Balancing life activities

I don't ride recreationally as much as I'd like, although I do commute a short 2.4 miles roundtrip each day. I do not consider my commute a substantial enough ride to qualify as "real exercise" even though it helps keep my waist trim ;)

I like to do so many things, including cycling, cooking, baking, socializing, reading, etc. (not to mention household responsibilities like cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc). Honestly, by the time I get home from work I'm usually so tired that I cook a meal, do one or two household chores, read and head to bed. I wish I felt like going on a ride but I don't really feel like battling the rush hour traffic, plus the days are getting shorter.

I do try to ride primarily on weekends but I also find that my riding time competes with errands and other commitments I have.

How do you balance it all? I know prioritization is involved but I don't want to sacrifice home-cooked meals from scratch or leisurely bike rides.

Is it at all possible to add on some extra miles 2-3 times per wk. for each of your commuting rides?

Ever since I returned to cycling, I hardly do any sewing and only bake 1-2 types of desserts, um...about once a month or less.

I no longer am interested in much fashion shopping or alot of window shopping. I catch up on such activity every 3-4 months by wandering 1-2 hrs. in stores. Very different from fashionistas. Hence my fashion sense, is delayed...seriously. :D

Over the years, my body now desires to begin cycling early in the morning....a good thing..since I can do lots and have the rest of the day for other stuff.

Of course, things get more complicated when one has children which I don't have.

I generally go through phases with most of my other hobbies besides cycling and cooking. Cycling is my constant and well... a girl's got to eat!

For instance... I only knit when it's starting to cool off. I camp when it's beautiful outside and I've got company. I hike if I'm in the mountains (it used to be all the time, now it's isolated). Sometimes I'll devour six books in a row and not pick another one up for months.

It all somehow works out. I stopped sweating it. I think I realized that I have too many hobbies to every really devote myself to cycling or triathlon at a high level, but it's still entirely enjoyable.

I have no life...

I have a 25-30 km roundtrip commute with lots of hills, so the basics are a bit different. I don't do a whole lot of recreational riding anymore, but my husband rides A LOT. But, seriously, we don't clean very much in this house. I mean, it's hygienic, but often messy. Laundry gets done on the fly. We do not skimp on cooking though. But keeping the house in acceptable condition (as opposed to really nice) does save us a lot of time. Also, living in an apartment (so less maintenance & housekeeping overall) helps.

Also, we don't socialize a whole lot, and baking is (unfortunately) not done every week.

The $64k question - you asked it :)

It truly says something about our contemporary/modern lives when 24 hours in a day somehow seems like hardly enough!

Getting out of metaphysics and into a more practical approach - I try to be super efficient with my rides. That might mean using the indoor trainer more so I can avoid spending 30+ minutes just getting to the places I like to ride. Not to mention less costuming/prep/etc.

Another thing is prepping meals ahead of time. I might make some extra staples - like rice, pasta, beans, etc - and combine it with an easy to make side dish, such as a chicken roast. I can put in the roast and know that in roughly 75 minutes or so, it'll be done and with the other stuff already prepped, dinner is ready.

Sometimes I'll even put the chicken in between intervals on the trainer!

We both work reduced hours (80%). Started when our son was born at the same time that we were just getting into the job market, kept it that way because it's a good way to live. All our choices since then are geared to a lower than 2x100 % income. We have a small apartment, tiny garden, in a low status part of town.

All 3 of us have a 2 week rotating schedule for all the regular household chores (except food shopping and making dinner, only us adults do that one) so that no-one ends up shouldering too much.

We have a cleaning service that comes in every two weeks. The house HAS to be tidy by then, otherwise it pretty much slides.

We postpone re-decorating and everyday maintenance a LOT. We still have large unpainted spots, loose sidings and open electrical sockets from when we moved in... um... two years ago?

And we don't enjoy cooking that much. We make a home-cooked dinner every day mostly from scratch, but it's usually the same ten 30-minute recipes or so over and over, nothing that involves thinking. We only bake or make desserts for special occasions like birthdays or friends visiting, which doesn't happen very often. Our son wishes we had dessert more often, but now he has a smoothie maker and can mess around with that instead :rolleyes: We usually socialize during activities rather than at home.

