Back to a routine

I agree. Now widowed, if I don’t go out, I could spend days without seeing/speaking to a soul. I still often spend 48 hours silent.

I prefer that each day I decide how I'm going to spend it. I like to wake up and then decide if its going to be busy busy or laid back.

Before I retired I worked in higher education and couldn't wait to reduce my commitments (and the resulting welter of noisy interruptions that went with them). I was always rushing from one urgent job to another while the gods laughed at the organised plans I wrote every Sunday night. I hadn't bargained for the silence that comes with stepping out of the maelstrom of working life. I guess just having other people tapping my shoulder is what I miss the most. Same thing when my son started school aged 5 - suddenly, the house grew as silent as a tomb. I've filled my silences with lots of interesting stuff I never had time for until now, and that seems to work fairly well.

I miss the structure imposed by regular events and will be glad when next week brings normality. Just wish it would bring the builder to look at my leak but not promised for a fortnight.

I prefer routine as a structure for a week. I like to keep weekends different from the working week. However, I just read about the importance of new experiences for keeping brain active so will try to introduce some new activities from time to time.

Structure Monday-Friday (gym, childcare etc)

Saturday & Sunday, totally relaxed and go with the flow.

I like a structure Mon-Fri, weekends are free of regular commitments. Nothing is rigid but I like to have something I'm looking forward to doing each day even if it's something routine like walking the dog or visiting a friend for coffee.

I am not a creature of habit - no such thing as Monday washing, Tuesday ironing etc etc. I don’t need a clock or calendar - I have my neighbour M, who has an exacting weekly routine. I can tell the time of day when she passes by .

I 'retired' from my voluntary role just before Christmas after 13 years. Not sure what 2025 holds for me now. Hopefully I will find another way to volunteer.

The thing I like about volunteering is that I feel as though I can opt out when ever I want. But, I never do.

I am obsessed with structure, planning and being organised. It's got worse since I retired but my life is pretty busy so I never get everything done that I had planned.

Last year my planning lasted until March when I had surgery and my routine went out of the window.

This year I aim to get 'out' of my compulsion for planning by, guess what? More planning!

I had what I thought was a great idea to set myself monthly, weekly and daily goals.

One for every week of the year (52) and one for every day (365) I have listed these numbers with allocated tasks, and every week and everyday select a random number from on on-line randomiser and that is what I will do for the week/day.

Yes I am completely bonkers and we are only two days in... but I hope it will help to get me out of my slavery to routine.

Am I really crazy- should I get help with this???

Blimey keeping quiet!!

I like a few regular activities: I do short courses in Art History at local Uni, a dance class, Tai Chi and choir. I like to leave a couple of weekdays blank so I can take myself off for a 2 night mini break somewhere by train. I leave all household chores till the weekend, as I prefer to stay at home then to avoid other people’s undisciplined dogs and children.

I like some structure to the week now (retired), but am also flexible if needs be - childcare if AC unwell, etc. DH and I doa fair a,Lunt together, but also some activities individually, so a structure (knowing where the other person is on certain days) helps us plan breaks away, days out, etc.

doa fair a.Lunt. !?!?

do a fair amount

Aveline

Blimey keeping quiet!!

Blimey is a good reaction. Am I the only one? Is this really odd behaviour or should I just carry on trying to make order out of chaos?
Do I need help?

It's not chaos though. It's just a range of different activities that you might or might not want to do.

As an ex project manager I’ve now learnt to stop planning, I have my weekly volunteer day, one exercise class and the rest is fluid, it’s great.
But I’ve loved this two weeks with nothing much fixed apart from family and friends socialising.

I like a mix of regular commitments and free time.
I suppose my average morning has a sort of pattern to it and other activities dance around across the week .
I absolutely couldn’t manage this without an old fashioned calender on the kitchen wall though!

I like routine and will be glad when my regular activities restart next week( weather permitting). It gets me out of the house and gives me something to enjoy and to look forward to. This week is lonely.
I am good at making lists and plans, but also good at procrastinating. I can waste hours online, but it is a way of keeping in touch with the outside world.
I have spent eighteen months sorting and dispersing my late husband’s stuff and still have more to do, but these are the more difficult items, items nobody wants, not even the charity shops, and items of sentimental value. I have set myself a target of Easter but probably won’t complete everything by then.
I used to do voluntary work, but I have been out of it for too long, I think, to go back, but I would like to find something different to do. I don’t know what.

I could have written the same Ali23. Love a calendar!

I think one of the reasons I dislike the dark months is that my weekday mornings are generally filled, but it leaves my afternoons very short, as I like to do ‘whatever’ in daylight where possible.

My weeks are structured with grandchildren school pick ups and helping my DD2 as she is a single mummy. But lots of time to myself too so DH and I can pursue our interests. I would love to volunteer at our local hospital but til the grandparents duties diminish not possible.

I agree with Ali23, too.

It's back to having something to hang your week on. Set things on set days and spare time for whatever with the odd bit of disruption caused by stepping up for panic childcare etc.

I am one of life's organised people so I like lists and a routine.
I am a member of several groups and still do a lot with my 4 youngest grandchildren.
I am glad to be getting things back to normal. Over the Christmas and New Year holidays I struggle to work out which day of the week it is.