The Recovery Period

I recently celebrated a birthday and was talking with a friend about aging. He jokingly asked me did I feel older. I thought about it for a few seconds before stating, “I feel about the same. I do many of the things that I did when younger.” But there is a difference- the recovery period.

When I was younger, I could work all week, party all weekend, and be ready for work on Monday. Not now! I need a longer recovery period.

Which is why, a recent article that I read proposing a four day weekend (for workers over age 40); resonated with me. I always imagined that my dream job would allow me to work from home, in my pajamas, three days a week. Hello! Four day weekend!
The reality is that I work full time and come home and start my second job- caring for my family. What do you do when the weekdays and the weekend are filled with activities? When do you enter the recovery phase? When do you relax and just enjoy life?

As a single parent, I have found that being organized saves both time and energy. Some of my time-savers include:
• Keep a calendar of events for the week
• Plan and cook meals in advance
• Schedule days for cleaning certain portions of your home or certain cleaning activities such as dusting and mopping
• Schedule time for bill paying, etc
I find that I can relax more when I have taken care of all necessary tasks. Relaxing allows me to recover from the days’ activities and to spend more quality time with family and friends. I deserve it and so do you.

Until next time pattypaula