The “Occupational Hazards” Of RV Life

A running joke amongst the RV community is forgetting where we are or what day it is, especially for full-timers, jobs that let you set your own schedule, or those that don’t have a “9-5” job with a fixed schedule to clock into. There have been several instances where I woke up and couldn’t remember where we were at, for the life of me. Or have tried to make a call, only to realize it was the weekend.

I know, it sounds like a great problem to have, but it can be a bit of a pain, especially if you need to conduct business, or if a random noise wakes you up that seems out of place for where you thought you were.

Here are some things we have found that help us remember where we are, what day it is, or what time of day it is!

LET THE OUTSIDE IN Reflectix and black out blinds are a necessary item to regulate temperatures in an RV, but can be misleading about time. Opening your blinds, and windows if it’s nice enough out, is a good way to remind your body and brain of the time of day. You can also set up chairs, or use the picnic table, outside and do some of your daily tasks out there.

SET DAYS Having set days for recurring activities like travel days, laundry, cleaning, or shopping can help keep track. Also, scheduling excursions or activities for a certain day of the week can help break your days up.

DAILY ROUTINES Doing the same tasks when you wake up, or before bed, can help your body know what time of day it is. Journal with your morning coffee or tea. Go for a walk before lunch. Sit outside at check in or check out time to watch people set up or leave. Read before bed. Reset your space between tasks as you transition. All of these can help create a pattern for your brain.

TECHNOLOGY With technology readily available, we can easily check our smart phone or watch for the day of the week and date. Many also have a 24 hour option (a.k.a. military time) to help distinguish morning from night. It can be a good part of your daily routine to check the weather for your location and get that reminder, either at wake up, bed time, or both.

CALENDAR A daily planner, wall calendar, or a fun daily calendar with quotes or jokes, or blocks to flip, can be a good visual display, and add a bit of fun or inspiration to your day.

PLANNED ACTIVITIES Planning excursions such as a meet up, a hike, exploring a local museum or park, or a date night, can help break up the days and distinguish one from another.

If you have other tips, leave them in the comments! While we don’t lose track often, it does happen from time to time, and we love new ideas to try!