on your own. How do you occupy yourselves

In the mornings I do house and garden jobs, ironing and cooking and make them as physical as possible as part of my fitness regime.

I also fit in a long walk and then another shorter one after lunch so I do five miles a day.

In the afternoon I read voraciously, do the Telegraph ‘easy’ crossword and have afternoon tea with home made cake. I cook a simple evening meal (though I make something more complicated at the weekends) and the DH and I watch an hour’s worth of drama on the TV before retiring to more reading and internet browsing.

Crafty, did you move to be nearer family? (you mention babysitting). I think you’re right, take things at your own pace and sounds like you have plenty to do at home.

I would strongly recommend volunteering for any of your local charities. You will meet people in a similar situation and enjoy the company and being occupied. I do some fund raising as well and campaigning- this is the link to my current campaign to save NHS funds.
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Walk my dog, teach her something new, collect my daughter's dog and walk them both, sort out things for charity shop donation, clean something, take a nap, browse GN, MN, FB, eBay, Amazon, play Wordscapes, read, purge my emails or photos and delete those not needed, attack my mending pile, shred or file paperwork, research better deals for broadband or whatever, I've never, ever been bored!

Big thanks to most posters, many great ideas on here. I wanted to start socialising slowly. have been utterly whacked out after packing my other house and downsizing to a new area, by myself. Did the garden from a builders site, fixed up my workshop and now the loose end has coincided with autumn grey. It would be a mistake for me to join too much at once, I know that. Harder to leave a group than to join so am treading carefully for now

I have a natural tendency to hibernate in winter and am fighting that too. All day crafting locally tomorrow, babysitting sunday and again next week. Crafting and a show next week and I have just realised that there is a park walk alongside a river, just a bus ride away, we have no parks here, only a small market town.

I treasure my afternoons between 2 and 4 as i other half always has a lie down, he has COPD and gets very tired. He hardly eer goes out so i seldom have the house to myself apart from those two hours. It is heaven, i go on PC, watch TV and knit, cook or garden. Most days i go out in the morning to attend something or meet friends for coffee, so he has his space in the mornings and the two hours in the afternoon are mine. I am never bored always something to do.

As soon as I have been to the bathroom I review my state of energy and plan accordingly. There is always something to do.

Blue, you’re doing your DH proud. I love the sound of your monthly wine club!

Been widowed since February last year. Socialising is a mix between friends I have known for years, friends from activities, neighbours and family. One friend I have known since 1972 I go out for lunch with every 3 or 4 weeks. I also go to a monthly ladies wine club which I joined nearly 30 years ago. Also have my DGD after school on Fridays. My late DH would be heartbroken if he thought I was indoors moping.

That’s such a positive post BlueSapphire. I’m sorry for your loss, how long have you been widowed? I’m alone too but working and yet I can feel very lonely and low. Reading your post has helped me see some of the good things about living alone. Do you tend to see people based on activities or just socially?

I am now alone (but not lonely), and try to have something planned for every day. Monday yoga, Tuesday and Wednesday health walks if the weather is OK, also book club once a month, Thursday ballet class, Friday weekly trip to M&S Food and Sainsbury's. Saturday rugby if we have a home match. If not then a trip into town. If there's a film I want to watch I will try and go on a Sunday.

The cats wake me up at about 6ish, get up, have tea and mess around on my tablet, Gransnet, emails etc. Do any jobs that need doing. Go out for any activities or gardening. Read the daily paper and do the puzzle page. Read a lot on my Kindle while the local radio is on in the background. Never watch TV during the day. (except for rugby). Think about what to have for dinner and cook.

Switch TV on at 6pm to watch Eggheads whilst imbibing a glass of sherry (late DH and I always did this). Have dinner and watch TV or on Internet till bedtime. How did I find the time to go to work?

