A Ripple Winter 2022 article
“What am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?” is a question we all ask ourselves at some point and perhaps several times over.
You’ve been trained to imagine a “leisure-only” life after retirement. There’s all this hype about crossing the finish line and immediately settling into an epic retirement life full of zest, money, happiness, romance, and adventure.
However, studies have shown that the two most vulnerable times in your life are the first year after birth and the first 12 months after retirement.
You’re retired. Now what? If the thought of spending endless days trying to kill time is your idea of being a retiree, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate how to change it.
One the of the main reasons that you might not be “feeling it” is anxiety about retirement itself. The reality is that no matter how much you’ve been anticipating it, retiring from your job is a major life event that comes with its own set of both challenges and benefits.
On the one hand, you finally have the chance to pursue your dreams and do all the things you never had time for before. On the other hand, you may find yourself feeling disconnected and purposeless without a job to structure your days.
The latter makes retirement anxiety a real thing. And while society helps us financially prepare for retirement, it’s also a disservice because we tend to neglect the other aspects of life, such growth, community, health and giving back.
Transition into retirement with confidence
Many approach retirement with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. After years of working hard, you finally have the opportunity to relax and enjoy your retirement years.
Yet retirement is also a time of great uncertainty. Especially if you don’t have a set plan and you’re not exactly sure what you want to do with your time.
Below are some tips to start working with your anxiety. However, we recommend that it’s very important to find someone to talk to such as a good friend, a counsellor or a psychologist about your feelings. If you are not sure who to talk to, get in touch with us at ripple@oasislife.co.za and we will recommend someone to you.
- Pinpoint your why Try to identify the root cause of your retirement anxiety.
- Plan ahead Get organised and develop a retirement plan (beyond finances)
- Change your perception Focus on the positive aspects of retirement
- Redefine yourself Retirement is a chance to reinvent yourself and pursue new passions
- Set new goals Retirement is an opportunity to set and achieve new goals
- Add structure and establish a routine Living without any structure can be anxiety-inducing, so try to establish a daily routine.
- Connect with others Reach out to your support system and consider working with a professional
But what about your passion and reigniting your spark? Will you let your retirement be a time of only rest and relaxation, or will you use it as an opportunity to explore new passions, re-discover your purpose, and seek adventures? The great thing about retirement is that there are no rules, only those you make for yourself.
Here are a few things to consider when trying to find your passion:
Open yourself up to new experiences
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]If you think that sitting at home and repeating the same routine activities will help you with finding your passions after retirement, think again! Most people won’t fall in love with the first activity they try. Maybe it will take a dozen tries, maybe more.
It’s important to do the important introspection work of self-discovery and to step out of your comfort zone to experiment with different options.
Even knowing what you don’t want is a significant first step — but you have to give it a shot before writing it off. Your passions won’t just emerge overnight. You have to put in the effort and dedicate time to reflect on and try an activity for it to develop into a passion.
Expand your social circle
Think about the last time you met someone new. It might have been at a party, or maybe you just ran into them on the street. Whatever it was, you were probably curious about them and what they do with their life. And chances are, talking to that person made you feel pretty good – inspired, even.
Expanding your social circle can help reveal new passions and interests. When you meet new people, you expose yourself to new experiences and perspectives. You might even find that one of your new friends has the same interests as you and decide to pursue them together.
Being a resident at Oasis Life means that you immediately become part of an active community. You choose your activity and engagement level, but we ensure that there are a sufficient number of different activities for you to take part in, from happy hour, bridge, wine tasting, fitness classes and art classes to expert talks and braais.
You are sure to meet a friend, in fact you might have the most active social life you’ve ever had!
Try new things
Have you always wanted to learn how to with oils, play the guitar or take up baking, crafting or woodwork? There is no better time than now!
Look for someone in your area that offers the classes you are interested in, and if you’re not quite that comfortable to go alone, grab a friend to try out something new with you.
It also does not have to something permanent – have a look at all the local tourist attractions you might not have been to or perhaps there are short workshops on litho printing or ceramics that you want to try out.
Your new hobby might steer you into a wonderful new direction – opening your mind and a whole host of new friends.
Look to your youth
What did you do when you were a child or a youngster that made you happy? It’s time to revisit those activities and passions as they may hold the clues to reigniting your passions.
Research suggests your personality doesn’t significantly change from adolescence, and neither do your interests.
Your childlike passions are likely to take on new forms in your current life phase since you’re designed to grow, change, and develop throughout life, so don’t be afraid to explore your past for inspiration and clues. It could be the key to finding your future.
Be inspired by others
Among the many benefits of reading books and listening to podcasts is the opportunity to get your creative juices flowing. Dig deep into the experiences of others who have found their passions and follow their lead – not in the sense of mimicking their passions and interests, but in the sense of studying their journey of self-discovery to inspire your own unique process.
Exposing yourself to different ideas and approaches could shift your perspective and help you uncover new interests that are uniquely yours.
Step outside
Hundreds of studies have linked spending time outside to better health outcomes like decreases in incidences of diabetes and cardio-vascular mortality, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and better immune system function. In fact, these positive effects that are so well-documented that more and more doctors are issuing “nature prescriptions” to help treat a range of conditions from heart disease to chronic stress, depression and anxiety.
Dr. Keith Tidball, the author of Greening in the Red Zone and an expert on nature’s role in building resilience in humans after large-scale traumas such as natural disasters.
“We spent thousands and thousands of years among the rest of nature, that’s how we were designed,” he says. “It’s only in the last couple hundred years that we’ve become separate from it. But we’re compelled to affiliate with nature, which comes to the fore with urgency in times of crisis, because we associate nature with the healing aspects of hope and optimism.”
Even without any greenery around, spending time in sunlight and fresh air may help you feel better in mind and body.
Be yourself
Just be yourself and find joy in that! This goes for all stages of life, but especially during life after retirement. If you haven’t been able to express yourself fully and haven’t been fully you throughout your whole life and career, when will you then be yourself?
One very key ingredient to living an active, healthy, and engaged lifestyle is to be authentic. Allow your true identity to shine through!
Here’s to finding your passion to an active, engaged, healthy life after retirement.
(Source: Second Wind Movement)
