What are your anxiety dreams telling you?
Probably something you're anxious about!
So far in 2025 I’ve been digging into some fairly heady and serious topics around social media and cultural/political discourse in the extremely online era. This is engaging to think and write (and for you, hopefully read) about, but also a bit taxing, so today I’m shifting over to something that is still fairly heady but a lot more fun: recurring anxiety dreams!
For the most part, I don’t remember my dreams any longer than the first few minutes after waking up. The ones I do remember can only be called forth easily because I’ve had them so many times. Below I will recount the three most vivid ones along with some self psychoanalysis, both as a way to entertain and to encourage you to dive into the own depths of your anxiety dreams to sort out what the hell is the matter with you.
ANXIETY DREAM #1
I am an adult with a full-time job, and I have committed to a full summer of service as a counselor for the summer camp I attended as a teenager and later actually did work at.
Oh dear. I’ve overcommitted myself! I do not know how I will be able to balance both of these responsibilities and I refuse to tell either my employer or my camp that I won’t be able to fulfill the respective commitment, because I am so embarrassed to be in this predicament in the first place. So I…go to summer camp and work as a counselor even though I am in my thirties, and instead of sleeping in the cabin with my campers, every night I do my full-time job remotely. Eventually, perhaps due to a complete lack of sleep, my performance at camp and my regular job deteriorate and my double-booking is discovered to the great disappointment and disdain of all, especially myself.
Analysis: I hate letting people down and will suffer greatly in the attempt to avoid doing so.
ANXIETY DREAM #2
I score a prominent role in a play, but come opening night I haven’t memorized any of my lines.
Oops. Forgot to do the work altogether this time! Wish I could tell you if it’s a specific play—I’m pretty sure it’s different every time, maybe some Shakespeare here and some Wizard of Oz there—but that’s not really relevant. What is relevant is that nothing ever gets resolved. I’m mortified that I would sign up for such a public responsibility and completely forget to do any of the preparation necessary to pull it off. I don’t even like acting! I agonize as call time approaches and figure I’ll just improvise. As soon as the play begins, it’s clear I can’t do this, my heart almost explodes, and I wake up with all the stress and discomfort of this moment that has not actually happened.
Analysis: When I bite off more than I can chew, I refuse to admit it.
ANXIETY DREAM #3
It is the day of my college graduation, and as I make my way to the ceremony with my friends, I realize I never attended a course that was critical to earning my degree.
Holy shit. Am I going to have to stay in college for an extra year? How could I have missed this? I skipped every class for a course I needed to graduate? I’m usually so buttoned up! This doesn’t make any sense! And now my family is here to watch me shake hands with the dean and receive my diploma while wearing a stupid hat and I can’t even do that because I forgot. I forgot! I missed something important even though I pride myself on absolutely never doing that because it is not in my nature. Fuck!
Analysis: I am terrified that no matter how hard I try, I will always miss something important.
BONUS DREAM CONTENT (WITH REAL LIFE IMPLICATION)
I’m late to something (I hate being late)
I desperately need to pee but can’t find a bathroom (I need to pee)
A natural disaster is actively approaching, e.g. a tornado, but I can’t run (my legs are asleep)
People are speaking Russian (I understand and speak Russian)
I’m excited about my upcoming wedding (I love my fiancé and want to marry her)
Anyway. That was fun. Give it a try yourself.