All The Things

All the things keeping me awake at night …

were my friend’s words as they described their tiredness.

Ah yes, all the things. A relatable scenario for many of us.

There’s a name for that, I offered: nighthawks.

John Koenig, in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, describes this as ‘a recurring thought that only seems to strike you late at night — an overdue task, a nagging guilt, a looming future — which you sometimes manage to forget for weeks, only to feel it land on your shoulder once again, quietly building a nest.’

When multiple nighthawks land it can make life tricky. Of course, there are multiple tactics to manage, and perhaps avoid, these. Meditation, journalling, to-do lists, gratitude practices, sleep rituals are just a few.

And, sometimes, much like acknowledging the uncontrollable nature of nature itself, we might just notice and accept the nighthawk’s presence, don’t you agree?!

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