This is a life hack I offer for the benefit of anyone like me who is retired in the time of the great pandemic. When retired and limited in your opportunities for travel you may have experienced what I call the “what day is it problem”. You may have had to ask your spouse “what day is it?” and been worried this was a sign of cognitive decline. This is probably not the case and without a place to go or things to do the sameness has limited your awareness of the weekly calendar. Here is a solution you might try.
I came up with this brilliant idea when realizing that “garbage day” had become the highlight of my week. The garbage trucks (why there are so many is another story) prowl the streets on Thursdays here and for some strange reason this was reassuring and something I anticipated. I could take the bins out to the curb on Wednesday evening and after the trucks came on Thursday I could experience the satisfaction of having done something. Garbage day became the first marker in my week.
With this insight I began to identify other markers. Sunday would have multiple options. There was Vikings football day, but that would only work for certain months and I have found it is better to use a marker I associate with something pleasant to anticipate. So, I realized there was such an experience. It was “dutch baby day“. We have this treat for breakfast on Sundays and this was a reliable marker.
I found one other dependable marker. I have laundry day. You might know this as Tuesday. I do the laundry and wash the dishes. Doing the dishes does not work because it is not unique to a specific day unless you are a real slob. I am not allowed to be a real slob.
This should be enough. You need to have some flexibility in your life so don’t overdue this hack. Use the other days for what ever adventure may come your way. Rake some leaves. Shovel some snow. Cut some grass. Just don’t fall into a rut.