Dreams about work after retirement.

[Redbugdave]

Retired almost two years, now. Very rarely I will have a work dream. They are not anything like a nightmare. But they are always unpleasant. I think it is a normal thing to have dreams like that since work involved most of our lives. Sometimes it is good to relive some of those feelings since it is a reminder about how good life really is, now.

[tfudtuckerpucker]

For the first year after I retired, I used to have a recurring dream that I was at work, but for some reason I was working without pay. It wasn't clear to me why I was working for free, but it seemed I had been doing so for quite some time. I dunno, maybe it means something. Glad I stopped having that dream.

I read that someday you will be able to record your dreams, and then go back and watch them. Not sure I would want to do that. Am I the only one who seems to only have wacko dreams?

[O2Bfree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfudtuckerpucker For the first year after I retired, I used to have a recurring dream that I was at work, but for some reason I was working without pay. It wasn't clear to me why I was working for free, but it seemed I had been doing so for quite some time.

I worked at my family's restaurant from about age 8 until 20, and sometimes I dream that, too, that I'd never been paid for it. In my dream I get angry about it, feelings that I think stem from having to work on Saturday mornings as a kid, instead of getting to stay home and watch cartoons.

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by O2Bfree I worked at my family's restaurant from about age 8 until 20, and sometimes I dream that, too, that I'd never been paid for it. In my dream I get angry about it, feelings that I think stem from having to work on Saturday mornings as a kid, instead of getting to stay home and watch cartoons.

YES! And that was the only time they had cartoons- Saturday mornings! And my dad would catch us gathered around the TV to watch the measly one or two black and white channels that had cartoons, and be irritated and turn off the tv make us go outside and work in the yard. I recall the anguish!

[mickeyd]

When I was w**king full time I do not recall having any "w**k dreams" but after I retired I had a part-time j*b for a short while doing a mindless repetitive task that I was not good at but determined to master. I recall having several unpleasant dreams about that short period of my life. After I quit, no more dreams.

[My Dream]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

I guess it's all relative, some people feel they have a very stressful job in that if they make a mistake they can easily get reprimanded. To them that's stress, to others, making a mistake can cost them there job and they'd be happy with a reprimanded instead. In my case I would go to meetings where they would threaten any contractor that would prevent a establishment such as a 800 million dollar Casino from opening, with a million dollar per day penalty. To me, I'd rather get reprimanded or even loose my job than have to deal with that when I knew the Casino may be delayed one week because I wouldn't be ready........... due to not receiving my materials in time.

In the end, I knew that I had insurance and yes even though I may loose my job, I still had my health, but it doesn't make it any less stressful. Luckily the pay was great and it gave me the opportunity to retire early, although it would be nice if I could stop these bad dreams.

Thanks again everyone and Merry Christmas.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfudtuckerpucker YES! And that was the only time they had cartoons- Saturday mornings! And my dad would catch us gathered around the TV to watch the measly one or two black and white channels that had cartoons, and be irritated and turn off the tv make us go outside and work in the yard. I recall the anguish!

I too, was abused and maltreated in this fashion.

[Teacher Terry]

I have been retired almost 4 years and rarely dream about work. When I do they are weird but not a nightmare. I think that work really took a toll on your psyche.

[6miths]

Not dreaming of work very often which is good. Am dreaming since retiring as am finally getting regular and appropriate amounts of sleep. My stress dream used to be of delivering papers on my morning paper route which I had from Grade 5 to 8. Left a definite impression obviously!

[robnplunder]

I was having bad dreams (starring my sociopath boss, and psychopathic co-worker) before I finally decided to stop OMY. The frequency of the dreams was increasing while I was still working. No doubt that after today (my last day at work), the bad dreams will continue for a while. Eventually, the frequency will decrease, and the severity of it as well.

I had bad dreams early in my life which eventually went away after 25 years. Toward the end of 25 years, the nightmarishness of the dreams was also softening.

[ejman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfudtuckerpucker For the first year after I retired, I used to have a recurring dream that I was at work, but for some reason I was working without pay. It wasn't clear to me why I was working for free, but it seemed I had been doing so for quite some time. I dunno, maybe it means something. Glad I stopped having that dream. I read that someday you will be able to record your dreams, and then go back and watch them. Not sure I would want to do that. Am I the only one who seems to only have wacko dreams?

That rang a bell. I didn't have any work related dreams for many years after ER (been ER'd for 13 years). The last few months for some reason I started having a recurring dream that I was at my old job and I was not getting paid and I had to go to all kinds of hassles and hoops to get paid - it was a mountain of bureaucracy and trouble and a total nail bitter whether I would get paid or not.

Weird thing about it, I never had any trouble getting a very nice paycheck during my working career. I have no idea where that dream comes from. Maybe I'm just feeling guilty for getting paid very well. I don't like the dream though - it leaves me unsettled when I wake up.

[swakyaby]

Threatened with a million dollars a DAY? Sounds like PTSD to me! I rarely recall having dreams about my work, and the rare ones I do recall are very benign and kinda boring. And I don't consider my job boring. Not sure why I even had the dream.

On the other hand, my dreams about college are vivid and get my heart pounding, usually running frantically around campus looking for the building for the final exam, or believing that I had forgotten to attend nearly all lectures for a particular class. I had many anxious dreams about this for 20 years. I'm pretty sure this relates to performance anxiety and feeling ill-prepared.