Please help me plan my long summer so I don't get depressed

[losenotloose]

I work term time only (school admin) and when it gets to this time of year my heart sinks. Everyone is saying I bet you're counting down or being jealous of such a long holiday but I don't enjoy it. I get bored, lonely and depressed. I feel spoilt saying it but I'm a people person and have a tendency to become too introspective.

So this summer I want to try and find things to keep me occupied. Has anyone got any suggestions?!

Where approx do you live? (City etc) Do you have children to entertain or can you completely please yourself?

Can you afford to travel / do a house swap?

Volunteer somewhere.
Sign up for a course in something, like a week's summerschool in something practical or arty.
Go to your library, ask what they have.
Join a gym for the first 'free month' or similar.
Go to your nearest National Trust place, see if they want help.
Offer to walk a dog for someone.
Empty your wardrobe / kitchen cupboards and have a sort out, give things away.

I have two teenagers so can please myself to a degree.

I was thinking of more hobbies to try, things to do in the day etc rather than travel. We are going away for a week but then I've got 4 more weeks to fill!

What would interest you?

What did you want to do as a child that you didn't have opportunity?

What did you give up when you had children ?

Languages, music, sports, crafts , mechanical, DIY skills ...

Solo or finding new friends ?

Exercise. Can you set yourself a goal to achieve by the end of the summer and work towards it?

You say you're a sociable person- can you arrange some meet ups with old friends you haven't seen for ages?

De cluttering the house is always a good summer job!

Got the cinema and do ‘Barbenheimer’? Listen to podcasts, which can be done whilst doing other boring household tasks.

What about a summer school? Something you’ve always wanted to do? Could be anything - pottery, learning about outer space, crochet, whatever. You’ll be with a group learning every day for however long the course lasts. Could be really fun!

As you’re super social, you might not enjoy solo day trips so much.

But I think exercise is a good idea! Join a group class each Friday night or something? Near me, they have 90s dance exercise classes on a Friday night that sound as fun as going out!!

Reading? Gardening?

Volunteer somewhere?

Dog walking or pet sitting for pay?

Meet-up groups in topics that interest you?

Go on a major home decluttering or decorating project?

Learn a new skill like baking or sewing or DIY?

I'd kill for four weeks to fill with books, napping, pampering myself.

Same here. I write a ‘wish list’
Dry days… walks around local villages, beauty spots, other towns that I want to visit with the dog. Without the dog a mooch around museums, shops, stately homes. Hopefully a day at the beach if the heatwave returns 🤦‍♀️
Few lunches with friends booked in.

Wet days. Get jobs out the way in bits and bobs. I’ve got clearing wardrobe and drawers, cleaning kitchen cupboards, deep clean bathroom. Inside of windows.
Fun things. Reading (at least 2 books) Netflix binge of things on wish lists. Cook/bake something different.

Try and have some structure to your days/ weeks and enjoy them.

Maybe a bit short notice for this year, but could you do some childcare (paid)? There are about a zillion parents desperate for school holiday cover? If you don't mind kids it could be a fun, money earning way to spend at least a few days every week.

Sorry, should have said, I live in London.

Part of my problem is I've always struggled to find things that I like doing. When people ask what do you enjoy I think I don't know! Well, I do enjoy knitting, baking and running.

Decluttering is a good idea, and I'm going to look up some exercise classes.

What is Barbenheimer?!

If you played an instrument when younger pick that up again or learn a new one.

Revamp a room/some furniture.

See if your local library or even an online book club.

Have a look at, free, online short courses. You can do history, art, science.

Local music/arts gatherings.

Talks at galleries.

Your local Facebook pages might be your starting point, local press/radio.

Spend all day trashing the kitchen with radio on making tapas, or something similar, lots of small dishes.

Master a difficult pudding, fancy cheese or yogurt cakes.

Invite a long distance friend to stay.

Build a garden firepit or pizza oven.

Get face/foot masks and truly indulge and pamper.

