If you’ve spent your life building your career, nearing retirement can be a very scary thing. While you might welcome a change of pace and be excited for less stress in your life, such a big difference can also be hard to cope with. But since you can always see your retirement coming, you can prepare for this event, even if it means planning for your life in an assisted living facility or getting yourself ready financially.
To help you with the more sentimental parts of this, here are three ways professionals should prepare emotionally for retirement.
Be Ready For A Tough Transition
Although you may recognize that you deserve a break after so many decades of working, making the transition from professional to retiree can be difficult.
According to Sharon Jayson, a contributor to AARP, most people say that the first 18 months of retirement are the hardest. During this time, recent retirees are simply trying to figure out what their lives are like now that they don’t have to go to work anymore and can’t rely on the paycheck they once were getting. But once you get past this stage, the level of happiness that retirees experience rising drastically, so try to stick it out as best you can until then. Another tough transition might be planning for any future care you may need, whether that’s how you are going to save enough money for this or researching providers like https://www.careforfamily.com.au/ so that you know who you may wish to get in contact with, should you need their services.
Plan For Your Purpose
To make this transition easier on you, what you really need to do is find some other purpose in your life outside of the career that you had before you retired.
Some options you might want to consider, according to Alessandra Malito, a contributor to Market Watch, could include things like volunteering, becoming a freelancer or consultant, spending time with your loved ones or family members, or taking up a new hobby that means something to you. Anything that can help you to focus your time and attention in a positive direction that gives meaning and purpose to your life will be extremely beneficial.
While you are thinking about this, you may also wish to think about what will happen to things like your finances once you have passed on, and how you are going to make sure that your family won’t have to worry about covering things like your funeral and any outstanding personal expenses. This is where having a good life insurance policy in place can really help, so it’s worth looking online to learn more about what your options are when it comes to this, and how to go about getting yourself covered.
Find A Way To Be Social
A big part of life that seems to be missing once someone retires is the social interaction that they once got through working.
To combat this void, Ron Carson, a contributor to CNBC.com, suggests that you try to join a club or group where you can meet with like-minded people to do something you enjoy. Even if it’s just once every now and then, continuing to be social is helpful for all retirees, even if you might feel like you don’t miss this aspect of working as much as others may.
If you’re worried about how you’ll handle being retired, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prepare mentally and emotionally for this new stage in your life.
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Great advice! I’m hoping to transition my husband into retirement over the next couple of years.
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Thank you, Sheree. Good luck to your husband!
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😎
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Thank you for that, I have my plans socially, fitness wise and working wise projects…. I think I won’t run out of stuff to do. Planning is all!
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Good for you, Ute. You are a role model of what retirement should look like!
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Damn. And here I am counting down the 35 years I still have to go xD. This is a transition I know I’m gonna be awesome at 😅😳
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Haha. Don’t be too sure. I was so sure that I’ll be happy to take a long break. I didn’t last more than 3 months before I’m screaming bored!
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Excellent, and totally to the point. I’m still trying to figure, but the pandemic isn’t helping…
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Take your time to think and mull on it, Bea. You have all the time in the world. Lol.
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Can it help to do the retirement gradualy. May be by starting part time first and building work off and retirement up?
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Definitely, Raymond. So even go into a quirky dream job of yours part time. Like a barista or a bartender. Something fun.
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“Retirement isthe silver-golden age
of joy, happiness, and relaxation
the ultimate vaction
to be carefree as when you werea child.”
_-Van Prince
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Well quote, Van Prince! Love it.
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Thanks
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Excellent and again very timely. Thank you.
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Thank you so much, Bryan. Have a wonderful weekend.
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Good advice, Kally.
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Glad you like it, Janet.
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Wondering if my “complaint” of being a septuagenarian prompted this post!?? 😉
Good advice for future retirees!
Actually have enjoyed the first year of real retirement; I finished my last house in 2016, but kept Alliance Builders for another three years, closing it in Dec, 2019.
The Wuhan Virus lockdowns have been comforting to me; less busy, more time for blogging, longer walks with my “bride” of 31 years. Still looking for excuses to NOT clean my basement! 🙂
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You definitely play a part and inspire this post. Lol! But mostly, I was thinking of how I should plan for my retirement. Probably won’t be able to do it until after I’m 60!
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Yet another priceless bit of advice.
Thank YOU my friend Kally
I retired at 62 (some 14 years ago); and transition really was not much of an issue. I had already long been involved in teaching my beloved Catholic Faith, so I just increased the scope of what I had been doing.
So even now Between Co-teach RCIA (Rights of Initiation for Adults); and my FREE to anyone interested Catholic Home Study Course; which I E-Mail each week: Building Blocks of The Catholic Faith….
Just contact Me at patrickmiron66@hotmail.com
It hasn’t been a issue for me,
God Bless,
Patrick
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Good to hear that you have a steady mission, a calling to fulfill, Patrick. Stay special and stay healthy, dear friend.
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Dear Kally, after retirement it took me one and a half years of uneasiness and strong feelings of loss – and then I got seriously ill (cancer). It took me another one and a half years to get healed again and then I understood that being alive and thankful for that is decisive. The painful and difficult illness startet in 2009. Since 2011, I haven’t stopped enjoying life. Thank you for your interesting posts. I enjoy reading them. Love from Elisa
P.S. The man on your photo is probably 80 years old!!!
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Big hugs, Elisa. I’m glad that you are enjoying life and as well as my posts. You are such a good supportive reader. Well, even at 80 years old, one is never too old to enjoy life to its fullest!
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Dear Kally, you’re right, of course. It just didn’t seem to match the subject. Big hugs, Elisa
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My only emotional attachment is the dignity of work. I don’t know how difficult it’ll be overcoming that, but I think I could learn to love being shameless. Lol.
