Practical tips for returning to full-time as a knackered 55 yr old

[cassierocks]

Help me survive going back to full time work after 20 years as a knackered 55 yr old !!! I'm returning to full time work with a 2 hr round commute so am after some practical tips and advice please. I'm already thinking clothes planned the night before and sandwiches made on a Sunday and popped in the freezer. Any other suggeations to help ??

Do you have a cleaner already?

Menu plan for the week ahead based on what time you’re likely to be home and which will produce leftovers for the following night and/or something you can take for lunch the next day.

Plan what you’re going to wear each day and hang it up, set it out. That way you can see if anything needs ironing and it’s one less things to think about each morning.

Habe everything ready for your commute - car full of petrol, anything you need for the car, work ID pass in bag along with things you’re likely to need during the day (pens, make up, comb, spare tights type stuff).

Plan easy meals for the first couple of weeks whilst you find your feet.

Good luck!

Ah no, there is only me (divorced) and the youngest at home. She's off to uni in Sep but I didn't think of a cleanerat all !

Batch cook on a Sunday.

Do you have to be full time over 5 days?

I went back to full time 3 years ago at 53 after 10 years SAHP then part-time. One hour commute in total daily so not too bad. I now work 0.9fte over 4 days 2x8-4, 2 x8-5. (32hours). Tbh, I’m 56 and knackered by Thursday and couldn’t do it without the 3 day weekend.

I have DH who pulls his weight and weekly cleaners, plus I do a load of batch cooking. Every meal I cook is ‘one for tonight and one for the freezer’ which helps the evenings.

I meal prep my breakfast (overnight oats) and next day lunch (salad/sandwich/leftovers) every night before bed. I do all my food and clothes shopping online.

I plan my breaks/ use of annual leave so I always know I have a break coming up. Last year I bought additional annual leave too.

Good luck OP

ETA, oh yeah, I am absolutely brutal about my hours. I work bloody hard and very efficiently for my 32 hours but not a moment more.

Try to spend a few each day outside. Sometimes I stand barefoot in the garden and take a few big breaths and listen. Sometime I walk round the block at lunchtime or get off a stop early on the bus and amble.
The tiredness sometimes is stress, daylight and stopping to take a breathe can help.

I have to wotk over 5 days currently but I'm hoping once I'm established I can do compressed hours or one day WFH for prep / planning / reserach etc. Good idea about prepping brekkie too. Thanks for the good wishes !

My best purchase by far has been a slow cooker/pressure cooker/airfryer (all in one machine) I love eating proper food and like cooking from scratch, it’s been great!

Spread out your annual leave so you're never too far from a day off.

I try to do some housework in the morning before work as I'm too tired for much after work.
Food shopping done on my way home rather than eating in to my weekend (I'm passing anyway)
Early to bed every night.
Cleaner if you can afford one.

I’m 53 and have worked up to full time over a few years after being a SAHM for 10 years. I joke (not really) that I’m going the opposite direction to everyone else I know: while they are reducing their hours towards retirement, I’m cranking it up to 42 hours per week (compressed into term time, great for holidays but knackering week to week).

I don’t have any advice as I have not cracked it. DH does a lot (he’s part time) but we have two teen boys at home who generate a huge amount of shopping, cooking etc. I have a capsule wardrobe ie not much to choose from. I cycle to work and back (ticking exercise and head space boxes). I organise and declutter the house to the max as it just makes life simpler. I deliberately live in a smaller house that’s only 30 mins cycle from work. I aim for good enough, not perfect.

Before you’re back make sure you have at least five complete work outfits - no mid week needing to wash. I leave them all out on a Sunday night.

Same with filling the car completely on a Sunday night which I know will last all week.

Start the day with a high protein breakfast, whatever that may be for you. Feeding yourself well is going to be very important for maintaining your energy levels, and it will be tempting to fall into bad habits because you will lack time and motivation.

