“No, we don’t need more sleep. It’s our souls that are tired, not our bodies. We need nature. We need freedom. We need truth. We don’t need more sleep; we need to wake up and live.”
“You miss 100% of the naps you don’t take.”
People everywhere are having a difficult time getting their ZZZ’s. Statistics show approximately 30% of adults have symptoms of insomnia, with 10% having insomnia that impacts their daily activities.
So, what seems to be the problem?
Most will say one word keeps them tossing & turning through the wee, small hours of the morning – ANXIETY!
That bleeping seven-letter word!!!
Sigmund Freud first used the term “anxiety neurosis” in 1895. Shockingly, Sigmund first believed sexuality was the issue. His views then shifted to, (queue Captain Obvious), repression and libido.
Eventually, he introduced a new theory — primary automatic anxiety, triggered by a traumatic situation in which the helpless ego is overwhelmed, and signals anxiety, which can be activated to respond to situations of danger as being imminent, so that defensive measures can be put into place to avoid it — fight or flight.
Freud made further contributions when he established that this response was triggered not just by physical threats but also by the psychological perception of threat.
Key word above is perception – it appears everyone believes universal unease is becoming more severe. Is this danger though or advanced worry? Certainly, as time has passed from Gen X to the Millennials onto Gen Z and Gen Alpha, each becomes more consumed with F.O.M.O., (Fear Of Missing Out). However, this phenomenon does not require fight or flight. It necessitates focus. The looming risk to our survival is not being caused by concern it is a byproduct of our foolishness.
Anxiety is a societal burden not an individual impediment. The aforementioned generations are accountable for much of this apprehension. We consistently develop and promote ways to divert attention. We pride ourselves on faux-followers, empty praise, inane emojis, futile connections, and the complete reduction of actual thought in favor of feeding our online addictions. We use the anonymity of our social presence to become who we vowed to silence – the bullies, intolerants, and energetically-erratic.
We then partake in the ritualistic examination of our online alter-egos as we lay our heads down to rest and are dumbfounded at our lack of successful slumber.
Directing attention to the reality we all need to stop making our phones, tablets, and laptops our bedmates is not an innovative approach. What is enigmatic is the lack of urgency we display in our desire to change our present course.
In order for us to partake in an afternoon snooze and to live with adventure, we must acknowledge what is keeping us up at night is not a mystery. It is a challenge. Perhaps we are up against our most formidable foe yet, our inability to confront this contagion directly.
While this opponent is far from easy to conquer, can we at least collectively make every effort to win, since the manos del destino – (hands of destiny) – have yet to be determined.
DID YOU KNOW? The Pear Tree Project will be recording our first Podcast 6.1.24. We will be sitting down with Kristin Aurelia from SHE Wise Publications (https://www.shewisepublications.com/podcast) to discuss TPTP. The episode will air on 6.11.24.
ok This one I will be rereading multiple times—– some many individual thoughts deserve Focus –but feel strongly something has to change in our daily lives SOON thank you good luck on the first and will listen on the 11th
Thank You!