Retirement can be a blessing or a curse, whichever way one may choose to look at it. For some, adjusting to retirement can be an easy process if prepared well in advance, while for others, the shock of having to slow down on a hectic, fast-paced life can be depressing. The process of retiring for men and women are not the same and is influenced a great deal by the number of years they have been working as against the time spent at home which is more common in women.
Listed below are ten tips to adjusting to retirement. This list might be beneficial for those who plan to retire soon, or for those who find themselves lost thinking there is now no purpose in life after retiring.
#1. Prepare yourself mentally for your retirement:
People who acknowledge the fact that they are heading towards retirement find it easier to get acclimatized sooner to a more relaxed life. Mental preparation goes a long way in building up self-confidence, positivity and faith in one’s ability to survive this difficult stage.
# 2. Relax;
Once a person has retired from his / her working career, it is time to take a break and relax. This does not necessarily mean that a person should spend his / her days idly, but it can be for a short period of time only. “Rest a while and run a mile.” You still have a lot more work and activities ahead of you if you want to keep yourself busy.
# 3. Avoid making decisions and changes to your life style:
Many find the shock of having to retire a depressing stage and can tend to make rash decisions, like selling one’s home and moving, investing in shares and bonds without thinking it over, or possibly even taking on strenuous part-time jobs just to convince oneself that one still feels ‘younger’. This can lead to severe medical problems like stress, heart related diseases, stroke, pressure problems, diabetes, etc. A lot of these combinations can prove deadly.
# 4. Enjoy family time:
The earlier phase of having to work and be the breadwinner of the family has robbed many an individual the luxury of quality family time. Spending time with your family can be a sure way of adjusting to retirement and also a time for healing, in cases of broken and hurt relationships between family members. This is the time for retiring parents to allow their children to pamper them and give them their so deserving attention.
# 5. Rekindle ‘young love’:
Love can be a healing and refreshing experience when shared with one’s spouse. This period of one’s life is especially rewarding and uplifting when one has the love, support and backing of his / her spouse. Take time to love, appreciate and acknowledge the best in each other. This is one of the major components required for one to adjust to retirement. There is no rule that says that one who is single and has reached a retiring age should remain single, hence this may also be an apt time to find that love.
# 6. Go on a vacation:
Although relocating is not advised at an early phase unless planned well in advance, a trip to some exotic destination or get-away is advised. One deserves the time to enjoy and refresh oneself either single if single or with one’s spouse / partner.
# 7. Bring out the child in you:
Chances are, by the time one retires, he / she may have grandchildren. This is an apt time to transfer all that parental love to one’s grandchildren which was not possible during the years of bringing up one’s own child / children. It is also noted that grandparents reflect the heart of the grandkids and are more patient, understanding and full of surprises that make grandparent and grandchildren get along in most cases. It is almost always noticed that there is a form of a ‘pact’ or ‘bond’ between grandparents and grandchildren.
# 8. Work if you want to:
Those who are retiring and have enough funds to divert to a self-owned business, may prepare well ahead for this. Retiring does not mean that one is not capable of working. There are also many options for one to work from home such as teaching, being a part of some charitable organization, or maybe even working online as a marketing affiliate, a writer, or the many online jobs that are so freely available these days on the internet.
# 9. Find joy in hobbies and creativity or a bucket list:
Hobbies can be a very refreshing and uplifting element in ones journey towards retirement. Use you hobbies to your benefit, to either spend time profitably as a means to earning, or to just find self fulfillment and satisfaction in doing something one ‘loves’ to do. This may also be the time to do something that one has desired to do for a long time.
# 10. Stay positive:
Although this is easier said than done, staying positive can be very difficult for those who have been used to being in control and energetic all their life. There are many ways to staying positive and researchers claim that people who are religious stay self motivated easier than those who do not focus on religion or a defined way of life.
People who go through the process of retirement need to feel the love and support of their family members, namely their children. It is a similar phase as when a child has entered school / college for the first time and the parents were there to support and encourage them. Elderly people, especially parents deserve the right to a fulfilling retirement, and this can be achieved if their children are made aware of such a phase that they are about to face. If all the above points are kept in mind, one can be on a successful path to a happy retirement.