I try to fit in as much "me-time" as I can around my commute, take a longer route, add a kayaking trip. I feel most energetic when I'm already out moving, and going out again later is too much hard work. I'm really lucky to live where this is possible, but it also takes a bit of creativity.

I'm not getting a fabulous career this way, but hey, I'm having fun :D

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Originally Posted by lph

I'm not getting a fabulous career this way, but hey, I'm having fun :D

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I decided a few years ago that I was "okay" with not having a great career, but using my career as a means to enjoy all the many things I love to do!

I have two little kids (3yr and 3 mos) and my husband works until about 8PM every night.

I admit, I forgo on a fancy home cooked meal. Most nights its a variation baked/sauteed chicken with vegetables--which usually takes 30-40 minutes to make. I really love using fresh veggies, but since the second kid came along, I've gone to frozen vegetables.

Once a week I'll make a GOOD dinner--some new recipe I want to try or a special meal for the family.

Most evenings we come home, the kids read or watch a movie while I make dinner. After dinner we head out for a family activity: bike ride, walk, hike, soccer, etc.

I understand that exhausted feeling after work. Fortunately, I don't have the option to collapse and hit-the-hay early. The kids are forcing me to get out. But I always feel better for it. :)

Instead of cooking every night, could you maybe cook large portions on Sunday and eat that for the next few days? I usually cook two things on the weekend, and it gets me through most of the week (I rotate them for lunch and dinner). That way when I get home, I can work out, just reheat something, and then get on to doing the dishes, getting my stuff ready for the next day, and eventually wind down. Saturday is my big cleaning day, doing laundry, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, etc. During the week I just try to keep on top of the dishes and put my clothes away.

As others have said, I also go through phases when cycling is or isn't the forefront of my life. Right now, it isn't, but I've done more hiking/reading/strength training/gardening, so I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

Most of our life revolves around riding or other outdoor activity, but definitely not to the extent that it does for other people on this board. I am not training for anything.
I think it comes down to, for me, is that i am super organized, have a schedule for the things I *don't* like to do, so i can do the things I want to do. My kids are grown up and gone for a few years, but even when they were little, my priority was to have enough "me" time so I could exercise. For many years, this was 5 AM at the gym. My DH does all of the household upkeep, which he enjoys and often counts as a work out for him. He does the outside, the gardening, etc. I hate that stuff. We've pretty much had a cleaning service since we were first married and when we didn't, we divided up the jobs and did them. I do love to cook and I don't mind grocery shopping. I plan 3-4 quick, but healthy meals on the day I shop, with the help of Cooking Light, and buy the stuff for those meals and any staples we always have in the house. I always have enough food to make something. We go out at least twice a week.
I have given up all of my volunteer activities and I don't go to temple very often. I have tried to rid myself of "friends" who are "downers," i.e., negative, complainers. I still read a lot, we go to the theatre once a month, Sept. through June, and we go out with 2-3 couples who do not ride on a Saturday night fairly often. But, most of the time, we are going out doing some activity with our riding friends, another couple. We also go to the theatre with them and vacation with them quite a bit.
This year, I haven't done as many miles as previous years, because i am no longer working, hence, no commuting. I am just at 2,000 miles. But, i did run for a few months, and I did a lot of yoga. I feel bad about it, but, most of my riding was more fun this year. With my new schedule, I can only ride twice during the work week. Yesterday, I got up at 4:50, and took a 2.5 mile walk, after coming home from class at 10 PM. Then I had to go to my internship for 6 hours and class until 6:30 PM. Just looking at the habits of my new co-workers at my internship keeps me motivated :). I guess I really don't have any hobbies except the sports I do, and I am happy with that.

I am kinda w/ you (Ana)... not sure if it is not enough time, energy or motivation/dedication.