I have a commute of a similar length. I need to leave at 8am so like a PP, I find the time to do housework is before that. If I get up about 6.30 I have time to clean the bathrooms or change the bedlinen or sweep and hoover downstairs before I set off. I seem to have less energy for these tasks at 6.30pm. I also do yoga every day and that's a good use of 20 mins in the morning.

Do you have to be in every day? When I wfh, I find I can get lots done in the commute time and also any dead five mins (I mean fetch in the washing, chop some veg for dinner etc). Or I can take lunchtime to go for a swim (pool is 5 mins drive from home).

Getting your shopping delivered if you can bear it (I can't) or Gousto boxes (ditto) can be time savers. I am told.

Exercise in the evening can be a good way to ease away from work and into bedtime. I sometimes swim on the way home – or if you run that's another good way to relax. I think that's really important if you are going from not working to working FT with a long commute. It's easy for that to be all you do. I have a colleague who gets up early for their pets so goes to bed at 9.30 (which is wild to me) and has an even longer commute than me – so basically they do literally nothing but pets, commute, work, commute, pets, bed. That's a nightmare to me. Hope it goes really well @cassierocks

The points about fitting in headspace and exercise are really good. What are ypur favourite quick meals and slowcooker meals ?

Second this. I’m not a breakfast person but it does make the world of difference. As does all the other cliches like getting natural light first thing, some basic movement to get the blood flowing.

are you commuting by public transport or by car? Is public transport you can use that time as decompression time - having a good book to get into rather than doomscrolling makes a huge difference. In a car the equivalent would be something you’re excited to listen to, like your favourite album, ab audiobook or podcast

Why are you knackered? 55 is no age really. I felt knackered and it was a B12 deficiency and pre menopause, not just pushing 50, thankfully.
For lunches I take deli stuff, falafels, ready made salads, cooked chicken. Or get something from a cafe? Sandwiches every day isn't great.
Enjoy being out of the house more is my top tip, get a coffee, have a walk round your new work area, people watch, get some good stuff to listen to on the commute. If you're driving to work get a nice, preferably automatic, car.

Early-mid 40’s I now work a 3 day week. No children just health to look after.

been working full-time since 98 aged 16 never had babies so no one was going to stop me reducing hours but finely did at aged 44 when I took an old nearly 20 years old memory, old job on. Essex North Kent xxx

Eat your main meal at lunchtime! Are you going into a big company with a canteen and hot food? Use it! I’m mid fifties too and find my evening appetite has waned a lot. You don’t need to batch cook for one person.

Just…go to work? Like a normal person?

How are you commuting? Driving, train, bus? The only reason I ask but can you use this time to do life admin and make things less stressful in the evenings weekends. Say like doing an online supermarket shop etc

I'm nearly 55, work full time.

What is the commute? Driving or public transport? I'd think about how you can make that time meaningful and useful, don't waste it doom scrolling. Do your bills and life admin, listen to a book or podcast that enriches your mind, chat with friends and family (if you are driving hands free, please don't do it on the bus!), practise mindfulness, build in some exercise at either end... basically, anything that feels productive to you.

Ditto for your lunch breaks.

I stay on my feet when I get home and don't flop down and pull out the phone/remote until everything is done, including prep for the next day.

I do bag sorted and outfit the night before. I have a long shower the night before for hair washing, shaving etc. And then a short sharp cleaning shower in the morning.

I have a coffee cup and have coffee on the way out of the house rather than sitting having it at home.

Can your commute count as work? If so invest in a good data plan. If not then audiobooks are great for the commute.

Have a plan at your work for what happens if you are late or miss the train. Is there a cheap local hotel you can stay at? Leave a change of clothes and a wash bag in your work desk for these occasions.

I also don't cook of an evening. CBF with the cleaning up!

My main meal is lunch, bought or batch cooked on the weekend and heated up in 3 minutes, eaten at my desk so I can then take a proper break outside with my lunchtime. Evening meal is usually a platter of cheese, fruit, veg sticks with dip, nuts and some yoghurt.

@cassierocks have you had 20 years off work completely or have you been working part-time?