We have all experienced weird and wonderful dreams about many different things, but have you found yourself dreaming about work recently? According to a recent survey carried out by banner printing specialists instantprint, more of us than ever are dreaming about or having nightmares about work! Could this because we’re now working from home and we’re missing our colleagues? Or perhaps we’re more stressed about proving ourselves whilst operating from our home office?
Sweet dreams or work-related nightmares?
Although dreaming about work isn’t unusual, according to their findings, since March, 4 in 5 of us have visited the workplace whilst in the land of nod. More than half of us have been dreaming about work more often since the lockdowns started in 2020, with 75% of those surveyed reporting that they’ve been experiencing nightmares about work!
Is this because we have a heightened sense of stress with the restrictions and change of scenery? Or are we thinking of something else? It turns out these nightmares may have some real-life implications, with 1 in 5 of those surveyed actually thinking about quitting their job because of these bad dreams.
What exactly are we dreaming about?
Whether it’s a nightmare or something a little nicer, it may surprise you when you hear what people are actually dreaming about. The survey found that being unprepared for a task is one of the most common dream themes, with 17% of people having experienced this one. Among some of the other workplace nightmares that employees are having are never actually arriving (15%), getting trapped there (11%) and showing up late (11%).
According to Dr Sarah Jane Daly, “The pandemic has impacted on many people’s feelings of employment security and safety. Anxieties and concerns about potentially losing jobs and being unable to pay the rent/mortgage, putting food on the table, and paying for Christmas, trouble many on an almost daily basis.”
What can we do to stop our weird workplace dreams?
We don’t know how long we’re going to be working at home for, so if you’re struggling with sleep and dreams, here are some top tips on how you can reduce or even stop them from happening.
- To help you feel prepared for the day and not stressed, write a to-do list with all the things you need to complete that day
- If you’re anxious about being late, try timing how long it takes you to get ready on a morning. You might be underestimating how long it takes you to shower and get dressed for the day
- If you’re struggling with keeping your work and home life separate, which is especially challenging when working from home, try and keep distractions to a minimum and work in a different room (if possible) to where you get ready on a morning.
