What do you do all day?

Eliza_2

I'm not sure whether to ask this on here or on an unemployment thread as the question would be the same! I recently gave up working full time and now work part time for a charity from home. - I suppose I sort of consider myself semi-retired. But the work is so flexible I find I have a huge amount of time on my hands now I'm not commuting to a full time post. And have no idea what to do with it.

When I was thinking about giving up, I thought I'd have so much time to do what I wanted, and now I have the time, but no idea what I want to do with it! It made me realise I have no hobbies, I don't feel passionate about anything enough to want to pursue an interest, crafting etc leaves me cold. I've done a couple of nightclasses but found on the whole they were poor value for money.

I have about enough money, but am pretty frugal. As well as the small job I do some voluntary work but sometimes that feels a bit of a chore (I know, I'm so selfish!) and also have grandchildren who I have in the holidays and elderlies to visit (afar)

But on a day to day basis, well what do other people do? I've tried to get a routine organised, thinking that would help, so get up at 7, breakfast, shower etc done by 8, check and reply to emails for my job that might have come in overnight, check bbc news and a few other sites, but then what.....................- it's not even 9 yet and normally I'd be settling at my desk with a coffee for a gentle start to my working day.

I really need others to tell me what they do on a routine basis please - otherwise I might as well go back to full time work and commuting again!

TiddlyPom

Morning routine. A little sleep in. Copious cups of tea whilst checking emails, Facebook, playing online Scrabble and checking out various sites and blogs.
Late morning. Go out if I need to otherwise tend to deal with washing up/washing.
Afternoon. Reading and pottering around the house or garden. Otherwise visit with/lunch out with friends, maybe take in a film or a visit to theatre (matinees are cheaper).
Evening. Watching TV while knitting, sewing etc.
It's a quiet life and sometimes a little bit unfulfilling.

[Deleted User]

omg such a lot is crammed into my day. At the moment it is mainly re- vamping and clearing as I am a recent widow. So much to do and not enough hours and I get up at 6 to 6.30 every day

Hobbies are wood carving, sewing, spinning yarn, weaving, knitting. Essentials are house maintenance, garden front and back and allotment. Reading, making food, washing, cleaning. If I get bored then I go out somewhere but really I am never bored. Fitness class, spinning group, carving group, village activities. Sourdough bread making by hand, I keep thinking of things

Eliza_2

Gosh thank you both of you, such interesting and speedy replies. Do you both live on your own? It sounds as though you do, as I do. (Separated for countless years!)

Kittie I'm so sorry to hear of your recent loss. Yes I do the essential stuff too, house maintenance, decorating, cleaning, washing, cooking, car maintenance etc - but as I'm on my own how much of that is there really to do? I cook from scratch, as I have always done, but it doesn't take long even on a freezer-feeding day. I used to make bread when the kids were at home, and interestingly always had sourdough going in the airing cupboard but who eats it? One person doesn't eat a lot of bread. I also have a large garden with veg patch, chickens, - again when my kids were little I had an allotment, but what do you do with all the produce? Even my relatively small veg patch produces far more than I can eat or give away and tbh, I'm thinking of growing flowers instead next year as veg are cheap to buy anyway. All of those kinds of things are just what I've done to keep a family going anyway - ordinary. Nothing that special.

I do admire your range of hobbies kittie, I needed some time to 'stand and stare' after just reading that list!!! I'm involved in village activities too but it's what I've always done, and I did think this semi-retirement would be different. I'm never bored though, and probably the only thing that's 'different' is that I'm reading far more - no tv.

Having written this down, I sort of feel I do do quite a bit. But I have so much free time still, as I said, all this stuff is routine, and fits into my day without using much time up. I suppose I feel like some men used to feel in the 'old days' when they didn't know what to do with the day when they retired at 65. Gosh I'm so pathetic - and actually very ungrateful too!!!

enthusiasticsaver

I work part time and on my days off I always do a fitness class, fit in an hour or so shopping or housework, laundry. I arrange to see friends or visit my daughter and new baby granddaughter, take my mum and stepdad out for the day or out with OH if he is not working.


I also have hobbies like cycling, walking, reading, gardening, playing the piano or going to the spa or gym. I never seem to get bored anyway. Hope you adjust to your new working pattern quickly.

[Deleted User]

oh I forgot. I have bought a fab piano accordion and have just started learning that. You sound busy enough Eliza, you just seem to have a bit of emptiness in your post

pollypenny

U3A various sessions during the month, tai chi once a week, lunch with friends, walks, reading and fitting in a bit of domestic stuff, as and when I feel like.

lessonlearned

I too am a (fairly recent) widow. 15 months now.

Like Kittie I run out hours to do everything I want to do, either that or I run out of steam and just collapse in a heap.......:rotfl:

I feel that in some ways I have "lost" 10 years of my life, caring for my poorly husband and then dealing with both his and my mums recent deaths.

