Preparing for Retirement Emotionally
In the movies retirement is painted as a relaxing ride off into the sunset, but the reality is that for many retirees it can be a time of soul searching more stressful than even the rat race of the working world. Look no further than our famous sports stars, most recently Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, saying goodbye to a way of life you’ve become accustomed to can be a nerve wracking-change of direction. Retirement shouldn’t be seen as intimidating, but rather as a relaxing reward for years of hard work. In order to ensure that you enjoy a fulfilling, anxiety free transition to the post-employment world, anticipate these potential problems and know how to solve them should they arise.Feeling a Lack of Purpose – After years of building towards certain career goals, sitting around with seemingly nothing to do indefinitely isn’t as novel and enjoyable as it was when it was limited to just a week’s vacation. It can be tough to break from a set mindset and routine, programmed from the time you are young that being busy and at work directly equates to success and self worth. In order to address this problem, remember that not being employed doesn’t mean having not having a purpose. Retirement is a chance to finally go out and do all the things you put off because you were too busy in your younger years.Loss of friends, loneliness As much as people gripe about going into the office, in most corporate environments people are forced to interact with one another in a generally cordial manner, with many close friendships forged through business. Retirement can mean a lot of time to yourself and pose a threat to work-based relationships. This can be rectified in a variety of ways whether it’s simply using your time off to stay in touch and maintain those relationships or pursuing hobbies/ joining clubs that will enable you to meet a variety of fascinating new people.Retiring Prior to Realizing Career Goals Some retirees find themselves looking back over their career with a sense of disappointment that they never achieved the lofty aspirations they held as young men and women. It is important to look forward in life, seeing retirement as the beginning of a new chapter in life, not the sounding of the trumpets to close out your final act.