I struggle w/ putting it all together. Work full time (Ok--what MAN decided the work week was 5 days and the weekend was only 2!!), no kids--but animals (and yes, they do take some time and attention), own a house (have just hired a NEW cleaning service because it just gets out of hand),
then let's "train" or workout or just have fun w/ running or biking (and I added swimminng 2 evenings a week 2 months ago--taking a hiatus, but will go back to one night a week after vaca). Cooking (or eating out), grocery shopping, yard work, family, few friends, USF football tickets...OK I can go on.

It is the balance of what I MUST do (work, feed cats, etc)
What I NEED to do (grocery shop, cook, work out)
What I WANT to do (eat out, read, shop, "play").
That balance is hard. And takes way more energy/motivation than I seem to have a lot of the time.

I still think inside this "athelete" is really a fat couch potato that continues to try and take over! It wasn't healthier, I wasn't happier (??), but it was easier before I found the healthier way of life.

K

It all depends on what you are doing things like cycling for.

For me, my priorities changed as the years went by and I got more fit. A few years ago, it was all about losing a little weight and getting fit. Now it is more of a compulsive need to feed the high of being (and staying) fit. Although I do try not to overtrain, I find that 6 out of 7 days a week is spent doing some kind of fitness activity - whether it be cycling, running, weights or hiking. I sort of worked it all into my life as part of my life. It makes me feel good. It makes me do other things better. I work better because of my commute. I'm a better mom. I'm healthier. I have more energy.

The house will still be there in a hundred years (probably.) But I won't be. I come first!

I do have animals, I have a farm, and I work full time 30 miles from my house. I rely on the bus or my bike. It takes time to get there and back. When I start getting stressed I give myself permission to back off. When my house gets dusty I turn off the TV and dust and vacuum. It all comes together, but you have to have a sense of what is most important to you.

Last week as I was getting ready for my post-work ride down in the garage, one of my co-workers saw me as she was heading to her car to go home. She said it was a luxury to be able to go for a bike ride after work. To me the luxury would be having someone waiting at home to have dinner with me.

I don't cook. Dinner most nights is pasta topped with butter and cheese or a baked potato topped with cheddar. Sometimes I'll have cereal or an omelette or frozen pizza.

I run the dishwasher once a week and only do 2-3 loads of laundry per week, usually at night after I go to the gym or whatever the night's exercise is. I clean when I feel like it because I'm the only one there to create or notice the mess. I stop at the grocery store on my way home from work on the one night of the week that I'm not riding my bike or going to the gym. I run as many errands as possible at lunch (there's a mall within walking distance of my office) and if there's anything I can't do at lunch, I pick one weekend day to do them in one big trip. The other weekend day is available for a bike ride or taking a long walk or whatever.

I decided years ago that exercise had to be a priority on most days in order to manage my health. And it makes me happy.

I struggle with this daily....hourly...often minute-ly (?? ;)).

Right now I'm at work waiting on a meeting. My husband and I both work full time and in my case, it's often significantly more than full time. We have a small farm where some chores cannot wait (caring for the animals) and others that are forced to (our harvest is now rotting in the field and our winter wood supply is still in a huge pile and in need of splitting). We have a dairy goat that needs milking and we've recently gone down to one milking a day to save time. Our house is not 'done' by any stretch of the imagination, but it's livable. In fact, it's actually in pretty decent shape since we had house guests at the end of August. I have a bike that is still in pieces from two weeks ago that I have not had time to put back together. My commute is 20 miles, so doing the full thing both ways take about 3 hours out of my day that I already don't have. I am lucky if I get 6 hours of sleep a night and the only room in our house that remains clean all the time is the kitchen because I work hard to keep it that way. I'm lucky if I can get in one ride on the weekend and one during the week but even that can be a stretch. And I haven't done a regular workout in 3+ weeks now. Plus, I have a blog that hasn't been updated in over a month.

Oh, and we eat out more than we eat at home because I just can't find enough time for prep/cook/clean-up.

Honestly, today I really hate my life, so I'm not one to offer up advice! I can certainly relate though...

GLC1968--I hear ya!
I think it is a struggle for many. And some folks handle things better than others and sometimes it is all about what is important to you!

