surrounding some kind of ghost or murder spree at a sleep-a-way camp. Nope. What kept waking me up last night was a nightmare about a Groundhog Day style airport loop.
Do you ever feel like you're constantly behind? On track to get absolutely nothing done and failing those around you so incredibly that you wonder why you are allowed to label yourself an adult?
That's where my worst dreams come into play. It's always some high stress situation. Like a school day where I forget where I'm supposed to be. (I hated school. I was good at it, but I hated it.) Or if I'm trying to make dozens of important meetings.
Well, last night it was all about catching flights. The airport was my loop of hell.
I was running late from leaving the rental home. This consisted of throwing things in a suitcase without any organization, and knowing we were seconds away from missing our flights. I threw things away without really looking at them because I needed to get everyone out the door and out before we got in trouble.
I have had a few trips where I flat out left things in the trash I didn't have room for. I've abandoned shoes so I'd have room for books from a conference before. Priorities.
Back to my dream. We were so far behind, even if we'd left something important, it was way better than missing the plane. We didn't have time to fold, or sort, or plan.
I was chasing everyone around and sure enough, I hear that the flight we need to be on is boarding.
Because of course we have golf carts in the airports. There was a golf cart lane in my dream. Wouldn't that be awesome?
But just as we were pulling up, the plane was backing away from the gate. We'd missed the flight.
I was late, and letting everyone down, and instead of coming up with a solution afterward, I just had to fail over and over and over again.
Then my cat woke me up by walking on top of me. I pushed kitty to the side, but hubby was snoring, and my heart was still racing from the seemingly endless stress from the dream loop.
There was no falling back asleep. I didn't want the loop to start over again.
So here I am telling you about it on my blog, because I can still feel the stress hitting the back of my neck where there's just a little extra tension. I can feel my teeth are sore from grinding them together last night. And I can feel the fog, that waking up at 3am causes.
I see a nap in my future, but I need to watch something to take my mind off of it.
I've journaled, meditated, and zoned out to some kick-ass planner babe videos on YouTube already.
What is your go-to destress technique? I'd love to hear it. Because if I try to nap and I'm back at that damn airport, I might just throw something across the room.
~Roxy