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Oh well, you can try your hand at freelancing. Behind the screen, nobody will know who you are and how you look anyways.
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I’m sorry I’m not sure I follow?
But you know you are fast! I think that you’ve revealed the ultimate secret of success, being fast!
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Lol! First time, someone told me I’m fast.
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I’m a trailblazer! Ok sorry I’ll stop commenting now.
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Lol! Stay well, Tiege. You’re hilarious.
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That’s right, a great piece of advice. I’ve witnessed 3 big changes and even more exists which I am not aware, type writers are missing, ledger maintaining accountants, people that failed to adapt the changes. Big transition occurs very frequently and if we don’t adapt into that changes, future will definitely be more scary. In the end, it’s all about money, save when you can, also have fun, focus on needs and not what you want. Wanting is the only reason why majority of people with zero account balance. It can go on.. Like you said, it’s all in planning and adapting into the changes.
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Thank you for contributing your thoughts, Simon! How have you been? Still enjoying your job?
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I’m good. I like the job and I’ll take it positively for the opportunity. I always believe the one that adapts into changes can survive. I am not doing the job I supposed to do, I have joined for a different purpose and doing a different portfolio and still loving it 😊. tough time recent days, lost my FIL, lost my diet and unexpected weight increase and now back to workout, things are getting better. all is well. 🤗 Thanks for not forgetting me Kally 🤗
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My sincere condolences to your loss of FIL. As for your diet and increased weight, you are not alone. I think it is the effect of lockdown and not enough exercises. I’m glad you hear that your days are getting better. Do push on! You will achieve your goals if you set your mind to it.
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I am on it 😎Thank you for the advice the Kally ✨ Yes, increased weight is due to lack of workout and closed gym 😁 and back to workout these days, getting back to my new role again from Thursday 😊👍 Sure will stick to my goals with my MIND 😎 👍 Have a lovely week 🤗
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If you need help to stay focus, you can go to https://chape.fitness/. He is a fitness guru and a MiddleMe loyal follower. You can check out his website.
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So kind of you 🤗. I’ll check out right away ✨
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It seems this piece of advice is for me, Thanks Kally for your great work.
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Thank you so much for your comment and welcome to MiddleMe.
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Yes Kally the transition is a difficult process initially but once you settle in the groove then it is worth enjoying. Keep enlightening 👍
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Thank you for your support, Parveen.
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I think the mistake a lot of people make is to view “retirement” as an older-aged jump from one lifestyle to another as opposed to a transition to “self occupation”. If you think about what you would want to do if money wasn’t an obstacle, that’s probably a better way to look at things. Retirement isn’t about a particular age; it’s just a matter of the point at which one can match financial need to income while doing something personally rewarding, and that’s something different for everyone.
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Well said! Plus I think the instant change of lifestyle is just too much for most of us.
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“Retirement is a two side coin:
1. When you qualify for retirement do to age;
2. When you accumulate enough finance to retire regardless of age!!”
_-Van Prince
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Wise words! Thank you Van Prince! Stay safe and take care.
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Thank you as well and God is continuing to bless you!
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Excellent tips Kally . Depending upon the person’s financial status a light job or a fulltime can be picked-up. On weekends it’s good to to do social service and pay back to society even if its a modest.
Thanks and cheers!
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Thank you Dilip! Stay safe and take care.
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Thank You very Helpful tips
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Thank you so much Shishiveni for visiting and commenting! Have a wonderful sweet Sunday.
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Reblogged this on worldtraveller70.
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I started planning my retirement 26 moths out. I already had a lot of hobbies ad pursuits, reasons to get up every day. I planned a 7 1/2 week trip right after retirement, came back inn the depths of winter and threw myself into home improvement projects for the next 6 months. I soon realized I was treating retirement as a job ad in August, packed up the tools and started enjoying my time, reading more, exercising more, hiking, walking, biking and got more into my photography. It has bee a great 6 years. Cheers. Allan
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Nice! I need to follow your footsteps when I retire too.
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This is a very helpful post for the young at heart that will be retiring early, exactly, and late. Best to keep this saved. Thanks for this Ms. Kally
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Thank you very much, Lori. Hope you are having a nice weekend.
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When I retired I became an active volunteer in a couple of organizations in our community. I also started traveling and writing about my travels for my blog and local publications. Keeping busy is the key to happy retirement.
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I absolutely agree with you. Thank you very much, Bev. Hope you are having a nice weekend.
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I would make one other suggestion: private disability insurance. I did not expect to be forced into early retirement by health issues. That, however, was the case. The private disability coverage I had purchased in response to an earlier health crisis was an enormous help financially.
In the US, Social Security Disability — paid for by taxes on earnings — is available to all employees. But such disability payments are lower than the earnings on which they are based.
Private disability insurance must be purchased separately, and paid for out of pocket. For that reason though, benefits are not taxable. The additional income private disability insurance provided allowed me to maintain my standard of living when illness struck.
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Wonderful advice, Anna. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Medical bill can take out a huge chunk of our retirement savings, if not everything.
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Same to you Ms. Kally.
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This is great insight. Many individuals have a idea of retirement, but find reality to be totally different. I I think you and our readers will enjoy my post “Retirement Guidance”
https://reallifeofanmsw.com/2020/02/15/retirement-guidance/
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Thank you so much. Have an awesome week.
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These are some of the great tips! These can help many folks who are nearing retirement. I have heard of some people who become very depressed and start having mental issues after retirement. Yet if someone has planned before, one can overcome these.
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Thank you so much. Have an amazing day today. Smile and stay sane.
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Great Tips. Thanks for the Advice… 🙂
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Thank you so much and have a wonderful weekend. Stay safe and take care.
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