I do know I would NOT get bored and could easily fill up my life/time without this darn job. Of course how would I pay for my trips and toys?

Some days/weeks are easier that others. But balance and sanity is not easy. I have always said that relationshipsa are not easy, but require work. I guess the same thing is true about finding balance in life.

We've never had takeout since I've been with dearie. Where we have lived since we've known each other, has been always close to restaurants, cafes. So it made more sense for us to eat out in the restaurant itself and often pay same price as takeout food, but have the restaurant staff do serving and clean up dishes instead. :D

For cost-savings reasons we only eat out once a week for dinner in our home town at places for $10-15 per person.

Our home isn't super clean, just organized to keep us happy, efficient and clean. We do a massive clean job only occasionally, I admit. We do laundry about every 2-3 wks. Unlike some people, I wear a shirt or pants several times before throwing it in wash.

Earlier in this post, I commented how rarely I do fashion shopping. Well it's just grocery shopping and going to drugstore for toilerties that I appreciate.

My DH is very old fashioned / homebody about food. I suppose it is because he was a bachelor for most of his adult life. We grocery shop together (with a list) on the weekend, alternating weeks to pay. We try to buy all the food for dinners for the week. We'll cook something like a chicken early in the week when my (vegetarian) daugher is at her Dad's - that will last three nights in different forms. Or he'll make a killer meatloaf which goes two nights. On vegetarian nights my daughter will cook or I will make a quick stir-fry. But it sure does save time to have everything on hand.
We sit down to dinner as well and try to eat before or at 7:30 because we all go to bed at nine!

I'll make my lunch from leftovers and get my bike bag or other gear ready
before bed.

Routines are key. And if you have kids, delegate stuff for them to do! My kid hates the barn chores so I make her do the dogs and run a load of dishes (we have no dishwasher) when she's at our house.

Here's the big thing:
Don't stress if you can't do it all. Schedules are just suggestions. Sometimes an impromptu trip to the ice cream shack is in order. Or a late night walk without lights with the dogs. Or sitting with your kid while she goes through a hormonal mini breakdown. All more important than getting in that 5 mile run!

Can you cycle early in the morning before work, or extend your commute? Truthfully, my nights sound an awful lot like yours, but at least I have already gotten my ride in for the day.

Indi, your attitude sounds like my house! My DH and I go grocery shopping together a lot of the time and we laugh that we are the "old people" in the store.
I notice that a lot of people eat the same meal a couple of nights in a row. I couldn't do that! Although I do bring leftovers for lunch at times.
And sometimes, as we say, we decide to "be regular people" and sit on the deck and drink wine instead of going for a ride.

Funny, I was in a workshop today (to get required continuing education credits for a professional credential) and I ended up working up several "schedule scenarios" to try to fit in all that I want and need to do. No, that was not part of the workshop agenda!

I don't want to come up with some schedule that I can't keep and then feel like a failure for not being able to stick to it. So I'm trying to be realistic in balancing it all. There's work, can't let that drop because I need to eat and pay my bills. Then there's cycling, and I'm trying to do MORE of that and not less...there's my house projects, which I only do on the weekends, and then there's my garden, which is my salvation and my peace, so I'm not going to give that up. Oh, and I do have to take my dog out for two long walks per day or he goes apesh-t. And since he's a border collie, I also should teach him a new trick every week and work on it for 15 minutes per day to keep his mind occupied...how about the trick of making me dinner? But I wouldn't give him up.

There's the cleaning and the cooking and the shopping. I love to cook, and you gotta shop if you're going to cook. I don't particularly like cleaning but I do like having a clean and neat house. A house cleaner is not currently in the budget, so I have to do it myself.

Then there are the things that I want to do: play my music, knit, keep up with my French, learn Spanish, and a few other interests.

My solution is to do what's important every day (work, eat well, exercise, walk the dog) and the rest I fit in during the week. Yes, it would be best for my music if I practiced every day, but it ain't happening and I'm not a pro so that's okay. Same for the languages. Sometimes my house is messy. Sometimes my laundry doesn't get folded.

