Retirement

What can you do in retirement to have fun?

Do you look forward to retirement? When you have been working hard and saving money for the last 40 or 50 years, you will be looking forward to the time when you will not have to wake up early to go to work. But after the first few weeks or months, it is very common for retirees to become discontent and even depressed. This is usually because they feel that their life does not have a purpose anymore. There is a sense of belonging that comes with having a job and if you were at your job for a long time, the chances are that you were in a position where a lot of people “needed” you on a daily basis.

So how can you make your life fulfilling when you no longer have your job to take up your time? Getting ready for retirement is really important. Let’s take a look at some of the secrets that will help you have a happy and satisfying retirement.

Expand your relationships

Grandchildren can offer a lot of fulfillment. Unlike your children, who are now grown up, you do not need to do any “parenting” with your grandchildren. Instead, you can listen to their stories, share their victories and comfort them when they are upset.

You can also reconnect with your old friends. These social networking websites, like Facebook, are not just for young people. You can use them to search for old friends! You can even contact your old high school to see if you can contact them that way. Another option is to Google them – you never know what your search results might reveal.

Volunteering

A lot of retirees like to use their time to give back to the community. Now that you have a lot of time on your hands, you can volunteer. You can enroll in a volunteer program or help out in a local soup kitchen. Whatever you decide to do, you will feel a lot more fulfilled when you volunteer.

Take a class or start a hobby

Your retirement is the perfect time to learn something new. There are places that offer classes that only have a few sessions that last a month or two. You could learn a new language, take a painting class or a cooking class. Always remember that you are never too old to learn.

When we have children or a full-time job, it is very easy for our hobbies to take a back burner. But now that you have retired, you can pick up your hobbies again. Maybe you like to knit or to paint. Or if you want to take this opportunity to get a new hobby, you can!

Writing

If you like to write, it can be a good idea to write journals or maybe even your memoirs. This is a great way to stimulate your brain and to relive some of your old memories. Your family will enjoy reading about your life and your thoughts.

There are also senior pen pals that you can find and share your stories. If you look on the Internet, you will even find online retirement communities that you can join. You will be able to talk to people from all around the world about anything!

Reading

The library is a great place to spend time. A lot of libraries now have websites, and you can go online to order any books that you are interested in borrowing. Some libraries will even send you an email when the book is available. Reading is a great way to keep your brain active.

A great alternative to books is audiobooks. These are available on both cassette tapes and CDs. You can put one on and sit in a nice comfortable chair in the sunshine and enjoy listening to a great story.

If you prefer buying your books, then you can buy them online for very reasonable prices. Amazon.com offers a huge range of books at low prices. Sometimes the amount that you will pay for the postage will be more than the price of the book!

Part-time work

It may seem a bit strange for some people to work in retirement when they are retired, but for many retirees, it is simply too difficult to stay out of the workforce. Even just a few days a week is enough to give a lot of retired people something to do and something to focus on. Also, you will be receiving pay, so you can put this towards planning a nice trip or maybe buying something nice for yourself. Working in retirement has become the new retirement.

Don’t dwell

Rather than dwelling on the past and the frustration that comes with getting older, think about all of the things that you have gained. With your age, you will have gained wisdom and with your retirement has come the amazing gift of time.

Find things that you can look forward to and move forward by living your life to the fullest.

Take a holiday

The chances are that in the last few decades, you have not had much time to yourself. You will have raised children and had your job to do. As such, you probably did not have much time to have a nice relaxing holiday.

There are some great holidays for retirees that offer fun get-away to locations all around the world. You will be able to visit the places that you have wanted to go to and also make some great friends with the other holiday participants. These types of holidays really let you unwind, as you will not have children or grandchildren to chase after. Instead, you will be able to enjoy some time for yourself and see a lot of new places.

When are you planning to retire? When you reach retirement age, the most important thing that you can do is to make sure that you have structure. You need to have something that will give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Your retirement years are meant to be enjoyed, so think about what it is you would most enjoy doing and go and do it. You have worked for so many years, now it is time to do something that you want to do. It is important to keep yourself both physically and mentally active so that you can have a productive and happy retirement.

Timothy Ng is a personal finance writer and has a real passion for encouraging people to compare credit cards to ensure they get the best deal. Check out his comprehensive guide to low-interest credit cards where he provides an in-depth overview and analysis, to help you find a better deal.

Comments

  1. Doable Finance

    If you have no financial worries in retirement, you can do the above and more. The problem is for many folks there is no retirement.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*