We live in a work focused world – a world where you are judged by how much effort you put into each and every day. And indeed, despite the stress that comes from all that work, it can feel good to be that productive – to be someone people count on every day, who is earning money and keeping themselves busy and contributing to the world.
No matter what you thought of working, the change to retirement can be a stressful one, because something you did for 40+ years of your life is finally coming to an end, and you’re suddenly without a place to go, and without things to do.
How to Prepare for Life After Retirement
If you’ve just retired or are about to retire, there are techniques you can use to make retirement less stressful, including:
- Create Goals – Goal setting is an important part of living life after retirement. You’re free to do nearly anything you want to do. Having goals, whether it’s learning to cook, travel, or something else, helps keep you focused and working on things in your life, so that you’re not simply watching days go by.
- Be Social – One of the most common forgotten changes of retirement is that suddenly you’re going from seeing coworkers each and every day, to being alone with yourself and your family. Social support is one of the key factors in living a healthy life, and it’s also an important strategy for adjusting to life after retirement.
- Find Work – If you were someone that loved working, or poured your heart and soul into it, consider finding work. The truth is that working can continue to be fulfilling. You don’t have to work full time, but you can find some odd jobs, consulting, or training to give you something to do to continue earning money during your retirement.
- Be Healthy – Dedicating yourself to health and wellness can have a powerful effect on your ability to cope with change. Retirement has a way of making people “feel old.” But it also means you’re freed up to try to keep yourself feeling young. As long as it’s healthy to do so, dedicate yourself more to health and wellness, and you’ll find the transition is much easier.
- Take Advantage of Help – There are many places you can go to get help if you’re struggling with the transition. As a Long Island psychologist that has worked with many seniors over the course of my career, I can tell you that working with someone throughout the process can make it much easier to transition to retirement, because it gives you a person to speak to about the challenges, your worries, and more.
Retirement can be a great thing. Some people have been working for it their entire lives. But it’s also a huge change. As a Long Island psychologist, I’m happy to help you through the transition with my life transitions counseling service in Garden City and Lawrence, and make sure that your retirement is something you enjoy, not something you fear. Call me today to find out more.
