Swimming against current
Working hard in water moving the other way — sustained effort applied against an actual force.
Swimming against current in a dream is the dream's image of sustained effort applied against a real force. The current does not care about your reasons; the work is honest, and either you are gaining ground or you are not. The dream brings the action when a project or position in your life is requiring continuous push against an actual external pressure — a market, a family, a convention. Swimming that is making slow progress is the dream telling you the effort, though hard, is the right effort. Swimming that is being washed downstream despite full effort is the dream noting that the current is stronger than your stroke and a different strategy is required.