When Morning Anxiety Quietly Takes Over A Strange Kind of Absence The morning began slowly, wrapped in fog that still lingered between the trees across the road. The sun was already somewhere behind it, trying to break through, but everything outside still looked pale, soft, and half asleep. I had woken up slightly too late for my liking. Not terribly late. Just late enough for that unpleasant thought to immediately appear: "You are already behind." I lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling. I had actually slept fairly well, although I woke up several times during the night. Still, compared to some periods in my life, this counted as decent sleep. Then the brain started. "You need to get outside before it becomes too hot. The flowers need watering. The fan still needs repairing. You forgot to answer that message yesterday. You should really stop postponing things." Within ten seconds, my mind already felt crowded. Coffee, Cigarettes, and Noise ...