Our dream embers have been lit. There’s a whole lot of dreamin’ going on.
Notice a lot of chatter about dreams these days? The topic’s coming up quite a bit. Newspapers, magazines and social feeds are spilling about the content of our dreams, and there’s a fair share of Coronavirus themes happening. Seems we’re in the midst of a global REM rebound!
For many, their morning routine’s been completely altered. No longer being jolted awake by the alarm clock and racing to get out the door, it’s now possible to sleep longer and ease into the day. We’re collectively getting more Zzz’s and our dreams are mightily pleased.
When you miss two or more hours of sleep per night (an unfortunately common thing to do), you give up the dream-fortified portion of slumber. Only after five hours of sleep does Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep kick into full gear. Cut your sleep short and you’ll end up dream deprived.
Our sleepless society’s been skipping out on dreamtime for quite a while. Now, having hit the snooze button on life-as-usual, our dreams have made their comeback.
“Who invited you?” one may ask of their dreams. “And please go away if you would!”
Dreams make for unwelcomed company, when they feel scary or upsetting — which has been the norm during this pandemic. But even scary dreams have an important role to play for our wellbeing.
Anxiety and fear can become debilitating to a person’s ability to succeed in life. By placing us in our worst-fear-scenarios, our dreams are helping us become more capable of handling whatever it is we’re facing. Dream research has illustrated this time and again. Dreaming downregulates negative emotions (essentially desensitizing us), so we’re better equipped to deal with things in the morning.
We’re facing a situation that none of us have ever experienced before, and it’s ripe with reasons for worry. With disruption, distress and doubts ruling the day, it stands to reason that anxiety is raging through our dreamscapes.
It can be calming to hold an awareness that scary dreams have a beneficial purpose. Rather than be concerned by them, you can align yourself with them. After all, they’re focused entirely on you… your ability to learn, to grow, and to thrive. By paying attention to your dreams, you get to help them help you.
So, if your dreams have been vying for your attention, why not welcome them in for a while? Unpack that dream luggage… spread it all out and explore the stories and symbology your dreams are carrying around. You just may discover that they hold an inspiration or breakthrough for you.
For ideas on how you can forge a greater relationship with your dreams, click on over to: 3 KEYS TO A DREAM RELATIONSHIP.
Wishing you wellness and sweetest dreams,
