The gift of time

October 18, 2023 12:29 PM

I’ve just started a new job that is both work from home, and has early hours, usually ending sometime between 2:30 and 3:30. My commute one way used to be an hour, sometimes more, so I’ve just been given the gift of two extra hours of life every day!

The early ending hours also make it feel like even more than that.

So…..what do I do with all these hours? I’ve already looked into some classes and volunteering I’m interested in. When possible I’ll schedule doctor and other appointments (car, etc.) in the afternoon. Going on walks, exercising, and reading are on the list, as are some small house projects. But I’d love more suggestions!

Happy to hear suggestions for both inside and outside the house. I’m just not interested in any additional work/side-hustles.

posted by sillysally to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (16 answers total)

On the West Coast the beach is least crowded as the dinner hour approaches, hiking trailhead parking lots seem to empty out after lunch. Zoos are least crowded in the afternoon (though the animals are sleeping), museums are hit or miss.

Afternoon golf can be cheaper with a faster pace of play.

Inside the house, all kinds of arts & crafts activities are better with natural light in the afternoon rather than the dark of the evening. Quilting, cross-stitch, painting, sewing clothes.
posted by muddgirl at 12:37 PM on October 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: After 130 but before 330 is a sweet spot for lane swimming in public pools. The lunch break crowd is gone, the after school lessons haven't started yet.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:39 PM on October 18, 2023 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Maybe six months ago I started playing piano again after like 20 years away. I work from home and I mostly play during my work day - 15 minutes here, a half hour there. Is there an instrument (or any kind of artistic practice) that you've enjoyed in the past or always thought about trying?
posted by mskyle at 12:45 PM on October 18, 2023 [4 favorites]

A long project that your dedicate time to every day is wonderful and has a big payoff. I took up embroidery during the pandemic, and made a calendar with one icon per day for the whole of 2021, arranged like a pizza with a slice for every month.

But I mostly make tea towels for myself and generously tolerating friends. Here are a few (of dozens!), including the calendar.
posted by maya at 12:46 PM on October 18, 2023 [16 favorites]

Take the time to cook a really good dinner.
posted by mhoye at 12:55 PM on October 18, 2023 [5 favorites]

If you go to the movies, some theaters charge less for matinee tickets before 4pm.
posted by mochapickle at 12:56 PM on October 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

If you live within maybe 15-20 min easy driving distance of your nearest art museum or gallery, I strongly recommend it as an end-of-day palate cleanser after work. The ones near me usually close at 5 during the week, but if I schedule a visit around 3ish that gives me just enough time to see a new exhibit (usually a membership gets you in to see these free), or to just wander one or two of my favorite galleries and just enjoy a quiet sensory experience for a while before going home to make dinner.
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:06 PM on October 18, 2023 [4 favorites]

Journaling
posted by alex1965 at 1:12 PM on October 18, 2023

cooking but specifically something that needs a little bit of attention throughout the day...for example no knead bread
posted by mmascolino at 1:17 PM on October 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The winter hours are already upon us.
Get outside, or find places where you can enjoy the view from a comfortable seat with a soothing beverage.
Get out of the house. Get some sunshine on your face.
If you can do it with the company of a friend or a pet, even better.
posted by TrishaU at 1:26 PM on October 18, 2023 [5 favorites]

Best answer: At first: do nothing! Enjoy the gift of downtime. After a few weeks of adjusting to your new job and its new demands, and understanding your new energy level given your new situation, then try to slot in some of the excellent suggestions in this thread so far. I would personally start with exercise, but that's just me.

Basically, try not to feel like you have to or are compelled to fill all those newly free hours with something. It's OK to have some down time here and there, and to not have scheduled activities every spare hour of your day.

Enjoy your new schedule!
posted by pdb at 2:06 PM on October 18, 2023 [17 favorites]

I work a similar schedule. Part of what I do with the extra time in the afternoon is sleep! A siesta in the early afternoon is supposed to be good for you - but it also has the practical effect of allowing me avoid going to bed earlier than my spouse.
posted by rongorongo at 12:20 AM on October 19, 2023 [3 favorites]

Yes to doing nothing as a way to celebrate. Boredom is a gift (no phone, no internet, no "armour" against the day). This ties in well with the journaling suggestion, which I'd extend to mindfulness, meditation, and other things that really do seem to land differently when not wedged into the wee hours and/or crammed in just before bed.

I'm in a similar position and I'm also nodding in agreement with the musical instrument idea. I've just picked up a guitar and a MIDI keyboard at a weekend market and am building that into a weekly routine. It's kind of surreal to have daylight hours to give to hobbies especially in the early-dark seasons.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 4:06 AM on October 19, 2023

3 is often a lovely time to go for a walk.
posted by rockindata at 4:48 AM on October 19, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: One thing you might incorporate is what I call a "transition activity." When I moved from office work to work from home, I realized that the commute time was my wind-up/wind-down time and was used, in part, to de-couple from work thinking at the end of my shift. Once I started to work from home, I found myself thinking about work stuff during evening hours because I had not had a transition activity. So I started saving a favorite podcast to listen to when the workday ended (and sat and played stupid games on my phone while listening to it.) Pretty quickly my mind adjusted to the idea and it became my signal for my brain to put down work thoughts for the day. You might incorporate something like this.
posted by eleslie at 6:48 AM on October 19, 2023 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions! I really wanted to mark them all as best since I think (hope) I’ll incorporate some of each comment into my life in the future. For now I marked the ones that I think I’ll be able to try out in the near term.
posted by sillysally at 7:10 PM on October 19, 2023