To ask HOW do people find the time to do things when they work full time?

[latesummerearlyautumn2]

I work full time, majority from home, and just about manage to keep on top of housework, life/home maintenance on top of that.

I walk every lunch break and after work to do 10k steps a day, but after that I have dinner, shower, may call a relative for a quick chat, and then before I know it, it’s time for bed.

Weekends are usually spent doing essential things like food shopping, laundry, house and garden stuff.

I don’t even have kids and marvel at people who have the time to maintain good social lives in particular. I find it hard enough staying connected with family members. My sister for example is always out with various friends, on holiday, or a trip away etc and I wonder if these people ever sleep?

I can’t be the only one with a boring life, am I?

Just make some social plans and fit the other stuff around it?

When I lived alone and worked full time I had a very full social life. I'd have a friend over on a tuesday after work for tea, visit family on a Thursday after work, go out on a Saturday for drinks or a meal, cinema on sunday etc. If you want to exercise go on a walk/hike with someone or to the gym.

When I lived alone I'd do a quick once over of the house on a Friday after work. Hoover, clean kitchen and bathroom etc, then just a couple of loads of washing over the weekend. It shouldn't take long if you tidy as you go through the week.

My husband and I marvel at people without kids now we have a child. Like how on earth did we ever think we were busy before kids, we had so much free time!

I've got teenagers so the time pressure is easing, and while I work full time, it's neatly contained at 40 hours per week with very short commute. Time is abundant compared to working 50+ hours per week with toddlers!

Generally I can fit in a couple of pre-work 30 min runs per week although these may be sacrificed for sleep/ energy. I get the dishwasher set off to go while I'm at work. Possibly laundry too but that's mainly blitzed at the weekends. Generally I'll try and catch up on other housework at the weekends and do bigger blitzes in the school holidays. 10 mins in a room goes a long way to keeping it functional when you're past the era of toys.

I normally have an hour or two to chill before mine or my DCs' activities. I volunteer one night, have a committed fitness class and might pop down the gym if I'm bored and energetic on other evenings. The DCs have reduced to a couple of activities per week so that's freed time up. I normally buy a few days food at a time on the way back from somewhere, Aldi only adds 20mins on and I find that easier than online or special trips for Big Shops. Most of my meals are cooked in 30 mins and I focus on covering the food groups that everyone eats. I don't flog myself over UHPF and cooking from scratch. Good enough is good enough.

Weekends start with parkruns/ junior parkruns. The DCs have more on on a Saturday, but their pm stuff involves lifts and buses which frees my time; I've cleared out DS1's room to a functional level while he's been out. Things like gardening tend to be done as pottering around. Sunday is more of a chill out & long run day. Recently I've had a long block of extra social stuff and events at weekends that have made me feel like I'm treading water, but that's unusual.

Going from SAHM to working FT, I'm surprised at how many balls that I haven't needed to drop. Some hobbies have taken a hit on time spent on them, but it's more my MN posting taking a hit.

I am more efficient when I have tighter timeslots to fit things in!

Just book in one evening a week (or morning/afternoon per weekend) to meet a friend for dinner or drinks. Rotate across friends. It does not take a lot of time to invest in friendships, just book stuff in, you have literally every evening and weekend available to do this.

They're on holiday and want to have a leisurely first coffee while chatting to each other instead of chucking it down their gullet and running out the door like they do mon-fri at home?! Well that's just unreasonable....

My DH does it as he is retired.