Recurring feeling of not knowing how to fill the time

[Otravez]

All my life I've felt a sense of not knowing quite how to fill the time and feelings of emptiness. I can be happy, it's just I often have long periods of time just not sure what to do with my day. I have a young DC and a partner (relationship not great) and am busy with my child. At the moment, I'm WFH and doing work in evening once my DC is in bed. During the day, it can be a struggle to fill the time with everything closed for kids and I often just feel like I must be missing out something -the way that everyone seems able to fill their life! I do have good friends but obviously not seeing them every day and sometimes day after day just feels like time to fill and I'm hanging about not sure what to do. It's worse now than ever - have always had this sense at weekends if not meeting people and now that there is no routine during week, it feels then same. Does anyone else have this? I don't know what the answer is but feels like I've had it hanging over me all my life and can leave me feeling sad and I've no idea how to solve it. I know lots of people with young DC who pop over to parents' homes when at a loose end. I am very close to my DF but he doesn't live within "pop in" distance and my DM passed away several years ago. I don't want to feel this way forever and just looking to thoughts on how to improve this issue. I am absolutely fine if in company of family/ friends. It's just a sense of boredom and emptiness when not in company. I'm not an extrovert - I do need down time but during the day I just feel at a loss sometimes/ quite a lot.

• heading should read - fill the time!

We've edited the title of your thread and moved it over to our Chat topic, Otravez. We're giving it a little bump too to get it back into Active Conversations.

Bump

I get this, get as in understand and as in experience it.

My DC are older, but in your shoes, I would get toys out for your DC and see if they will get on with things on their own for a bit - could you do some work whilst they’re playing?

If that’s not realistic, then I’d make the most of cuddling up with them reading a book or watching a film. Or make up some “game” that benefits you - either letting them do your hair/make up (is used to find that really relaxing!) or helping with little jobs around the house.

Can you afford to pop to the shops to buy a new lego set or magazine for DC and magazine or book for yourself? If you walk there and back it’s an outing as well?

Not sure if that helps.

I think a lot of people are struggling with how to fill their time at the moment.

Bump

But also, have ever had counselling OP?

Thank you :-) I haven't had counselling actually. Perhaps that would help get to the bottom of it as it's a feeling that's been with me for years and I still struggle to identify what is going on and why I can't shrug it off. I do try to keep busy but if I'm doing stuff just to keep busy and I'm not in company I enjoy, it can feel purposeless and leads me back to the same feeling. Thanks for your suggestions.

Is it a sense of FOMO - feeling other people somewhere are doing something more exciting than you?

Where does your partner fit in to this? Is he out at work in the day? AS a single parent with a young child, I had to make up a structure to get me through the day - all small events had to become 'outings'.