Retirement Transition Tips

Ah, retirement! Maybe you’re spending your time traveling, volunteering at a local organization, catching up with your family, or pursuing a new hobby such as playing golf, learning to bake, or cultivating a garden. Whether you’re a longtime pro at being retired or just starting, you know that a big life change like retirement can come with some big challenges, including stress, anxiety, and even depression.

If you have friends or family looking to retire soon, what personal experiences or advice would you share? Here are five tips that we’ve found helpful.

1. Recognize that you’re not alone.
   Take time to sit down with your feelings and don’t rush to do something out of fear. Talk with your spouse, friend, or other family members. Ask them to simply listen and not offer advice. Only you can find out what comes next.

2. Breathe!
   As silly as it may sound, practicing relaxed breathing, such as inhaling through your nose for a count of four and exhaling through your mouth for a count of four, can help you deal with stress by decreasing your heart rate and anxious thoughts. Focusing on your breathing occupies your mind and keeps you from worrying.

3. Go ahead and worry.
   Set aside 15 to 30 minutes each day to worry. During this time, allow yourself to worry as much as needed  then let it go until the next day. If worries come up outside of your scheduled time, tell yourself to save it for your worry time. And make sure your worry time isn’t right before you go to bed. It can interfere with sleep.

4. Take a step forward, no matter how small.
   We’ve all heard and possibly even said it — start small. Changing your entire life is difficult to imagine. So focus on one challenge. Do you miss interacting with others during the day? Make a list of people you could meet for a coffee or lunch and make it happen. Or you can choose a personal interest, such as reading or gardening, and find volunteer opportunities in your community.

5. Tap into your passions.
   Now is the time to focus on those passions you may have had to put off due to time. Or discover something new! Whether it’s improving your health and well-being by enrolling in a fitness class you never had time for or even exploring a new job opportunity in a field that’s always interested you.

Retirement is a big life change. Overcome the challenges one step at a time to create an after-career life you love.