I like this being retired lark but.......

It's taken ages to get used to having days when you don't have to answer to anyone, it does matter what time you start or finish or even what time you go to bed because you aren't worried about work the next day. I still get up reasonably early and some days there aren't enough hours in the day. I have to watch out that I don't over compensate and fill all of my time with stuff otherwise I'm cross there is no relaxing time! What funny creatures we are. I'm just about to start volunteering with first time pregnant parents as I feel I want to keep in touch with reality and something that's a regular commitment.

Good point. Its the "getting going" that's the problem, not necessarily the getting up
When I was younger I used to sometimes set my alarm on days off, just for the sheer bliss of being able to turn it off and snuggle back down.

I actually quite like waking early and appreciating that I'm not having to get going early. I'm never downstairs much before 8.30 unless there is a reason for it. I am showered and dressed by then though.

When I get to 68, I'm really looking forward to waking up in my own time. I'm going to stay in bed for days!

DH has never changed to his routine since retirement. We still waken early.

You all make me feel guilty, never get up before 8am and I thought that was early. Walk the dogs then a cup of coffee with GN, my ideal morning.

But, we like to keep busy with child care and volunteering. We think it keeps us young - alternatively, maybe it knackers us!

I agree momb. I've forgotten how to set the alarm clock as I never use it since I retired.

If I need to waken early for something special I seem able to do it without any alarm. The pleasure comes from being able to waken naturally, whether that be early or a bit later and just day dreaming for a bit, before getting up.

One of the joys of retiring is doing away with the alarm click. Another natural waker here!

I love the fact that I can now go to bed and get up whenever I feel like it. This week for example I have risen at 06:50, 07:40, and today 09:10 . I usually retire to bed about 11:00pm. It's great not being tied to the clock.
I'm not the kind of person that gets flustered. My mother used to say that I was "easy as an old shoe"

Can anyone please explain why they set an alarm when they don't have anywhere to be? Surely waking naturally is how retirement should be.

My alarm goes off at 7 everyday, I'm usually already awake, shortly after, I get up and make tea then we usually lie in bed and chat for a while, unless we've got plans. We both retired 4 years ago and never felt happier.

I have a problem remembering that I can't ring some of my friends as the poor dears are still at work.

Same here katyk. Not having to get up at 6am is indeed a precious luxury.

I have been retired 3 months now, and so far the only thing to flummox me is fitting all my activities in!

What flummoxed me is how much choice I have. Only limited by my income and how strong or not my knees are.
What I do find is that I have to be flexible as the family throws in a request and scuppers my plans!

Exactly the same as Maggiemaybe for me .
I think I was made to be older, in fact I remember when I was a teenager envying old women out shopping and gossiping and eating cake with all the time in the world and apparently no worries.Yippee, that time is here.?

Reading some of these posts, I'm flummoxed about how laidback I've become. After far too many years of answering work emails at midnight then getting up at 0545h to start all over again, I now happily wake up around 0730h and stay in bed reading, drinking tea (eating breakfast if DH is making it) and browsing the internet, sometimes just appearing downstairs in time for Pop Master. I love it.

Days looking after the DGC are different of course. I love them too.

I used to have strict routines and stick to them, now I just enjoy life. I think I've finally found my dream job.

I get flustered if I have not decided what we are eating the following day by late afternoon today.
Must be a throwback to post war childhood when Mum always planned meals meticulously.
Otherwise DH and I love our retirement.

I am horrified to find how bound by routine I have become , I get flustered if I don't do things in a rote and am now trying to make myself calm down and relax

I am supposedly retired but concerned about possibly being short of things to do I became a campaigner - and now if I don't get up around 0630 I become flustered as I've so much else to fit in - housework [which usually gets ignored], grandchildren [who sometimes get ignored!], exercise [which never gets ignored]. I think I'm mad but I couldn't do nuffink

Only thing that flummoxes me is how much I hate being retired

We used to set the clock for 5.45 when the children were young as the only way to get some time to chat. We welcomed that start to our day so have continued it while dh has been working. It enables us to watch Breakfast and drink tea before attacking the day.

We've had a hectic few weeks (mostly dgc!) and we both volunteer on irregular days so a day when there was not much on seemed a good time to have a lie in.

We are mow both severely discombobulated!

What flummoxes me is that even though I no longer work a 12 hour day (including travel time), I never have enough time in the day to do everything else that I used to fit in around work........ so can only assume that I either used to be really slapdash or I have slowed down remarkably ...... it is nice though!!

I had to get up at 6 am all my working life. One of the luxuries of being retired is not doing so

7 am seems very early to me and 5.45 unheard of. Being retired means not having to get up so early.
I've been living on my own for a few months now and there are moments when I feel life is drifting past but I wouldn't say I'm flummoxed, I'm generally much happier being retired.