I've come to realize that I don't have to be perfect at everything. It only took 42 years!

Lessee, 2 adults, both work full time, 1 german shorthaired pointer. Like Tulip's dog, our dog needs two walks a day.

First off, housework is last priority. Thankfully mom refused to instill in us girls that our worth was tied to how well we kept house, so I don't feel bad when it gets cruddy. It gets clean eventually. Interestingly enough the boyfriend had more trouble with the messy house, but he never tried the it's woman's work crap with me. We have never hired someone to come in; we would love to but never found anyone we could trust to handle a big dog and not let the dog out to get run over. The yard work is hired out, and they do a crummy job but I live with it.

Meals have always been a sore point with us. I cook from scratch, he won't unless forced, which is funny because he is actually a great cook. So we eat way more takeout than we should, which leads to other problems. Sometimes on the weekend I will make something to last a few days, then have it during the week, but I also can't stand to eat the same thing 2 meals, or even 2 days, in a row.

So I guess my priority is first the dog, because he is relatively powerless and our responsibility. BF walks him in the morning, I do in the afternoon. Then household stuff that has to be done, like paying bills or emptying the trash. Then getting up and going to work 40 hours/week, because that makes all the rest of life possible.

Whatever time is left I read, ride the bike, watch too much news online and on TV and in the paper (always a struggle to keep my news addiction under control) attempt to learn the guitar, ski, walk another dog 3X weekly for volunteer work, and my latest, learn how to track with the pointer. I have pretty much given up gardening, though I may get back into it. Ya just can't do it all at once.

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Originally Posted by tulip

My solution is to do what's important every day (work, eat well, exercise, walk the dog) and the rest I fit in during the week.

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In theory, this makes sense. The problem arises when the things we have to do every day don't fit into a day. Then these tasks flow into the weekend. Then you repeat this for months on end and things not only start to fall apart, but so does the human. How many months can one person go without doing the 'fun' stuff? I love to read, to bead, to fix things, to shop, to hang out with friends, to sight-see, to travel...but who has time for all that? I don't. I try to convince myself that taking a few hours off on the weekend to bike with other people in places we haven't biked before counts as 'travel' and 'hanging with friends'...but in reality, it's not always enough.

And before anyone suggests that some of the other stuff can wait - tell me how I explain to our goats that they don't get to eat tonight because there's this book that I really want to read, hmmmm? :p

I blame my parents. They always told me I could do anything I set my mind to and I believed them. What they apparently failed to teach me is that I can't do it all AT ONCE. ;)

GLC, you are the exception. If I had to do all that you have taken on, I'd need every day to be 48 hours long.

Any chance one of you can cut down on the work hours, since running a farm IS work?

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Originally Posted by tulip

GLC, you are the exception. If I had to do all that you have taken on, I'd need every day to be 48 hours long.

Any chance one of you can cut down on the work hours, since running a farm IS work?

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I wish. We are working very hard to eliminate all debt, but our mortgage is the scary one. Until we've got that under control, I don't see how either of us could cut back. It's unfortunate that farming doesn't pay anywhere near what engineering pays. :( It's also unfortunate that we moved while the market was still strong in this area and had to pay as much for our home/land as we did.

Eh...we'll figure it out! I just hope it's before we are both too old to enjoy life! ;)

Plus One on NY Biker,
maybe I have no life, cook, train, work...but boy would I trade the time I have to train for a family or a partner.
Balance is actually having "most of it", and that "struggle" is worth it if it is balancing great things. I would say that I don't have to worry about balancing, cause there is no balance in my life, just me, training and working.:(

I wanted to write a thoughtful long post about all this today, but I was too busy doing two patent drawing jobs, harvesting veggies from the garden, giving banjo lessons, cooking, reading my new books about beekeeping, mending clothes, paying bills, solving issues on my online music community/forum, visiting with my daughter on the phone, doing the laundry,.... ;)

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Originally Posted by tribogota

Balance is actually having "most of it", and that "struggle" is worth it if it is balancing great things.