You could look into changing jobs for one that isn’t term-time only. You’d probably be better off financially too?

London is a bit easier to not be bored.

Find some venues, pubs usually but you don't have to drink alcohol, with open mic evenings.

Get tube to centre and just sit watching the world go by in a central park.

Find a couple of painting in the national gallery you like the look of and go and spend some time in front of them

Find cheap seats for a matinee show

If you want to declutter, I recommend the ‘Rock the Housework’ podcasts. Gemma feels like a friend in my ear 🤣

Local running club?
I went to a local crochet group, it was great.
knit and natter?

Although in London you will have lots of things available to you to do, I think perhaps it doesn’t have the personal touch of my smaller town. I run into people at all sorts of different groups and things who I already know in passing.

perhaps sit down with your teens and make a list of things you’ve always meant to do and never tried - river swimming, take the train to somewhere - Bath?, a craft you could download online, an escape room, an overnight somewhere you’ve never been, a trip over to France, visit a small museum at the other side of town you have visited, Oxford for a tour of ‘Lyra’s Oxford’ (OK this is one for me), a walking tour of Banksy’s artwork in Bristol (you could definitely do this as a day trip)…

London walks? We've done a few (live in central London) & even my teen enjoyed them!
Every summer we make a list of things to do. We go to the markets, parliament hill farmers market on a Saturday is good if you're near north London. Borough market is always fun & we tend to wander round to the Globe, the tour is interesting. There's a mud larking festival on the Thames next week end too. We discovered the museum of brands in Ladbroke Grove in the half term, it has a very nice cafe.

I love wandering around Covent Garden on my own too, grab a coffee in the theatre royal cafe which is beautiful. They also do a great tour.

We come up to London frequently when we get bored as theres so many free things to see and do!

I have 2 teen dds, we enjoy visiting all the different museums and art galleries. Slowly ticking them off our list once we've been!

Kew gardens is absolutely beautiful, it's in Richmond so pretty close?! We've been twice and still not managed to see it all. They have the UKs smallest royal Palace there which is open to visit during the summer.

There's a Morph art trail in London over the summer, we are pretty excited to go for some walks to find them.

What about a summer job?

A few day trips with the teenagers
Swimming course
Research and write a childrens book
Teach yourself to cook from different cuisines
Join a climbing centre
Ice skating course
Dance
Art/painting

Facebook group called secret London. Lots of quirky little finds on there of places to visit and things to do.
Change your mindset. You live in the greatest city in the world with 6 weeks to do whatever you want.
I'm in very similar situation and so happy right now.
Message if you wanna meet up for coffee 🤷‍♀️👍

Thanks for the ideas, I'm going to make a list! And getting a job that isn't term time only is a good idea but I'd like to learn how to deal with myself iykwim.

@marmitegirl01 where abouts are you in London?

Do you have any friends?
How about visiting some museums, going swimming, for walks, exercise classes, joining WI or a meet up group, an outing once a week with your teens.
I think if you put a few of these things on your calendar then filling the four weeks will feel less daunting.

Volunteer in a charity shop? Find one you really love .. maybe a speciality Book Shop or Boutique type? I manage a charity shop and have a couple of teachers and Uni students who always come back to volunteer in the vacations ... they seem to enjoy it and add some new ideas to the team.

I didn't realize you were in London. It's hard to imagine being bored or at loose ends with all of that at your fingertips. Four free weeks to explore one of the most interesting and historic regions in the world! It sounds like unimaginable luxury (of time) to me. I've never had that in my life.

If money is an issue, there are websites outlining free walks, like this: https://www.aladyinlondon.com/2022/05/historical-walks-in-london.html

If you don't want to do outings, as others have said, you could make great strides in learning a language in four weeks. Or some other skill.

It sounds though as if you simply don't have an interest in many things, or in doing things alone. Maybe a stint volunteering somewhere would get you around people and the interactions you crave.

I'm north London enfield 👍
Happy to meet in central. Love a coffee & cake and a wander 🤷‍♀️👏