Gone are the days of rushing to work, fighting traffic, meeting deadlines, skipping lunch, and working overtime. Retirement is the time to slow down, relax, and play. This is your reward for all your years of hard work. The question for you now is this: What are you going to do with your leisure time?
It’s quite common for new retirees to spend many months in at-home vacation mode. It feels great to not have to set an alarm. It’s nice to pull on jeans instead of a suit. It’s wonderful to hit the links when the course isn’t busy, to read the books that have been piling up on the nightstand. But can you image playing golf six or seven times a week, or watching TV for hours at a time?
In addition to attempting to live in vacation mode, it’s very common for new retirees to tackle the “honey-do list”. But even if you have a very long list, you’ll eventually run out of things that need doing around the house.
The Hazards of Leisure Time
When we run out of things to do, we often begin to lose our sense of self, our feeling of usefulness. We often also lose structure in terms of time, and largely unstructured days, for days on end, can have negative effects.
These negative effects tend to accumulate slowly and can be extremely difficult to recognize. This is just one reason why proactively building a balanced leisure lifestyle is so important. So just what does balanced mean?
Building Balance
A balanced leisure lifestyle includes at least one regular activity in each of these categories:
- Entertainment
- Education
- Travel
- Sports/Exercise
- Social activities
- Hobbies
1. Entertainment. Entertainment stimulates your mind and provides healthy diversions and amusement. Attending concerts, films, plays, sporting events, attending fairs, festivals, hosting dinners, going on a regular date night.
2. Education. You need to give yourself opportunities to learn. This not only gives your brain stimulation; it also energizes your sense of adventure and discovery. Examples include: learning a new language or craft, taking cooking classes, reading non-fiction, researching your genealogy.
3. Travel. Most successful retirees view travel as important. When we travel, we acquire different perspectives, we learn about our world and its people. Travel also helps us develop mental and emotional flexibility because we usually encounter the unexpected along the way,
4. Sports/Exercise. Every retiree needs regular exercise. Whether you choose to bike, golf, swim, fish, play tennis, do yoga, or power walk, you will benefit from some activity that helps you stay physically fit.
5. Social Activities. Interacting with others is important at all stages of life. When we retire, we leave many associations behind. It’s important to replace, as best as possible, the shared time you had through work with other social activities that provide fellowship. Joining a service or social club, or professional association. Remember to continue to develop your social circle – the important thing is to get out there and participate, socialize, meet new people, and make new friends.
6.Hobbies. Successful retirees emphasize the importance of having at least one hobby. . One of the greatest benefits is the pleasure of working at something without having any obligation to do so. It can be very satisfying to learn and refine one’s ability. Here are some ideas: painting, knitting, making wine, photography, gardening, beading.
Experiment & Adjust Over time
Be prepared to experiment with your leisure activity selection until you find the right mix. Be prepared to adjust over time, too, as the opportunities and your interests change. You might also need to adjust as your physical, or financial situations change. Don’t let new challenges deter you!