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Can I just say that this really struck a chord with me?! You are so right about this and I really need to change my attitude. I've been having a really tough week and plodding through all the things I have to do AND the things I love to do with barely a difference between them.

Yes, my life is the definition of unmanageable....but I chose this life. I could easily manage my time better if I gave up some stuff but the fact of the matter is that the things I could give up are the things that give me the most joy and I will continue to struggle if it means that I continue to get to do these things (cycling included).

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I needed this today. :)

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

I wanted to write a thoughtful long post about all this today, but I was too busy doing ....

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LOL!!

I was in the middle of a thoughtful long post, but I got caught up with other tasks that I forgot I had this window open for half of the day.

So back to what I was writing ... OP, someone mentioned adding more travel to your commute. Thumbs up here, even if it means taking the long way or doing a loops. I took the longer, more scenic, less trafficy route at my old job, which made it all the more pleasant.

Also, since your bike is at work, why not take it out for lunch, bike around, and then just eat at your desk if you're allowed?

There are creative ways to kill two birds with one stone. Last night I did yoga while defragmenting my hard drive. Danced while doing the dishes (read: dangerous).

The best thing for me is to just drop something -- re-prioritize. Like Tulip, I no longer get to practice my instruments as much (though I practice singing in the car). I read less but listen to audio books more. I spend less time cooking and more time shopping at the farmer's market for fresh and simple ingredients.

Cool discussion topic.

As much as I enjoy being online and the friendships I've made, maintained, or re-kindled online, I must admit (and I am sure a lot of you would agree) that I had a lot more "free" time back in the pre-internet days. I read many, many fewer books now and do much less (almost no) crafts. Fortunately, I do still find time to work out - mostly during my work day (gym at lunchtime, yoga and Pilates classes free through the work gym too) and on weekends; but my DH does the majority of the cooking and chores (he's retired). But he doesn't dust and doesn't do a lot of cleaning I think should be done, and won't go for the cleaning lady idea, so I still have to do that stuff if I want it done. Often I just let it go until we have company coming, and then go crazy cleaning...kinda stressful!

I honestly don't know how we managed when we were both working. Of course, we didn't do internet (or very little - dial-up days!) then. We don't even have children, but have always had at least one dog and many hobbies. We have a 30' sailboat at the coast now and spend a lot of time doing boat projects even when we're not there.

It is hard finding time for everything, and that's one of the main reasons I only manage to ride twice a week -- a mountain bike ride after work with a friend once a week, and a longer weekend road ride with DH. But that's okay too -- I like the variety of doing a lot of different things.

I can't even imagine trying to work full-time and have a farm too, like GLC. Farming is a full-time job as it is! No wonder you're feeling a bit overloaded...

I'm still in college, so my balancing is in a different place from most of yours. :) The cycling gets done on the weekends and Monday mornings. I have fencing practices twice a week in the evenings, but that occasionally has to give if I have a lot of work to do. Classes or lab work take up most of the day, then I come home and cook in the evening. I try to cook mostly on weekends, but I still haven't learned that what would last my family maybe three days lasts us two--BF eats about twice as much as I do. Oh, then I have homework and studying to do. Somehow I make it work.

was following this thread since it first came up and only now found the time to add on to it.

This whole work/life balance thing has been bugging me since I started working. Here in SG the work culture is pretty overwhelming. even as a teacher I'm working all the time. I teach the afternoon session, but most days I'm in school by 9, doing 'stuff' and school session starts about 12, and schoolday ends at 7. then i head home, cook and eat, pack my lunch for the next day and do an hour or 2 of marking/grading. sleep, repeat the next day.