I have loads of things on my "want to try" list. I'm 64 - so I had better get a move on. I feel the need to make up for lost time.

my next big "project" is a nice long holiday, haven't had one for 10 years, so this is a biggie, 33 day cruise round the Caribbean. the first ho.iday on my own - ever!!! I often travelled with work but always went on holiday with others, so going alone is a huge step for me.....im a tad nervous but I'm sure I'll be ok. It's just taking the plunge that's the hard bit.

After that it will be Christmas and then, in the new year, I need to start househunting.

Here's just a few things on my "bucket list"

Learn Spanish and Italian - I hAve a smattering of both but want to be more proficient.

Learn to play keyboards. My sons bought me one but haven't had time to make a start yet.

Take up dancing - need to lose more weight first - Baby elephants don't make Very elegant dancers.:rotfl:

Rejoin the choir and maybe get involved in Amateur Dramatics.

Go back to volunteering in the charity shop.

Revisit my little sideline antique and BRIC a Brac business, it won't make me a fortune but it's a nice little hobby business.

Travel and just generally get out more. Next year I will rejoin the Natty Trust.

Ive. just bought a senior railcard so aiming for a few weekends in London, to hit the museums and art galleries, see a show, a bit of shopping.

In the meantime, I like to read, go to the cinema, lunch with friends, gardening. For the past year or so I have been helping my sons renovate their houses, still working on them. Then of course there will be own house to do. I just seem to be busy most of the time.

I really need a 36 hour day.

Eliza_2

Thank you to everyone for kick starting my thinking on this. I think really that TiddlyPom hit the nail on the head talking about things being fulfilling. Something I do might be 'everyday' to me whereas to someone else it might be a fulfilling task in itself, and of course, vice versa - fortunately we're all different. After becoming semi retired I went on a camping holiday on my own, it posed lots of challenges but I totally loved it. I had been to the same place with others before, but when you're with someone else you're always looking out for places they might enjoy visiting or things they might like to do, so going back there on my own was a totally different (and again selfish!!) experience! Great!

Lots of people do things with other people and I'm not a very social animal and am at long last learning to accept that. I've decided that I'm going to have a day out every week (and have this morning joined English Heritage) and have made a few other plans too. However I'm aware that it's nearly 11 and I haven't done anything very fulfilling yet with my day. I do need to plan a routine or I'll potter about doing nothing much. Such a waste - if I'm lucky I've got 20-30 years ahead of me yet so need to get going with life at last!!!!:T

Thanks again for the ideas.

grunnie

What do I do all day? I am very busy and never bored. I love to read and a present of a kindle just encouraged me more. I wake up very early each day - always did but now I have a cup of tea and a leisurely read of the paper do the crossword, word code and Sudoku before I make breakfast and wash and dress. When I retired 11 years ago I joined the WRI the Woman's Guild attached to our church the Travel club and also the local over 50s club. The 50+ have a walking group a keep fit group and go on day trips and holidays. I have a day out every Wednesday don't know why I chose that day it just happened. I meet up with friends every Friday morning for a coffee- this we have been doing for 11 years and we also go for weekends away together and meals out. Every Saturday I go to a coffee morning if there is one on. This morning I was at a car boot and had a cup of tea and a pancake. Going to an art display by a local group this afternoon and then church again at night. I also have a large house( did think of downsizing but can't be bothered ) and have a huge garden. I grow 10 types of potatoes carrots turnips parsnips kale rasps strawberries black red and also white currants beans peas have 3 apple tress a pear and also a plum tree. I go to loads of things and my friends are horrified that I go to the cinema all alone. ( nobody to share my popcorn with). My 3 sons are all grown up and married and nowhere near at hand so I don't see my grandchildren all that often. Oh and did I say I spend ages on MSE haha!

[Deleted User]

Today: up at 6.30, breakfast, dress, allotment to hoe and plant shallots and garlic and pick raspberries and put more compost in the hotbin. Back at 10, washing ready and hung, real nespresso coffee and the archers, 10.30 start house file paperwork, maintenance stuff, tradesmen etc. Solid to 12.15. Lunch was cooked all in one in my rice cooker, rice quinoa, soya sausage, broccoli spears, small pud and my daily choc plus herb tea.

More paperwork this pm, house and personal stuff that I would grab in an emergency. A little more sewing room straightening after that. Then nothing just reading while the pellet stove fires up at 3 for the hot water, maybe a dvd, or a film on my fire tablet sitting in a recliner with my feet up, maybe a g and t and I`ll enjoy that break as I will feel that today was a positive day and I have achieved a lot which will contribute to my future well being. I like something which I call `positive` every day, it is uplifting. Cleaning isn`t one of those, just a necessity