A couple of times a week, daughter Carolynn and I chat on FaceTime. We laugh and carry on for an hour or more. She never fails to ask what I’ve been up to that day. “Um-m…a load of laundry…and I watered the plants,” I may say.

“That’s it? That’s what you did?” She laughs and laughs.

Well, yes, it is! I think but do not say, Twenty years and you’ll understand.

Now that I’m just days away from becoming 85 I’ve finally acknowledged that I simply cannot do all the tasks I once did in one day. I have to rest between jobs or events. And now that I’m no longer a caregiver I wonder how I managed as well as I did at the time. Caregivers have enough on their plates to deal with, let alone figure out what else needs doing that day.

An article by Heidi Godman (Harvard Health Publishing) published in our local paper last October, suggests we boost and conserve our energy. No surprise to any of us over 65 that our energy levels decline as we age. As we get older illness can drain our energy, plus muscle mass shrinks. Older adults often have depression, a further drain on energy.

Prioritize. Plan. Pace.

It helps to think about what you need to accomplish in a day versus what you want to accomplish. The necessary activity takes priority. If you have a dental appointment in the morning, but a new exhibit at the art museum opens that afternoon, go to the dentist and skip the museum! If you’re like me, a morning dentist appointment flattens me for anything else that day anyway. Sit down with a good book in the afternoon and go to the museum the next day.

I used to make a prioritized list of the things I needed to do the next day. I no longer prioritize the list itself, rather I jot down the items as the thoughts occur and decide later which ones are most important—I use magic markers to highlight priorities. Inevitably, no matter where they are on the list, some things don’t get done, but they’re top of the list for the next day.

Planning my days is getting better, more suited to my age. If, for instance, I do several loads of laundry in the morning it’s OK to just water the plants that afternoon. Planning to bake something the next day? Here’s what I do: assemble all the ingredients the night before so everything is ready first thing. I go so far as to grease the baking pans ahead because that’s a task I hate.

Break tasks into smaller ones to pace your daily activities. These days I give myself permission to tidy my bedroom in phases in the mornings. I get dressed, brush my teeth and clear away the book I read the night before. After breakfast I might go back upstairs to make the bed, or I might walk the dog first. We walk for an hour, so often I don’t even think about the bed until later. I may not make the bed at all that day. My daughters were shocked at that revelation. Twenty more years, girls, twenty more years.

Don’t rush to do things as quickly as you once did, experts say. That leads to fatigue and increases your risk of falling. Plus it depletes your energy stores. Slow and steady wins the race, according Aesop. For years I was guilty of rushing around like the proverbial headless chicken. No more. I recommend that you be the tortoise, not the hare.

Of course maintaining a healthy life style is absolutely key to maintaining energy. A healthy diet is important as is at least seven hours of sleep. Doctors advise at least 150 minutes of brisk walking per week for continued good health. In other words keep moving. (Below see links for information on a wide range of healthy subjects.)

If you’re a caregiver for someone who has dementia or another dread disease you likely think you don’t have time to take care of yourself. In reality the better you take care of yourself, the better you can care for your loved one

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256#:~:text=So%20how%20much%20fluid%20does,fluids%20a%20day%20for%20women

https://www.health.harvard.edu/bloghttps

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323947#fruits