Month: February 2026

Although I have always loved nature, I have never really been a gardener. Of course, I have planted a few bulbs, scattered some seeds, grown a few vegetables, and even planted a couple of trees. But I never really thought about what I was doing. 

Perhaps it is something to do with my age, but every time I plant something it feels like a little piece of magic. How can those tiny seeds I scatter grow into beautiful flowers, and fill my summer with colour and perfume? It seems impossible to turn tiny seeds into tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, beans. How can a tiny acorn grow into a huge oak, and live for hundreds of years?

On It’s Way

Despite the cold, wind, rain, and frost, tiny little snowdrops are already putting on a delightful show, daintily hanging their heads. My wisteria is showing signs of buds, and my tulips and daffodil bulbs are slowly unfurling their leaves, showing me that spring is not very far away. A while ago I might not have noticed, but now they bring so much joy! 🙂

When I moved into my cottage the garden was overgrown with weeds, and full of rubbish. Despite me thinking I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own, I started in one corner and slowly worked my way around.

Learning from My Mistakes

Of course, I made many mistakes. Plants in the wrong place, too much water – or not enough. But nature teaches us well and, like most things in life, I also learned from trial and error, a little intuition, a bit of research, and a lot of hard toil.

The rewards for all my hard work have been so worth it. As well as watching my garden come to life, I have enjoyed listening to the birds sing, watching them make nests, and teaching their young to fly.

I have delighted in feeding them, especially through the depths of winter. Instead of feeling like an old lady living alone, I felt like a concerned mum, making sure my brood were safe and happy. 🙂

Spring Cleaning

Along with tending my garden, springtime seems to energise and invigorate me. Time to give the spiders their marching orders, and get rid of the delicate cobwebs that magically appear, hanging gracefully from the beams of my ceiling!

The gleaming springtime sun seems to make my windows look as though they were last cleaned about a decade ago. Obviously, I don’t want to miss a fraction of the sunshine, so I clean them within an inch of their lives. 🙂

Summer Wardrobe

Next I turn my attention to my wardrobe, what a joy to bring out soft, summer dresses and colourful clothes, after the thick chunky jumpers and dark leggings of winter.

Gone are my cosy pajamas and fluffy slippers, and out come pretty nightdresses and bare feet. My hair, covered all winter in a cosy hat, is let loose to flow or put up in a pony tail.

A New Perspective

Spring also seems to change my perspective on life. I am more positive, excited, happier. I look forward to lazy days in the garden, BBQ’s with friends, chatting over a glass of wine till the early hours.

I think the most miraculous thing for me is knowing that, whatever happens in this world, seasons come and go like clockwork, and this time next year, if I am lucky, I will be watching it unfold all over again. That’s what I call magic! 🙂

Join the Conversation:

Do you have a favourite season? Does spring put a spring in your step? What is your favourite thing about spring?

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Originally posted at: Gina Kirschenheiter’s Burgundy Fur Trim Jacket

Many women reach their 60s believing life will finally slow down. The children are grown. Careers may be winding down. There is an expectation that this stage of life will feel lighter, calmer, and more spacious.

For many women, the opposite happens.

Responsibilities do not disappear. They shift. Family needs continue. Work obligations linger. Emotional labor increases. Instead of relief, many women feel stretched thinner than ever. Over time, this constant sense of responsibility can quietly erode emotional well-being.

The good news? Emotional relief rarely comes from doing more. More often, it begins with the brave act of doing less.

Why Emotional Overload Is Common After 60

After 60, many women are still carrying roles they have held for decades: caregiver, organizer, problem solver, emotional anchor for family and friends.

Because these roles developed gradually, they often go unquestioned. We simply continue doing what we have always done, even when it no longer feels sustainable.

Emotional overload usually does not come from one major responsibility. It comes from dozens of small ones that never get released: appointments to manage, problems to solve, expectations to meet, decisions to make.

Over time, this constant demand on your energy can lead to exhaustion, resentment, and a quiet sense that there is never enough space for yourself.

The Hidden Emotional Weight of Responsibility

Responsibility is not just about time. It is about emotional presence.

When you are responsible for too much, your mind rarely rests. You are always anticipating needs, preparing for what could go wrong, and thinking ahead for others. This mental load can be just as draining as physical work.

Many women describe feeling tired even after resting. This is often a sign of emotional overload rather than physical fatigue.

Simplifying Does Not Mean Giving Up

Simplifying your responsibilities does not mean abandoning people or avoiding meaningful commitments. It means being intentional about where your energy goes.

When life feels emotionally heavy, it is often a sign that your energy is being divided too many ways.

Simplifying is an act of clarity, not withdrawal.

The Emotional Cost of Doing Everything Yourself

Many women were raised to believe that being capable means being self-sufficient. Over time, this belief can quietly turn into emotional burnout.

Doing everything yourself can lead to chronic stress, reduced patience, emotional withdrawal, and a loss of joy. It can also create resentment, especially when your efforts go unnoticed or unacknowledged.

Letting go of some responsibilities creates space for rest, creativity, and deeper connection.

Delegation as a Life Skill

In business, delegation is a well-known tool for sustainability and growth. The same principle applies to life.

Delegation simply means deciding what only you can do and releasing the rest.

This may look like sharing responsibilities with family members, outsourcing household tasks, saying no to commitments that no longer align with your values, or creating simple systems that reduce daily decision making.

These ideas are central to the work shared at The Simple Business, where the focus is on simplifying responsibilities so people can reclaim time, clarity, and emotional balance.

How Simplification Supports Emotional Health

When responsibilities are simplified, emotional health often improves naturally.

