If you’re like most people you probably dream of the day you’ll retire. If you’re close to retirement you may have made a calendar counting the days until you’re free or might be planning a huge retirement party. You probably have plans about what you want to do when you no longer have to report for work everyday. What an exciting time! But it can also be a huge adjustment.
Although retirement is a joyous occasion it’s also a loss event.
Grief is the conflicting feelings caused by the change of, or the end in, a familiar pattern of behavior. Almost everything changes when you retire. ## Here are 6 common changes experienced by retirees:
- Missing a Sense of Purpose – For many people, their career part of their identity? That’s normal. When you go to work everyday you know what your responsibilities are and how you contribute to the whole. After retiring, some people struggle to figure out their new purpose because they had the same one for so long.
- Changes in Daily Routine – If you’re like most people you have some sort of daily work routine. You probably wake up at the same time for work, drive the same route to and from the office, and say hello to the same people every day. Getting used to a new life at home can be difficult, even while you’re simultaneously thrilled to spend more time at home.
- Missing Co-Workers/ Loss of Social Interaction - Going to work means you see the same people each and every day. You build relationships with everyone you work with even if you aren’t close friends. You might even miss seeing the barista where you get your morning coffee or the office security guard who always greets you with a smile. You might not interact with as many people during your day-to-day activities after retirement and that can be tough for some people to adjust to. On the other hand you might have worked alone, so it might be tough to get used to interacting with more people after you retire.
- Change in Mental Stimulus – Some retirees feel bored because they aren’t using their brains in the same way they did at work. Conversely they might feel more tired because they are using their minds in different ways.
- Change in Physical Activity – If you sat behind a desk for years you might be thrilled to retire and have more free time to golf or go for walks. If you worked a physically demanding job, such as construction, you might be excited to sit around reading books and relax while fishing. Whether you are more dormant or more active it’s a change in a familiar pattern of behavior and might cause grief.
- Change in Income – Changes in your financial status can be difficult. Whether you have more or less money after retiring you have to learn to live within different means.
Retirement is almost always exclusively associated with happiness, but it can simultaneously be difficult. You have to adjust to a new way of doing almost everything. One way to make the transition easier is to be prepared. You owe it to yourself to live the rest of your years feeling good. Find a Grief Recovery Specialist in your area today who will give you useful tools to say goodbye to your work life.
If you’re retired, what was retirement like for you? What happened that you didn’t expect? Is it still difficult?