SHARES
“Imagine you’re retired from work and you have all the free time. Your wife is still working full-time and your children are working overseas. Now, you are bored from reading newspapers and watching TV whole day long. What will you do now?” Sam, 65, has been challenging his friends with this question in his search for a meaningful life after retirement.
Retirement can be miserable if we jump in unprepared or unwillingly or on the other hand, a happy one if you are prepared for it. It can be as good as “stop working and start living!” However, it can be as bad as being lonely and isolated all the time. Understanding retirement can help you adjust well to this new chapter of your life and get the most benefit out of it.
Retirement – a Latter Day Concept
Retirement is an urban happening late in human history when a huge number of people start working full-time in industries and managed to live longer and longer. In order to maintain a workforce of high productivity, monetary incentives were given to encourage workers with advanced age to stop working so as to make way for younger and stronger labours.
The first retirement plan benefits people who live above 65 years which is the life expectancy at that time. However people live a lot longer nowadays and retirement is now a bigger phase of life. In fact, before the industrial age, people are actively working, surviving till death. Few who managed to live into old age were highly respected and held leadership roles in sharing their wisdom. Indeed, learning to adapt to retirement life more often than not has a lot to do with improving our life quality at old age.
Photo by socialmediasl444 on Flickr
Tips on a Successful Retirement
1. Do not rush. Reaching a certain age doesn’t mean you have to retire.
Retirement should be a free choice. You can explore transitioning retirement with a less physically demanding role without quitting or leaving the work you like. A lot of baby boomers do try around a few jobs with more time flexibility and less stress before retiring. During the process, they usually find new interests and activities that they would enjoy later in their retirement. These activities could change later depending on physical, social and emotional condition. Indeed, being forced to retire can leave you depressed and embarrassed. You always have a choice on how to exit your work responsibilities gracefully.
2. Explore your interest, enjoy your free time
Pick up your old hobby, interest, and ambitions that you gave up along the way as you commit more time and energy to your work and family. Retiring can free up time for you to pursue dreams and activities that are meaningful to you. This may include travelling with your loved one and family, taking care of your grandchildren or those in need, volunteering, gardening, painting etc. This is important because with so much free time, we can easily pick up bad habits like watching and snacking whole day in front of TV and even become anxious or depressed when we’re fixed in our thoughts.
3. Talk to people around you on retirement
Ask your friends about their retirement plan. Find how what they do with their free time. It may happen that you catch up with old friends, found a group of fishing buddies or help out one another at time when things are hard. You will get more new ideas and insights. This will also help you understand how others are coping and enjoying the ups and downs of retirement.
4. Plan your finance
Putting aside enough money for your retirement will give you a certain level of comfort and security. Preparing money for emergency, downsizing, getting life and health insurance cover as well as being smart and frugal with your spending can all increase your sense of control over your finance. With practice, you will get wiser and wiser in managing your personal finance. The ultimate goal is to have a peace of mind in your ability and knowledge to overcome all your financial hurdles. In the book “The Path Less Travelled”, you will read about a time when we have to accept and grieve for the loss of all sort of temporal power in life, including financial power.
Photo by Park Avenue of Wayzata from Flickr
5. Stay Healthy, Your Health is your Wealth
Keep active physically with regular exercise. Similarly, keep active mentally by challenging your mind. So, by being active in mind and body, you don’t lose them to ill health. Connect with family, friends and your community in a wide social network. Last but not least, eat right and healthy to fuel you body and mind.
Also read these articles to learn more.
Things You Can Eat to Live Longer and Healthier – Part 1
Things You Can Do to Live Longer and Healthier – Part 2
Conclusion
Life after retirement is generally a lot better, freer and healthier. We have more time and choices available as well as the freedom to select a balance of responsibilities and life pleasure. However, the early phase is full of anxiety, loss of identity and sense of uselessness. We can also be overwhelmed by the number of decisions we have to made. Get help from your friends, family, counsellor and doctor to get into your best mental and physical state for retirement.
Find a GP/Family Doctor and in Malaysia, on GetDoc
Find a GP/Family Doctor and in Singapore, on GetDoc
References:
1. Mark S. Understand if retirement is good for you. About, Inc. 2019. [Available from:https://www.verywellhealth.com/is-retirement-good-for-you-2223608; last updated on 2019 May 21; accessed on 2019 Jul 7]
2. Mayo Clinic Staff. Healthy aging healthy retirement [MayoClinic]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 2019. [Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/basics/healthy-retirement/hlv-20049407; last updated on 2019 May 11; accessed on 2019 Jul 7]
Tags
by Chang Xian
View all articles by Chang Xian.
