Now that I am retired, I presume that I will be freed up from my former crazy schedule. However, I also have this feeling that this unstructured time I now have will be a little bit overwhelming. I know if I won’t be careful, an absence of purpose can surely lead me to boredom, depression, and relationship stress.
The way I see it, reaching retirement is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand after decades of following other peoples’ rules, there is this sense of relief that I will finally get to live the way I want. On the other hand, it would be easy to feel lost, fearful, or sad when reaching this important milestone.
As I work through these various emotions, I think it’s important to remember that life after retirement can be anything that I want it to be. I now have earned the freedom to chart my own course. But with freedom comes responsibility. Of course, no one is going to tell me how to get the most from life now that I am a senior citizen. It’s up to me to decide which passions to pursue, who are the people I want to have in my life, and which places to visit. Here are a few things I am considering now that I have retired:
Maintain good relationships. Whether personal or work-related, relationships are an incredibly important part of an enjoyable retirement. I have noticed that when people retire, they lose their built-in social networks of colleagues and acquaintances. Thus, to have a happy retirement, I will try to find ways to have social interactions in the form of service and fellowship. These interactions can be with my children or grandchildren, my Couples for Christ community, my co-workers in the Parish Pastoral Council, the Diocesan Organization of Renewal Movements & Communities, the Diocesan Council of the Laity, and my co-workers in DCCCO and the Cooperative Bank of Negros Oriental. Not only will this effort make me a happier retiree, it could also take me away from loneliness or developing Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.
Find hobbies. Many people forget to ask themselves how they are going to spend their time in retirement. Financial planners normally ask their clients this question as a way to help gauge what kind of discretionary income to save for, but those planning for retirement need to think beyond the financial considerations. In my case, I’ve spent a lion’s share of my waking hours for a very long time being at work and being a decent family man. In retirement, that enormous time commitment will evaporate. So how will I fill my days? Will it be at the DCCCO presiding a meeting? In church? Doing volunteer work? Traveling? Accepting again environmental consultancy work with international organizations or multi-national agencies? Or accommodating common requests from different sectors for me to run for an elective position to help address the current socio-economic, and environmental issues? I certainly think that busy retirees are happier retirees. So while retirement can certainly be a time to relax, it should also be a time do the things I enjoy most.
Stay active and healthy. The importance of one’s health when it comes to happiness can’t be overstated. In a recent study, having good health outranked financial security as the most important ingredient for a happy retirement. Health is both a financial and non-financial issue since significant medical expenses can put major stress on an otherwise solid financial plan. Not to mention, constant hospital and doctor visits aren’t exactly the same as lying at the beach or doing sport activities. While we can’t predict health concerns, the best step is preventive. I should take care of myself especially now that I am in retirement that means eating well, exercising, and taking charge of my mental health. Thus, to be healthy, I should take the effort to stay active.
Go back to work/Volunteer. But haven’t I worked my entire life for the privilege of not working in retirement? I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but bear with me. Studies have shown that people who voluntarily continue to work, even just part-time past the age of 65 are happier than their fully-retired peers. The effect on the level of happiness is the opposite when retirees are forced to work for financial reasons. While picking up a part-time job in retirement can benefit us financially, its advantages far outweigh the extra pocket money. The physical activity, social interactions, and even a sense of purpose gained from volunteer work all do wonders for a retiree’s physical and mental health as these are important factors in overall happiness and contentment.
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