Adjusting to ER

I'm still tied to the M-F alarm clock because the kids need to be driven to their bus stop at an ungodly hour. (They're school starts at 7:25, and we're the furthest bus stop for this magnet school - so it's truly EARLY when they leave the house.) I compensate for that by taking the dog with me and going for a walk on the beach on the mornings I don't have my Italian class. Taking Italian and walking the dog on the beach are both pleasant "me" activities compared to work.

But - the comment about reading really hit home. I'm having to manage my wish list/request list at the library to make sure I always have a few books in the queue. It used to take me up to 4 weeks to go through a book, with 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there.... Now I finish books much faster because I can spend time reading while waiting for the kids bus, while they're practicing piano (because I'm not multitasking with dinner because I can pre-prep dinner), etc.

A big adjustment is changing up my routine as far as grocery shopping, laundry, etc. I used to cram it all into one day... now I spread out the laundry through the week, and do grocery shopping on one of 3 days, depending on other commitments.
 
Since retiring, sleep when tired, up an' about when not. Routine sleep is the normal 7.5 hrs at night, but if I awake at say 2 am and am not sleepy, get on with life. Come 7 am, 1 pm, or even the next evening when I feel tired, sleep for another 2, 3, 4, or 8hrs. This pattern was worrying at first, but as it only occurs a couple times a month, no big deal.

When I was working if life was low stress and enjoyable the alarm was only a backup, as I was awake before the alarm went off, glad to greet the day. If work/life was stressful and alarm had to jolt me into starting the day, then things needed to change.
 
Even though I use the alarm clock for the rare times I have to be up early (to run my school Scrabble tourneys, I get up around 7:30 AM, slightly earlier than if I were still working), I am usually up by then anyway because of my more natural alarm clock - having to go to the bathroom around that time or a little earlier.
 
I didn't use an alarm at work, and was always the first one in. We all react to stress differently, I did by waking up at 4:30 in the morning thinking about my day.

Now if I need to get up at some unreasonable hour or if I have an early morning appointment (that I was dumb enough to schedule) I'll use an alarm. Perhaps 2 or 3 times a year. The pleasure of a relaxed morning is beyond compare.

+1 Never used an alarm clock when I worked. I was up at 5:00 AM to get ready for my workday and was always at work at 7:00 (about one hour before I needed to be there) . The problem was if I woke up at 4:00 I would not go back to sleep worried about oversleeping and I'm groggy and sleepy for most of the day but now that I' m retired if I wake up at 4:00 I have no problem going back to sleep for a few more hours and I love it.:)
 
I am planing to retire in about 9 months and after 38 years of 50-60 hour work weeks I wonder how I am going to slow down.
BF
 
I'm still getting up at 6:30 to get my daughters ready for school and putting them on their school buses - which I don't mind as I'm a morning person and usually wide awake before then anyway.

My sleep patterns haven't really changed.
 
I too thought I was a morning person because I always got up so early for work. When things got hectic at work, instead of staying late I would get up even earlier to take advantage of there being nobody else at the office to interrupt me so early in the morning. I didn't work late because I was usually burnt out by the end of the normal workday.

By the end of my first week of retirement, my sleep/wake cycle had shifted about 4 hours later. I'm finding that I do my most productive hobby work in the evening. So I guess I'm a night owl after all!
 
I too look forward to Mondays now, since I don't venture out as much on the weekends. I'm in my 9th month of retirement. I gave myself permission to defer my house de-cluttering until 2015 so I can spend my 1st year with nothing pressing to do. During the week though I do try to get whatever I'm doing done by Judge Judy at 4:00pm, that's my wind down time. :)
 
I am planing to retire in about 9 months and after 38 years of 50-60 hour work weeks I wonder how I am going to slow down.
BF

That's a good problem to have. I am sure you will figure something out. I am also looking forward to retire in 3 - 9 months but I am 100% sure I won't have any trouble slowing down. I have a pent up list of things I will be doing at ER.
 
My DW and I are homebodies but when working, we liked to watch movies together on Friday and Saturday nights usually with something easy to eat while watching. After retirement, we get to do this any night we want to but sometimes I still find myself thinking, "oh, it's Friday so we should make sure we get some pizzas ready for tonight". This also means we get to have pizza on any night of the week now too!

For the few times of the year that we use an alarm clock, I find that I end up setting more than one because I'm just not confident they'll work anymore. I usually know what day of the week it is just to make sure I don't end up at Costco on a Saturday morning or somewhere else at the wrong day. There have been a few times, I've realized it was Monday and didn't watch any football on tv over the weekend because I forgot what day it was.

