Planning for a Fulfilling Retirement
We tend to spend a lot of time and effort saving and planning for our financial well-being in retirement. But there are other aspects of daily living that we can also prepare for and enhance to improve our quality of life in retirement.
Many of us spend more waking hours at work than we do anywhere else. Colleagues become our social network. Our job provides for our financial security—and if we’re lucky includes robust benefits to help us with our health needs, too. Is it any wonder that transitioning out of a workplace can be scary as well as exciting?
Mental health and retirement
It’s exciting to think about having free time to pursue all sorts of personal activities, no one to be accountable to, no pressures except those you impose on yourself. But once you’ve gone through the “honeymoon stage” when it seems like just an extended holiday, you may start to question your personal value or worry about how you can keep your brain sharp.
You may also feel:
- Loss of identity
- Bored
- Lonely
- Unmotivated to do anything
- Lower energy
- Depressed
Planning for your retirement journey
If you are reading this, it’s probably time for you to start thinking about how you want to live when you enter this next phase of your life. As you plan for your retirement, it’s important to think about:
- Relationships you want to maintain
- Activities or hobbies you find fulfilling
- Current and future living arrangements
- Activities you enjoy
- How you will maintain your physical and mental health
- Ways that you can make a contribution to your community
Consider what your goals will be and actions you can take to reach them. It’s never too early to start. It will help make the transition much easier and your future more predictable and enjoyable.
Resource
- Planning for a mentally healthy retirement | Workplace Strategies for Mental Health