How to enjoy your “Golden Years”
When you start thinking about what do to in retirement, your first thought is probably “nothing.” That’s the dream, right? Being able to do nothing if you don’t want to sounds fantastic, but let’s be real. Doing nothing can lead to depression and unhappiness.
There’s an art to living a happy retirement. You have to figure out what you’re going to do to occupy your time.
Here are our tips to enjoy your time during retirement:
Take the time to adjust
You’ve been working for a long time. Since you’ve had essentially the same routine for so long, there’s going to be an adjustment period you’ll go through.
At first, things might seem great. You’re living the dream. It’s a permanent vacation. But after a week or two the reality sets in. What do you do now? It might feel like you have no purpose or just be plain old bored.
You’re going to go through these different stages of emotion while you get things figured out. You have to come up with a whole new routine. Just make sure you’re not turning to an unhealthy habit like overeating or drinking too much alcohol just to pass the time.
Finding Your New Routine
After working for possibly decades and being able to do the same routine every morning, you now have to slow things down a little bit.
You can still make yourself a schedule, though. Lay out the things you would like to do for the day or the whole week. That could be anything you’d like. Maybe you want to work on your golf swing, start an exercise routine, or find out some ways to get active in your community. Whatever your ideas were for retirement, you can still do those things and make yourself a makeshift schedule so you don’t just feel lost in all of your newfound free time.
It’s all about setting goals for your golden years. Instead of a career that previously laid out many of your milestones or other goals, now it’s up to you to decide what’s important to do.
Learn how to manage anxiety
Many people will experience both excitement and anxiety when it comes to what to do in retirement. A lot of people are emotionally afraid to retire. It’s the end of your working days, but it can also feel like nearing THE END.
That’s not really the case.
Think about it. You likely have or will retire at around the age of 65. According to the CDC, the average life expectancy was listed as 78.7 years. You’re looking at about 15 years before you hit that, and many people live for 20 or 30 years after retiring.
You can do a lot of living in that amount of time.
Occupying Your Mind
So, the underlying issue still remains. Still looking for some ideas of what to do in retirement? We’ll get you started with a few:
Volunteer
Giving back to the community is a great way to find a sense of purpose and really make a difference in your area.
No matter where you live, there’s some type of non-profit organization with a cause you may be passionate about. There are food pantries, homeless shelters, environmental care agencies, and countless other causes. Spending some time with other like-minded people while accomplishing something you’re passionate about checks a lot of boxes.
Get Active
Many people fall into a sedentary lifestyle as they age. It’s easy to do, especially if the job you’re retiring from was a desk job.
The healthier and more able you keep yourself, the more things you’ll be able to accomplish.
Regular exercise can help your mental health, as well. Better if you start working out with a group of friends.
Join A Club
Find some local clubs to sign up for. That could be senior groups, a book club, a cooking club, or something dealing with any other interest you may have.
Find a club near you, and learn from people who already have a wealth of knowledge to share about the topic.
Relax And Enjoy The Ride
Ultimately, what to do in retirement is entirely up to you. It’s going to look different for everyone. Explore your options. Try out a bunch of different things. Just don’t get down on yourself if you don’t figure it out right away.
Take care of your physical and mental health, and then just roll with the tide. You never know what great new things you might get involved with if you keep an open mind.
Consider moving to an assisted living
It's a maintenance-free existence, meaning you don't have to worry about your safety and security. It's all taken care of. It allows you to focus on the things that really matter. Moving into senior living while you're younger and healthier allows you to devote more energy and time to your loved ones.
