To ask what would you do with too much free time?!

[MoiraRoseIsMyQueen]

I’ve been made redundant, and so won’t have a job as of the end of the month, and am on gardening leave currently. Obviously having all the usual panics about money and the seemingly insurmountable task of finding a new job in this market 😫But, my main worry at the moment is having nothing to do! I know this might sound like a nice problem to have, but it’s sending my anxiety through the roof. I have two kids and a lovely husband, so only school hours are free - but the thought of potentially months of this is panicking me, there’s only so much cleaning and baking I can do!

So, what would you do - with potentially a couple of months of free time, and very limited funds?!

Research and write my family history into a little book to pass down the generations

Do a free or cheap course in a new skill either for fun or for new job development/preparation

Listen to or read all the classic literature I haven't got to yet

Explore the local area by bus and train and have lunch somewhere new, all the places you've thought would be nice but never actually got to

Couch to 5k

Plan or do the decor/refurb of a part of the house you've been meaning to get round to

Get in the garden and plant some lovely bright annuals

I would be doing lots of home projects, getting the garden ready for summer, painting the shed, redecorating inside, doing all the little jobs you never get around to doing.

Give yourself permission to enjoy some time off! I think it's good to have it at least once in your life. Watch all of that series you never got to the end of!

Catch up on everything I've neglected and put off for too long, including myself! Xx

Volunteer? Most charity shops round here are begging for help.

Massive declutter and put it all on Vinted.

Love all of this - and OP you’ll have loads of uninterrupted time to job hunt / apply so I don’t expect you’ll be out of work too long. I would love a decent stretch of free time to do all the above.

I think my approach would depend on how great the need was to earn money.
If it was desperate (as in, I needed to earn money within the next 3 months otherwise we wouldn’t be able to pay the bills) then I’d pretty much be job hunting morning til evening - including things like updating skills/CV etc.
if it was less desperate (as in we’d be okay for 12 months) then I’d lean Into more of a routine of job hunting for an hour or two a day and then buggering off out for a walk or to meet a friend, an afternoon seeing my mil or gardening (if you enjoy it, I don’t!), wild swimming, gym and spa, baking, decluttering an area of the house…

but I’m not good without some kind of routine and structure, I’d sit and be very unproductive, scrolling and watching telly, and those things don’t really make me feel very good!

Yoga daily, Running, Reading newspaper, Reading books, walk dog, declutter, sort garden

I’m 58 and don’t work anymore. Gym, meet friends, cook for family and dinner party prep.

Draw, paint. Knit, crochet , craft, bake….

garden, redecorate, sort out cupboards, clean

shop, attend adult ed courses, visit museums, read , meet friends for coffee

research things that interest you, learn to speak a language, practice / learn a musical instrument

read lots of books from the library, listen to audiobooks / podcasts

vd t museums, the theatre, art galleries.

a million things you can do… embrace them

You might find it's not as much free time as you think especially if the DC are in school normal hours (9-3ish). You will need time to search for jobs, apply and go to interviews plus there's the usual cleaning and admin. Go to the gym and spend an hour afterwards in the pool / spa.

@MoiraRoseIsMyQueen maybe try to give your day some structure. Once kids are at school, hit the job boards and check for new roles. Have you approached any recruiting agencies for your industry? You might be able to pick up casual or contract work while you look. I've done that before and a three month contract turned into over 18 months and would have contined but I got a full time job elsewhere.

Once you've done all you can job hunting, then get any chores sorted. After that, do something you enjoy until school finishes.