How do we get so busy???

Day6, I so embrace and agree with pretty much everything you have said here. I do feel that it takes time to calm down and do very little though. It seems we are wired to the 'must be doing something' syndrome. Some people need to be on every committee under the sun to enhance their status whilst others actually feel guilty for doing 'nothing'. I think a bit of both gives the perfect lifestyle and I do believe I've pretty much cracked it for me. Happy days indeed. However I always have to add the awareness that I am somewhat blessed with reasonable health and this makes a huge difference at this stage of the game as I observe others who have not been so lucky.

I really, really relish having days that stretch out before me, with no plans. I could laze around for England. It's such a treat to be free of a former life which was extremely hectic and fraught with worry night and day.

Time I enjoy wasting is not wasted time. Some days I get slightly resentful that I have appointments! I love choosing exactly what I will and will not do.

Some days I am extremely self indulgent and they involve catching up with TV programmes, catching up with reading - usually the papers or a book I can't put down. I may take myself off for a stroll around the park. The washing up waits, the housework doesn't get done and if I can catch the last evening rays of sun in the garden I am out there on the lounger with a nice long cold drink.

We are a long time dead. This is my time. Other days may be busy and I'll have commitments, but I actively plan switching off now, several days a week if I can, and it's bliss.

I retired 7 years ago. It was great to think I wasn't going to have the same old stresses and pressures, but since then I have been big chief childminder for DGS One week down of the school holiday and 2 more to go before other grandma takes over till they all go away on holiday. At that point I will sleep till I wake and try not to let myself feel guilty if I do nothing all day. However, I will be trying to catch up with friends and activities that have to take a back seat when I have DGS!

I'm just so glad I didn't have to do it all without our present day 'mod cons'

You're so right lovebeigecardigans!
I adore my grand babies and love spending time with them, but it's absolutely marvellous to have a day off!
At 69 I no longer have the energy I once had, and I'm usually very glad when pick-up time arrives.

I use to have a very full diary but find I am slowly reducing my programme and enjoying it. I like being at home.

I think that we women always find that there's something to do. I love to see that there's nothing in the diary for today - it means that I can please myself with enjoyable and self-indulgent stuff, like sewing and gardening.

It seems to me, some people must be busy, busy busy all the time.

Flitting from one thing to another, very rarely taking time to just sit and think or even meditate.

Now I have grandchildren, I am much busier than I used to be, but sometimes I don't want to be looking after them as I'm getting on a bit and tire quite easily now.

I can now choose to be busy and don't want to be always rushing of somewhere.

Days at home are quite nice, just pottering about etc.

I just love waking in the morning, knowing I don't have any errands or appointments that day, just chilling.

Well yes, retirement isn't much different to work, except that at work I used to get days off and holidays. It's DGC of course - having brought up one family, I now have another to deal with! It's nice tho', cos I have all the fun and no financial worries as the tinies are very well provided for. When mine were small, I struggled to make ends meet, but this generation do better, tho' like I had to, they seem to work long hours.

I love being retired, I'm widowed so only myself to please. I am a member of a couple of Meet Up groups, you don't have to go to everything so I pick things I'm interested in, I go on holiday in August, I'm out on 3 occasions before I go & 5 when I get back. My month also fills up with lunch once a month & afternoon tea once a month with a local volunteer group. I love my garden & have good garden centres nearby. Then there's the shopping & housework. Oh & Doctor/Dentist/optician/Hospital Appointments.

My DD & DGSs live about 10 miles away so there's visits to be made. I read a lot & enjoy crosswords & sudoku.

Sunday is usually my "day of rest" withe the Sunday papers. I'm never bored. Unless I'm going somewhere I get up when I wake up.

I hate retirement so work three days a week volunteering and those three days are the ones I wake up happiest I cannot motivate myself for my own stuff somehow
At the moment I have an 11 year old and two 14 year olds staying for 10 days I take them back next Tuesday and I m really looking forward to 'my freedom' again You can't believe how noisy, untidy and full of 'it' they are when together (cousins) They all like different food or even variations of the same they all love curry but one likes it really hot one very mild and one only korma I love having them and have done since they were small but it's getting more of a trial I must admit as I get older and the weather hasn't helped Lovely until the day I went and got them but miserable since

I would actually like more free time ( to do nothing if I choose) than I have.
Having said that, I wouldn't like a blank diary either.

Listening to all these accounts and fun things to do I can't wait to retire! (2 or more years down the line). Only problem is I have a very hungry mortgage to support so no chance

Retirement sounds as though we've retired from life, don't you think? This week, I'm playing bridge (twice), lunching with friends (twice again) and helping an elderly cousin (aged 90 and still lively) to regain her confidence in driving. It's important to her quality of life as she lives on a steep hill and can't walk up it nowadays. Oh and choir and yoga, though on separate occasions I retired (or 'moved on') some 6 years ago aged 64. for me it's still all go (who was it who used to say that?)

I just love the freedom to commit only to projects/activities I wish to. What is really important to me is having something to look forward to. Now, this can be as simple as local coffee with someone to some lovely holiday venture: doesn't matter. At the moment I'm blessed with reasonable health and do capitalise on that by being as active as I can. My diary ticks over nicely. I also enjoy extra hours in bed in the winter months - naughtily furnished with iPad, I might add. One of my favourite experiences is to hear car frost scraping going on and be able to say 'not for me'. Yippee! I was 74 when I retired and somewhat reluctantly at that. However, I absolutely love it now. Just wonderful!

If we were not so busy, particularly in retirement (which should be renamed as moving-on) boredom could easily set in and then life loses interest. That is to avoided at all costs.

DH and I have a regular 'day off' even though we are both retired, when we walk or go to a NT property, or anywhere else we'd like to visit. If we didn't do this we'd be chasing our tails 7 days instead of 6. Much of it is by choice, art class, DGCs, volunteering, but I do love a day off!

I am retired but wouldn't want to lie in in the morning. I would rather make sure I have plenty to occupy myself and get up for

Just thank your lucky stars you are never bored or fed up! That would be awful.
Sometimes I wake up & think I have nothing happening today where I need to be somewhere at any given time & I roll over & have a lie in.Such a luxury. However by the end of the day I realise I have still been dashing round like a maniac all day.

I wouldn't change anything though.

I don't know where I found the time to work and do all the household stuff...amazing...I never seem to have time on my hands since I retired. Today ...I'm painting a wall at the moment, then need to finish the holiday ironing/packing/compose a business letter/piano practice/french lessons/....oh and of course cook something to eat.....!! Busy, busy, busy... thank goodness!

Bought a fridge magnet last week which says 'I'm retired, you can't make me do anything'. I have pointed to it numerous times already .

I have the opposite problem. A friend often asks in her texts (we don't live close) "What are you up to this week ?"
Erm, apart from food shopping, nothing !

I keep asking my husband when we will get to retire from this retirement. Never seem to have a moment. Must be our own faults I suppose. Lol

If you don't want to be busy - you don't have to be. There is always that very useful little word "no". But often we are our own worst enemies and say "yes" instead. It is nice to feel needed or to feel that we are a productive member of society - but is not essential.

Me to, I work part time but on my days off I'm always busy doing something. I'm a list maker ( forget things otherwise) and as soon as I cross one thing off as done, another gets added to the bottom.