I know for many of you, retirement seems centuries away. For others, though, it is right around the corner! I think most of us agree that we are looking forward to retirement, or if we are already retired we are thoroughly enjoying it. My dad entered into retirement a few years ago, and was definitely excited! However, he also had some concerns.
One worry was that he is going to become bored, isolated and less active. He even felt a little guilty because he wouldn’t be considered the “breadwinner” anymore (what a hard-working dad!). This is completely understandable, because up to the point of retiring, you had a place to go to every weekday at an appointed place and time, were constantly surrounded by people and you were getting compensated!
Today, I am pleased to say my dad is happily retired and found he had nothing to worry about! Here are some tips to hopefully eliminate all fears and to adapt to the post retirement years.
Have a great social life! Increase your social circles and stay connected to people. Often you create friendships at work because, let’s face it, that’s where you spent the majority of your time. For many people work was their only time to socialize with people other than their family. Make it a priority to make new friends by joining a club or association that interests you so you can share those interests with other people. Take a long a friend if you are uncomfortable meeting new people!
Make health your priority. You have worked hard all your life, so when it comes to retirement, you want to enjoy it! The last thing anyone wants is to be in and out of the hospital on a plethora of different medications and not be able to carry out your retirement plans. Examine your habits today and be sure to keep up with your routine annual visits to your doctor for check-ups. Also, look for techniques for managing stress like yoga and deep breathing exercises. This will help you create an overall sense of well-being!
MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! It is CRUCIAL to stay active while in retirement. Exercise is the key to making you feel better, and the better you feel the more you’ll want to keep involved and the better you look. Also, even though you can’t prevent aging and the problems that are associated with it, you can certainly prolong these problems with exercise. Exercising can even be a great socializing affair. For example, the L.E. Phillips Senior Center Fitness Programs or the Community Fitness Program at the UW-Eau Claire are programs offered right in Eau Claire and are great ways to meet new people and stay active!
Join a cause greater than yourself. Volunteering or contributing for the greater good will cause you to feel self-worth and fulfillment. Commit to something that is worthwhile and important to you. For example, volunteer at a homeless center, food pantry, church group, etc. Again, it’s another great way to socialize and meet new people!
Have a positive attitude! Maintain a youthful, energetic, and eager-to-live-each-day-to-the-fullest attitude. Don’t believe for a second that just because you reached a certain age you have to act a certain way. The more you love life and maintain a positive outlook, the better your feel and the more people want to be around you!
My dad was a great resource for me when I was writing this blog post. In fact, in his own retirement, he is using all of the tips I shared with you today. I hope you also found it helpful. Do you have any additional healthy retirement tips? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
Related Posts:
Subscribe to Groupie Blog to receive free updates on the latest health and wellness posts in your feed reader or e-mail!
0