I can't seem to find the time or mental energy to go ride my bike, or even have a short run. end of the day is hard coz i'm so tried and hungry my eyes don't even look straight, not a good time to be riding. I sleep about 12 every night, more often than not 1, so i wake at 7 and by then its peak hour traffic. Also I find it hard to motivate myself if there is no destination. I used to have a 14km commute 2 ways, now its more like... 5km... i barely start perspiring and I'm already there. I don't commute everyday also, because soemtimes i need to bring back stacks of books or I need to go really early at 7am. So I take a taxi. It's a walkable distance but then i feel bad spending 45 mins walking when i have a pile of work to do (also its usually walking home and I'm just starving)

I know it just sounds like a bunch of excuses. But i'm just plain exhausted. Weekends I try to ride at least once, but then i have more work, and sometimes i need to go out, meet friends etc.

the lack of exercise makes me more stressed coz i have nowhere to vent physically, and i just keepputting on weight as well, no surprise there.

I dunno, but i think work can be pretty demanding and the exercise time hard to find.

I'm still perservering, trying to commute at least 4 times a week. and saving all the heavy stuff for the one day when i take a cab. I try to walk more. Bf's buying me an ipod nano (the new one yay!) so i have a new toy to take running. I am trying to sleep earlier and wake up earlier so i can squeeze in a run. I hope it all works out. (that said, i've been trying for 7 weeks or so without much success... theres always something to blindside the best laid plans)

deeaimond, your schedule sounds horrific!

Not to sound flip, but can this help?

trailer for heavy books +
something easy to eat (raisins/nuts/banana) available at all times
= commute every day = more energy and stress relief

You really need to find some way to refill your energy stores, not just deplete them. :(

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Originally Posted by lph

deeaimond, your schedule sounds horrific!

Not to sound flip, but can this help?

trailer for heavy books +
something easy to eat (raisins/nuts/banana) available at all times
= commute every day = more energy and stress relief

You really need to find some way to refill your energy stores, not just deplete them. :(

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It is pretty horrific.. and here people still think teachers have an easy life 'but you have such long holidays!!!!' (we only get 6 weeks a year.. compared to other teachers in other countries...and no annual leave, but i digress)

I didn't know what was really in store for me when i joined teaching. I think alot of my friends cope because they either have parents or domestic helpers at home to handle the housework. I live in a household of grownups but my youngest brother is a slob and its a struggle to keep common spaces clean.

Yup, I have lots of wheat crackers, fruit bars etc under my desk. I even eat in class in front of the kids, sometimes I'm that desperate. But dinner its like i just want something hot and dinnerlike. maybe i should just force down a fruit bar and go for a ride... then go home and have a.... egads! late dinner?

Another reason why I cab in to school some days is because my school has a rather strict teacher dress code. I am only allowed to wear PE attire (track pants, no shorts) on days i teach PE. So on the other days I need to change. On some days i literally cannot afford the time to change. Hence.. get dressed at home and then take a cab.

Thanks for your tip LPH, its not flip at all, its a good reminder and it helps to sound all the options out...

lph's advice for deeiamond is useful.

In my last job, I had a daily 80-km. commute --by a combination of bike, transit (with bike), bus and then 15-min. walk (after stopping midway on train ride to park bike at a paid locker). I did this for nearly 3 yrs. which meant leaving the house at 5:15 am. Didn't get home until after 7:30 pm....if I included my partial bike ride home from bike locker (13 kms.). I operated in partial denial that 1-way commute was over 1.5 hrs. It was the only way I could cope psychologically yet remain healthy.

But this did become harder in the winter where here we get alot of rain/not much snow. Winter months I never saw what the outdoor landscape looked like outside our home balcony. I left and came home in darkness.

I strongly feel that although the commuting ride might feel short /is shorter than previous rides, keep at it. It does make a difference long term for physical and mental health. It did for me...to survive the circumstances of my temporary contract job and long hrs.

And I stopped beating myself up at that time for not having enough cycling time during the work weekdays ...because 'lack of time' is just a point in time. A person's life changes if a person initiates the action in future.

For last 6 months, I've been making up for lost daily cycling that I lost in those years.

As for work dominating our life, yes I agree it does. But from my sister-doctor when she said good-bye to me last week: I see it all the time, a person dies suddenly. Just like that. (she works in emergency services at a hospital)

Just squeeze in your life the things you truly love to do.

I think the most important statement thus far,

Just squeeze in your life the things you truly love to do.

Hugs,
D