ever feel you have wasted a day

I think it’s harder when you’re still working, I feel annoyed with myself if I waste one of my precious days, and by waste, I mean achieving nothing, but not enjoying achieving nothing

me too

I would have thought like that once! I have learnt over the years that we are human beings NOT human doing.

We are allowed to rest! It's not a waste of a day. We dont always have to be doing!

That's what the madness of the western world tells us.

In other words it's the agenda others set we think we need to get approval by doing just that.

Who has never killed an hour? Not casually or without thought, but carefully: a premeditated murder of minutes. The violence comes from a combination of giving up, not caring, and a resignation that getting past it is all you can hope to accomplish. So you kill the hour. You do not work, you do not read, you do not daydream. If you sleep it is not because you need to sleep. And when at last it is over, there is no evidence: no weapon, no blood, and no body. The only clue might be the shadows beneath your eyes or a terribly thin line near the corner of your mouth indicating something has been suffered, that in the privacy of your life you have lost something and the loss is too empty to share.
Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

For me it's simply call blissful retirement. Do what you want when you want and enjoy irrespective. I certainly do and don't consider one single minute as wasted. Bliss.

I work part-time and really value my 2 days a week not working. However, I sometimes get to bed on those nights trying to think what I have done during the day, and frequently it is nothing! What a waste.

Oh gillybob your post was so poignant. The ‘where is me in all this?’ I’m sure your family adore you and you love them all to bits. You have so many (too many from a personal level?) calls on your time - which as we all know ‘waits for no man’.

You are aware the clock is ticking yet, cannot see a way to free yourself which makes you sad.

Are the younger members of your family aware how low this is making you feel?

If we have little to no control over our lives we feel trapped and upset. I don’t know the answer here but I certainly get your sadness deep down. You strike me as a ‘can do’ person. What’s that saying about if you want something done give it to a busy woman! You are that woman and I think you probably do it all with a sunny smile whilst crying inside.

W H Davies. He also wrote a dreadful book called 'The Autobiography of a Super-tramp about being down and out in the USA. It was the set book for O level and put me off the author for life.

Who was it who wrote "what is this world if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare" Probably misquoted, but I have just written on Wednesday's good morning, that I am just going to sit, which I was doing until I took a peep at Gransnet. Although I said I was doing nothing, I was watching the sparrows enjoying I think an ants' nest, until the blackbird came to disturb them, swiftly followed by the horrible (but beautiful when they soar in the night time sky) seagulls, So doing nothing watching life go by is not so much a waste of time, more an opportunity to enjoy what is free and entertaining. I appreciate I m lucky to have a garden to sit in.

Some of the messages here have bought tears to my eyes so touching and full of warmth. I am gonna try to stop being such a worry guts and take each day as it comes.

It's called dolce far niente in Italian - enjoy the sweetness of doing nothing. Preferably sitting in the sun in your garden or on your balcony. Sweet heaven.

It does make you wonder what it's all for gillybob. I nearly killed myself working an extra 6 years just clearing all debts and tying up loose ends generally, but it took a Hell of a long time before I was anything like " normal " so there's no way I'm ever going to feel guilty at doing nothing. My time is spent healing my body and mind and not now thinking of what I should be doing. Those days are well gone.
I intended to live/ have at least many years in the future as those lived in the past.

Nothing is that urgent that can't wait, especially when it comes to housework anyway. Those who visit take me as I am as a person and to me that's more important than having to hurtle round fluffing up cushions and worrying about a lot bit of dust.

I record a lot of tv programmes and when husband is out I'll sit down and watch them, knitting in hands. I do feel like I've wasted the day.

What I really mean is that: No day is ever wasted IF I have a good book to read.

No day is ever wasted unless I have a good book to read.

I don't mean to bring this thread down to my miserable level but I worry that one day I will be lying on my death bed looking back on my life. Okay so I have achieved 2 lovely children and 4 wonderful grandchildren who I love more than life but what have I done? So far I have wasted almost 30 years doing a job I detest. I rarely get away for a holiday or even a short break. I spend my days and nights worrying about paying bills and wages.... that is completely wasted time. To me, pottering in the garden, reading a book, or enjoying a well deserved sit down with a cuppa could never be classed as wasted time.

I do not feel guilty about a wasted day. First off, after breakfast, I'm on the computer, reading emails and seeing what you grans are up to. Then another cup of coffee, siting in the garden if nice, and looking at my jungle, and hearing the lovely birds, and maybe somebody mowing or cutting their hedge... My neighbour of 82 has a beautiful garden which she can't stop working on. She has won prizes with it, but she can't just stop and look at it and see how lovely it is. I love doing nothing except appreciating my garden, until lunch, then same again until about 4 when I might decide to go to the supermarket for a bit of exercise. The relax again until my big meal, then watch TV until about 1.00 am... night night...

travelsafar, you weren't doing nothing. You were listening to your body and resting. We all need to do it sometimes. Rather than beat yourself up over it, just give in and enjoy!

Me too, love being in the garden, sitting or doing something. Just did some rose pruning earlier before breakfast when it's cooler. Hate being indoors all day, am a sun lover.

Im having time off work recovering from surgery and yes I feel some of my days are wasted. Im normally on the go all the time when at work and having to slow down is hard going - but Im getting used to it and it is rather nice. So I have read, sat, slept, watched tv and cleared lots of old papers and unwanted items from drawers, cupboards etc, followed by more sitting down, reading, snoozing and watching tv. This last week I have started going for walks which has been lovely. Ah well back to work next week (hmm)

There is a Spanish proverb I like:

“It’s nice to do nothing
And then rest afterwards”

Suits lazy me to a ‘t’!

?

Recently i have been falling asleep about 2pm. Feeling exhausted but doing almost nothing. I get anaemic often so off to docs for blood test, results are good so i am now just letting what happens during the day , happen. Im not ill just lazy

Yes, frequently! I often wonder quite what I’m for these days. So many days with no purpose other than getting to the end of it.

You seem to have had a very productive morning though, so I don’t see any harm in a rest, especially when it’s so warm.

These days I try to feel no day is wasted. These are my precious golden years and each day is grabbed by the throat doing something enjoyable

GN, most of us are retired so why do we still rush around feeling we need to do unimportant jobs around the house. Stop feeling guilty and enjoy your time.