I also find I don't eat lunch on a lot of days, just too busy in the workshop or doing something else- while working, I seldom missed lunch as it was just a part of the routine. We know some people who retired and had real issues with a lack of a routine so have gone back to a more scheduled existence- I have completely enjoyed not knowing what I might do on many days when I wake up. My wife is less comfortable so far with the lack of a routine but this is only her second year of retirement while I'm in year 6. I tell her it takes a while to get the hang of it, she tells me that it is clear now that my working life was obviously just positioning myself for retirement which I'm really good at!

jjquant- congratulations on retirement, don't rush in to anything and enjoy yourself!
 
Until last week I didn't need an alarm clock since my DW was still working. Her getting ready for work usually rousted me. Now she has joined me in SSER (Sweet Sweet Early Retirement) so I suspect I will be adjusting to her adjusting to ER for a while.
 
I havent used an alarm clock since I retired, except for the few times I had to get someone to the airport before the sun was up. I seem to wake up naturally about half an hour to an hour after daybreak regardless. But it is nice to be able to lie in my bed and read if I decide to onceI wake up.
 
great thread..these are the kind of threads I have enjoyed since moving beyond the 'budget, expense, index, taxes' threads. Not that those are not still of interest, it's just that those decisions for the most part have been made with the help of many great forum members advice.
The threads I enjoy now are the 'after fire' and 'other topics' where we find that there is such a diversity of people, attitudes, approaches and philosophies about life prior to and after ER. Those who haven't pulled the trigger yet must scratch their heads when hearing those who have discuss life at it's own speed in ER instead of life at a speed that's out of control in the w*rking world.

I really feel for the folks who have expressed that they are still laboring under the heavy hands of companies, managers, deadlines and policies..... hang in there and be of good cheer... one day you will be FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST. :flowers:

Excellent post, I feel exactly the same.
 
5 days into ER... some early impressions.

I find I am sleeping incredibly well. Pretty much proves how insidious work related stress can be. No alarm clock, but I do get up with DW. When working, my alarm was set for 4:30am, DW gets up at 6:30am - so I view it as a daily 2 hours sleep-in.

The ability to "linger" and not have to rush to be anywhere at any particular time is wonderful.... but feels odd. I am sure I will adjust.

My desire for alcohol has left me completely. *see work related stress comment above*

Really enjoying the new found time to read, prepare meals for DW (who is still working), and workout at the gym.

All in all, it has been everything I thought it could be so far... and I'm just getting started.
 
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I have been "retired" for 4 years now. Really, I just quit my job and never looked for another one. I find I go to bed around 12:30 am and am up by 8 am no matter what time I go to bed. No alarm clock needed except on Mondays when I need to get up earlier for my volunteering with the Seniors at the local community center. DH retires in January 2015. Wonder how that is going to work?
 
5 days into ER... some early impressions.

My desire for alcohol has left me completely.

I am curious if this is the case with many people. I don't drink much. However, my DH drinks a LOT. I have hopes he will scale back. I have been warned that with more time, there may be more drinking. I know everyone is unique. I am interested in the groups' comments.
 
I am curious if this is the case with many people. I don't drink much. However, my DH drinks a LOT. I have hopes he will scale back. I have been warned that with more time, there may be more drinking. I know everyone is unique. I am interested in the groups' comments.

I always suspected that I mostly drank to cope with the stress of my job. Was it particularly smart to stay in a job for 20+ years that drove me to drink after a bad day at work? Probably not, but thats another story. :facepalm:

But the fact that the desire to drink has evaporated in lock step with the removal of job stress makes me happy. I (and DW) was worried I might have a bigger problem with booze.
 
I too look forward to Mondays now, since I don't venture out as much on the weekends. I'm in my 9th month of retirement. I gave myself permission to defer my house de-cluttering until 2015 so I can spend my 1st year with nothing pressing to do. During the week though I do try to get whatever I'm doing done by Judge Judy at 4:00pm, that's my wind down time. :)


Yeah, Judge Judy and Judge Mathis are part of my ER routine as well. I'm also 9 months in. I head to the gym most weekday mornings and then try to get two or three tasks done during the day. Those tasks could be as mundane as going to the bank, fixing something around the house or going to the movies. Typically, after achieving those "goals" I feel like I've done enough productive things to call it a day! LOL. Gosh, ER life is great!

