How to relax in three easy steps...?

Time off is so easy to waste, isn't it?

My day off is a nice concept, but it doesn't really work for me, for a number of reasons. First of all, it's so changeable. In theory it's meant to be Monday teatime to Tuesday teatime, like it is today. Occasionally, it's all day Tuesday. But it doesn't work, and here's why:

I love my job, and I love being around people. All the youthwork manuals say that I have to have a clear 24-hours with no prep and no contact. I'm sure it is the best thing to do for most people, but the problem is, I get bored just sat at home doing nothing all day, so to impose this model of time off on me actually feels quite damaging. What happens is that I sit at home stewing about how I'm not supposed to be doing any work and worrying about all the stuff that has to be done. I get frustrated then by not doing anything, so by the time Laura gets home from work, I'm in a foul mood and we usually end up falling out.

So I'm in the process of rethinking how I do time off. Far more important to me is having a couple of hours off in the afternoon (particularly if I'm working the evening). I need a couple of hours, 2.00pm-4.00pm, to myself in the afternoon to chill, think and maybe snooze. That time is far more important than this sacred one full day off.

I DO need to make sure I'm spending enough time with Laura, of course, so I have to have a minimum of two evenings a week at home (those days I'll forfeit my afternoon time!).

So I think I'm going to focus on doing those things, just working Saturday mornings and taking the rest of the day as standby time, and using one day a week to be non-office based, making a conscious effort not to do prep or admin stuff, but allowing myself to spend time with the teenagers if the opportunity arises. After all, that's my passion, that's what's in my heart and that's what gives me energy!

It's my "day off" today. Last night was a night off. Laura and I spent it watching Eragon, which my friend Lucy (above) has been raving about for weeks. It's a physical pain that I can never get those two hours of my life back now that I've wasted them horribly. Sorry, Luce! I just didn't think it was very good!

Anyway, I'm off to do some work... but only of the fun kind!