For many, retirement is synonymous with freedom. For others, it represents anxiety and questioning.
Many factors influence our perceptions of life after work. Everything from our expectations, planning and preferences.
Several common challenges of retirement include:
- Struggling to switch off from work mode to living at a more relaxed pace
- Difficulty of filling the extra hours with meaningful activity
- Loss of our identity – from doctor, teacher, salesperson, electrician, driver – to something new
- Experiencing a decline in how useful, important, or self-confident we feel
- Adjusting our routine, or maintaining our independence, now we’re at home with our partner or spouse
- Some retirees even feel guilty about receiving money from a pension
The Center for Ageing Better found: (a) the more we have control over the retirement process, the more our positive adjustment to retirement; (b) positive attitudes towards the future result in positive outcomes. Negative expectations about the consequences of retirement often result in difficulties adjusting both for the person retiring and for their spouse or partner.
To help increase your successful transition into retirement, I encourage you to:
- Read books and articles about life after work. Attend workshops that deal with all aspects of retirement, not just the financial.
- Diversify your preretirement life in terms of your recreational activities, hobbies, friendships, beyond the world of work
- Take several years prior to retirement to build what I call a balanced leisure lifestyle; one that includes at least one activity in (a) entertainment (b) education (c) sports/exercise (d) travel (e) social activities (f) hobbies. (For more information, read my blog entitled: Building a Balanced Leisure Lifestyle)
- Create your vision of retirement including what’s making you happy, who’s in your vision, what’s your purpose, what will be your legacy? What will be your new title, (i.e., gardener, photographer, artist, avid reader…)?
- Reach out to your partner or spouse for support
- Talk to those you feel are successful in retirement and ask for advice and counsel
- Find a coach who can help before and after you retire. Coaches can plan a great role showing you how to avoid many of the retirement pitfalls
Remember, there is life after work! You just have to find it and make certain you do it right!
Rick Atkinson