Oh my, I've participated in an ER thread today. (That makes "four" tasks in one day....time for a nap!!!)


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Haha that may change. I used to golf early, now it is whenever I want

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Yeah, Judge Judy and Judge Mathis are part of my ER routine as well. I'm also 9 months in. I head to the gym most weekday mornings and then try to get two or three tasks done during the day. Those tasks could be as mundane as going to the bank, fixing something around the house or going to the movies. Typically, after achieving those "goals" I feel like I've done enough productive things to call it a day! LOL. Gosh, ER life is great!

Oh my, I've participated in an ER thread today. (That makes "four" tasks in one day....time for a nap!!!)


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Sounds like we are on the routine! I agree a task can be getting an oil change, a market run, tidying up a pile of papers, yup, the mundane is achievement, you're right ER life is great! My goal is being happy like the Danes....and creating my own Danish hygge.
 
However, my DH drinks a LOT. I have hopes he will scale back. I have been warned that with more time, there may be more drinking. I know everyone is unique. I am interested in the groups' comments.


My Dad warned me that alcohol could become a problem; he got into the habit of starting on the wine well before dinner and consciously decided to cut back.

In my case it hasn't been a problem at all. I have a glass of wine after dinner, same as pre- retirement, and don't overdo it because too much alcohol late at night gives me a migraine at. 2 AM. I work out in the afternoon so drinking at lunch is definitely out of the question.

Adjustments: we're realizing we don't have to cram all our errands into a weekend. We can travel without regard to vacation day allowances . We're now at our favorite B&B and, for the first time, arrived in daylight, giving me time for a pre- dinner bike ride. Previously we left home at the end of the workday and got here after 9 PM!
 
Since full retirement, I only need an alarm for an early morning fishing trip with friends, I try not to do too many of those, and I usually get up before it goes off. My phone is good enough for this job.

DW still works so I am up when she is, I do lay in occasionally, but I like to get up early and go to bed early (< or =10pm). I started taking her to work in the morning and picking her up, mornings are great here in NEFLA and we enjoy the extra time together. She only works 10 minutes away and I tend to stop by the Grocery Store on the way home to top up on supplies.

Being an Engineer I love my 3D Printer, and while away the daytime hours till DW gets home designing and printing parts for my Drone and RC toys. I set up an on line store for fun and sell my designs. It will never make us gazillions but it does "help" fund the hobby and materials.

We are both home bodies so we binge watch a lot of TV series once they have finished airing. We got rid of HBO Cinemax and all the other Premium channels other than HD Channels as we can get everything we want via the web. No need to rush so as not to miss an episode of something. My Cable bill is now $74 cheaper per month.

We do like to drink a bottle of wine on occasion. We "try" to limit that to 1 bottle a night and about 4 times a week. I drank a lot more when I was working.

I also lost 35lb since I stopped working too. That was planned and it is staying off.

The only reason I know what day it is, is Monday as it is garbage day, and Friday as it is "Wine Night", as is Sat & Sun, the other is a random weekday when we feel like it. More than 1 bottle between us makes us feel like crap the next day so we resist it.

I do still worry a little about health care, as that is the ONLY reason DW still works. I am still trying to figure out how we can get to a point where she can stop for good. We are both still relatively young, hopefully When I reach Medicare age that will subside, or We will move back to Canada one of the 2. Not that we cannot afford it, but our standard of living may drop some it we had to pay an extra $2500pm in Healthcare and deductibles etc. In BC it is only $123 for both of us with no additional costs other than drug and they are not expensive there.

Rambled for too long.
 
ShokWave, I am going to make my GF immediately adopt your definition of "on occasion". It will keep me out of a lot trouble without having to change what I do. :)


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I am curious if this is the case with many people. I don't drink much. However, my DH drinks a LOT. I have hopes he will scale back. I have been warned that with more time, there may be more drinking. I know everyone is unique. I am interested in the groups' comments.

FIL of my brother is retired. He used to drink quite a bit while he was working, and now is drunk on a regular basis even before lunch time I've been told (and witnessed on occasion). In other words, he is a pretty serious alcoholic.

For him having more time and the funds is not a good thing. His work required excellent behavior and that created some pressure to lay off the alcohol. That pressure is now gone.

So from this anecdote and some others it seems that if you drink to relieve stress, it might reduce in retirement. Not so much if you are addicted.

Then again, if it is a problem and one decides to work on it, there is also time and funds to help you through it.

Not a specialist obviously, just what I observed.
 
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