Trouble Adjusting to Retirement? 3 Tips to Help With the Transition

 
Struggling to adjust to retirement? You’re not alone. While many retirees are initially excited to leave the working world, some find themselves bored and lonely soon after. In fact, a study of 18,000 retired men found that their happiness levels crashed in the months and years after retirement. Some retirees may even be at risk of depression or anxiety.1
 
Retirement is a major life goal for many, and it should be a time of celebration. It marks the end of a successful career and the beginning of a new period when you’re free to live life as you like. So why do so many retirees struggle with the transition?
 
There are a wide range of answers. Some may feel that they lack purpose without a career. They may feel overwhelmed by an open daily schedule with no activities. They may miss their friends and social contacts from their careers. There are any number of reasons why someone may struggle with the transition to retirement.
 
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make the transition less difficult. If you recently retired or you’re nearing retirement, consider how you want to spend your time in retirement. Below are a few tips to help you make the adjustment:

Leave the house.
 
This may be the biggest step you can take to keep feeling active. Find a reason every day to get dressed, go through your morning routine and leave the house. You could find a meetup group that’s involved in an area of interest. You could take up a new hobby. Or perhaps you could meet up with an old colleague or friend for lunch or coffee.
 
The idea is to find at least one thing that gets you out of the house and keeps you active and social. If you stay home regularly with nothing on your calendar, boredom could soon set in. That could lead to feelings of depression and loneliness.

Develop a “yes” mentality.
 
When you’re a busy professional, you end up saying no to many requests. You don’t have time to have lunch with a colleague or go on that weekend trip with friends or play in the weekly golf league. You’re so busy that you get in the habit of saying no.
 
Once you retire, strive to find ways to say yes. Try to develop a proactive mindset and be open to new activities and events. Consider joining a club or taking a class in an area that interests you. Many areas offer seniors groups or retiree groups that coordinate social activities. While you may feel uncomfortable walking into a group or class alone, try to embrace a positive mindset that helps you attempt new activities.

Consider working part time.

You may think retirement and work don’t go together. After all, the whole point of retirement is to leave the working world. However, working part time could offer a number of important benefits. It gets you out of the house and gives you an opportunity to socialize with co-workers, customers and others. A study also showed that retirees who work part time are less vulnerable to serious illness and depression.1
 
Ready to develop your retirement strategy? Let’s talk about it. Contact us today at Carstens Financial Group. We can help you analyze your needs and implement a plan. Let’s connect soon and start the conversation.
 
1https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-07-28/can-retirement-be-a-depression-risk
 
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17859 – 2018/7/31