Article by Amy Carlini, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2026 February)
Judy Levenstein recently moved from her home in southern California, where she lived independently, to an assisted living facility in Fairfax County so she could be closer to her daughter. She looked forward to having people cook and clean for her, attending lots of planned activities and social events, and spending time with family. It’s a whole new lifestyle for her and she is enjoying it, but Judy is surprised by how overwhelmed and overscheduled she feels.
On the other end of the spectrum, some people eagerly count the days until they can finally retire and relax, only to find themselves unexpectedly bored, having difficulty adjusting to unstructured days after a lifetime of juggling work and family commitments. Having so much free time can actually feel stressful or even depressing.
It can be challenging, when we finally have the freedom to pick and choose how we spend our time, to manage it. It is also a great opportunity to think about our goals and values and how we want to budget our time during this next phase of life. Here are five tips to help you get the most out of your days now that you have free time:
- Make a budget. Think of time as a limited resource and determine where you want to make the biggest time investments – like making a budget. Set aside time, as you would set aside money, to do the things that are most important to you. Do you want to take a class? Do you want to visit with friends and family? Do you want to read or make art? Do you want to volunteer? Remember, “investing” in your health by planning time for medical appointments and exercise will ultimately buy you more time. To avoid “over spending,” save time to do nothing but relax by deciding how much free time is important to you each day. As your time investments begin to add up, you may need to make tough choices about what to prioritize.
- Schedule time to be unscheduled. Once you’ve made your “time budget,” make a schedule. Use a paper calendar or an app to figure out when to spend your time. It sounds counterintuitive, but for people who don’t like sticking to schedules, it can be helpful to block time on your calendar to be spontaneous. For example, you could designate one day a week to do whatever you feel like doing at the time, and avoid scheduling any other appointments or activities on that day.
- Control what you can. You are not in control of your time 24 hours each day. Do you have a caregiver who comes at certain times or do you rely on other people to provide transportation or accompany you to appointments? Share your calendar with them so they can adjust their schedules if possible or help you plan around their time commitments. Do you feel more tired at certain points in the day or in the evening, or are you awake in the middle of the night? You can’t always control your energy, but you can plan your time around when you need to rest and when you feel like being active.
- Take small steps. If this lifestyle of having leisure time is new to you, try some of these time tips for a few weeks or a month to see what works and what doesn’t. You don’t need to change everything overnight – and you can make adjustments as often as you want. This is about what feels best for you! Over time, you may find you have different priorities and you can tweak your time budget accordingly.
- No judgement. In your past, you may have been judged by how well you managed your time. When you get to a point in your life when you have the luxury of spending time the way you want, the only judge is you. Thinking about your priorities and making a plan may help reduce stress and can help provide clarity and happiness. Time is precious. Spend it wisely.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).