Women frequently report feeling more present, less reactive, and more connected to themselves. Anxiety softens. Emotional space increases. Decision making becomes easier.

Simplification creates margin. And margin allows emotions to settle.

Starting Small Without Overwhelm

You do not need to change everything at once to feel a difference.

Start by identifying one responsibility that feels heavier than it should. Ask yourself whether it truly needs to be handled by you, or whether it could be shared, simplified, or released.

Even small changes can create noticeable emotional relief.

Releasing Guilt Around Doing Less

One of the biggest barriers to simplification is guilt.

Many women feel selfish when they consider letting go of responsibilities. But caring for your emotional well-being is not selfish. It is necessary.

After 60, you have earned the right to choose how your energy is used.

Choosing Ease as an Act of Self-Respect

Simplifying your responsibilities is not about shrinking your life. It is about shaping it in a way that supports your emotional well-being now and in the years ahead.

Ease is not something you need to earn. It is something you are allowed to choose.

Let’s Chat:

Reflection doesn’t have to be heavy! Take a moment to think about these, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments:

If you could “resign” from one tiny, annoying household task today without any consequences, what would it be? (Is it being the only person who knows where the spare lightbulbs are?)

What is one responsibility you’re currently carrying that feels like an itchy sweater? How would it feel to finally take it off?

If an extra two hours of “me time” suddenly appeared in your day, would you spend it on a new hobby, a long nap, or finally reading that book on your nightstand?

Part of the reason so many women avoid dating online is that it feels like a waste of time. I hear that plenty as a dating coach.

By my back-of-the-napkin calculations, less than half the people (men and women alike) on online dating sites are there because they are serious (and ready) for a long-term committed relationship.

The ones who know that’s not the case and are honest in their profiles, saying things like, “I am looking for an activity partner,” or “I am dating casually,” or “I’m looking for a companion to do fun things with,” are not my problem. My problem is with the ones who think they are ready and available and present that way but actually aren’t.

They are the ones wasting your time.

Here are the 4 types of men you will find on the sites:

The Uncommitted

These are the guys who are looking for fun, companionship, and sex. They want you for entertainment and are willing to be entertaining. They will happily text you, tell you about their lives, take you on dates, romance you, and take you to bed. But when you want to get serious about how to intermingle lives, they are confusing, non-committing, or just disappear.

As long as they are upfront that they are in an exploratory phase of dating, they will do no harm to you.

Now, I think after a divorce or years of being in a loveless or sexless marriage, or even after grieving the loss of a great love, a period of non-commitment is very healthy! It’s a time to get out there, feel alive again, learn anew what you like, have experiences, and have fun!

However, doing it with people who are looking for a long-term committed partner isn’t cool. For men and women alike, if you’re looking for fun and activities, use Tinder or say so clearly in your online profile. Don’t bother with the serious sites like Match and eHarmony.

They Think They’re Ready, But They’re Not

These are the guys who truly think they are ready to find their new partner, but they can’t seem to stop talking about their divorce or texting with an ex. They wish they were ready, and they do not know how to get over their past or detach from their ex.

Some of these guys are experiencing a health crisis, actively grieving, or dealing with an energy-consuming family issue that distracts them. They want you to be the bright, hopeful part of their day, but they cannot give you their full heart or attention because they are just not ready.

These men should focus on meeting people in real life and having casual hookups, telling the truth about where they are in their journey. In fact, it will be better for them to take more time off from the dating scene and sort out the lessons from past relationships until they can tell them as stories of growth.

For these men, meeting new people may be a temporary distraction from hard times, but disappointing potential partners tends to rack up the kind of guilt they may end up holding against themselves.

If you’re looking for something long-term and you’re dating one of these guys, turn him loose with love. If you two are meant for each other, he’ll come back once he’s done his work.

Uses Dating for Therapy

It’s understandable that a lonely man would end up baring his soul to a kind and generous woman he met on an online dating site. But the problem arises when he does not consider HER purpose for being there and HER needs.

I often hear the story from men that they eventually turn off the woman they’re dating simply because she no longer wants to lend a therapeutic ear to his problems when the actual relationship was going nowhere.

If a man needs therapy, it’s better to get a therapist. There are also peer-led support groups and all kinds of meet-up groups, where a man can express himself and get supported, so that he doesn’t come across as emotional or needy in your dating life.

If you are dating a man who gets the huge advantage of your ear and your advice but does not provide the same in return, that’s a red flag. He may be sending you the wrong message about the future of the relationship because while you may be bonding, you may also be ignoring your other criteria for a healthy relationship.

It feels really good to help another human being, and that is surely part of dating and long-term relationships, but it shouldn’t be the primary driver with a new potential partner.

Looking for Long-Term Commitment

These are the men who say it on their profiles and who act like that’s what they are looking for. Some signs of this are:

• He can talk about what he learned from past relationships.
• He can speak vulnerably about his feelings briefly and without a lot of drama.
• You don’t see or feel signs of any other relationships hanging around.
• Attention is consistently and predictably available for you with no major competition.
• His language communicates a desire for long-term commitment and shows signs he is ready.
• He will talk to you about everything from the most practical things like time, money and logistics to the trickiest things like sex, past relationships, and “liabilities.”

Want help talking about the hard stuff? Check out Laurie’s podcast episode, How to Handle Early-Stage Conflict When You’re Dating Over 50.

If you’re reading this, you might be dating someone in one of these categories. By naming them, it’s my hope that the truth can be told faster so the right people end up with their suitable companions.

Wondering whether you know what you want in love after 60? Check out The 3H Method!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Which of these categories is most common in the men of your dating pool? Which category do you fall into? Do you think clarity in goals and expectations is important when dating?