I think the point of the question is getting lost now. It wasn't just "How do single people spend their days?" The OP asked how those who live alone spend a grey, wet day in the house on their own, with the implication that we're talking about a day with nothing in the social calendar. So saying that you care for family members, or go out walking or gardening or shopping, or spend your time out socialising, isn't quite the point. The question - and it's an interesting one - is about how you spend your time when you have a day on your own, when none of those other things are happening (for me, that's typically a weekend), and the weather prevents outdoor activities.

It's interesting to read how others balance useful and necessary activities with leisure pursuits or generally slobbing about and being self-indulgent.

Oh Saggi you make me feel ashamed now. I hope you find time to do something for yourself too.

I make jewellery, have an allotment, paint botanical watercolours, sew, knit and gardening.

Gosh , glad to hear somebody visits the Bar 2 mornings a week.

That is one of my favourite pastimes, along with pickling, toyboys and a weekly art class.

I can't stand staying in for long - just have to get out. I take the dog on long walks and spend ages gardening.

I do decorating, knitting, reading, cooking, sometimes housework (if it's raining), chat with friends or kids.

Sometimes I have an afternoon nap and there's loads of tea/snack breaks when I check forums including this one!

jaxie

I have thought about this....but never actually begun.
Have to decide how much truth to tell.

i used to love listening to my nan and my greatgrandmother talking about their younger days.
perhaps I will try again

I cycle, but not so much now. I got too short for the bike I'd ridden for years and my replacement one just doesn't feel the same. It's harder to pedal. Should keep it up though.

I cycle ; it's been a challenge but I do coffee and lunches on route so it's enjoyable and also ticks the healthy box. I'm no size zero and I started with a Halford bike and have progressed.
I think where you live has a huge impact on access to social interaction ; bit obvious I guess..
I think it's probably harder to make new networks as we get older. I like the idea of long standing friendships with history and lots of reminiscing but other side of coin perhaps we should embrace new friendships with equal enthusiasm.

Mondays I do Zumba and Flex and Tone, Tuesdays is Zumba and Barre, Wednesdays is aerobics and Pilates and Thursdays, Zumba, Barre and yoga. In the afternoons I do housework, potter round the shops, go out with friends sometimes, mess about on my iPad, read, watch TV, knit or cross stitch.

All that you lovely ladies manage to fit into your day makes me feel exhausted. Seven weeks since I finished 12 weeks of chemotherapy and I am still feeling very tired and nauseous most of the time. I have so many things I could be doing but just dont have the energy. So mostly I spend my time on the internet reading GN, catching up with the news or looking up the latest cancer treatments. Part of me accepts that this is how it is at the moment but the other half of me feels I am wasting what's left of my life. I would just like some energy to do a little more. I am very lucky because there is very little I need to do around the house as my lovely DH is covering that.

Very well said Elegran I love that poem too.

I am not often on my own but treasure the times I am.I try not to do the ordinary every day things, but always start with GN, check e mails answer them.Have a book on the go and catch up with that.Have two days a week when I go to different clubs.Lunch with old work friends occasionally. Just being at home alone at times is a luxury.

Occupy myself!! I look after my disabled husband (23 years).... I care for two grandchildren for 16 of my waking hours ....I work part-time 16 hours....i do ALL the shopping,washing,cleaning,ironing,gardening,house maintenance, decorating when needed. The tool box is no mystery to me or the paint brush, or the spirit level, or the mower, spade,yard broom , if you can name a job I do it. !!! I occupy my spare time sleeping !!

Days I don’t have to be somewhere I have a cup of tea in bed and take my time getting up. When breakfasted and showered I might go out for a look around the shops /garden centre or just a walk. This is after I have fed the cat and tidied up. Main cleaning day for me is Friday so just do bits of stuff in between.

I like to read and knit and do crosswords and I do like to watch catch up tv sometimes in the day, rarely ever watch “real time” tv. I work 2 days a week, volunteer another morning and watch grandchildren’s sport every Wed afternoon so always something to do