Retirement

Retirement, some dream of it as an eternal leisure paradise. Others fear it as a desert of boredom. To live it well, you have to prepare for it. Among the changes as psychologists cite the loss of the sense of usefulness, the fact that one no longer needs to get up in the morning, the disappearance of its network of professional relations.

The retiree is faced with regret for his old life. It’s kind of mourning. Then there will be nostalgia, sadness. In the most severe cases, psychosomatic symptoms, or even depression, may occur. “Recognizing these risks, some companies organize seminars internally for their future elders. There are employers in America who invite all its employees over 55 years old and their spouses to a workshop designed to help them cross the path from recognition to emptiness.

The higher up the hierarchy, the more difficult this step is to cross. A person at the prime of his / her life receives considerable marks of esteem. In addition, he invests heavily in his professional life, which occupies all his time. Most of his social life is at work. Overnight, this system falls. Success and compliments give way to emptiness. But the retirement marks the beginning of a new life and can be beautiful. We will discuss how to craft your retired life beautifully.

1. Prepare well in advance

The retirement is preparing for the fifties, warns Claudine Badey-Rodriguez. Behind the difficulty of accepting retirement, there is the difficulty of accepting the passing of time. The best tool is to cultivate one’s optimism by writing a notebook of small pleasures, for example. It is a turn of mind to exercise. Thus we connect to the positive and not the negative. Another element to anticipate is to be lucid. You have to be clearly aware of everything that will disappear so as not to be surprised or shocked. Then, put yourself in a position to welcome this new life serenely.

2. Do not take up innumerable projects at a time

The tendency to want to lead a thousand projects head-on is frequent. But it is dangerous because it is nothing less than a flight forward. Some retirees do anything to avoid the void. But the void, if it is there, always ends up catching them. Certainly, many activities and disordered fill the days. But they do not give them meaning.

3. Take stock of your dreams and values

So you have to take the time to ask the right questions. What do you like? What interests you outside of my job? What will make sense of my life? The answers are not obvious. Some have always been passionate about music or humanitarian. For many persons on the brink of retirement, these questions go down deep inside and walk in their company for several weeks before the right answers emerge. To take stock of one’s past, to put words on one’s dreams and to determine one’s core values enables one to build a new life project.

4. Develop a life project

When we are clear on our desires and values, we think about a real project. At this stage, you can learn about the different aspects of your idea, make the first contacts and identify what is possible and what is not. Experts often advise making sure to develop a realistic vision. And the implementation is done in the long term. In the words of an expert “We do not change forty years of life balance in three weeks”. You have to experiment, grope and then adjust gradually without getting discouraged.

5. Consider yourself in its entirety

Living well in retirement is not just about filling it with interesting activities. It is also healing your body by eating properly and doing physical exercise. And make sure to maintain social relations. “This period is ideal for sorting out friends and getting away from toxic people,” says Claudine Badey-Rodriguez. It is often said that the older we get, the less we make friends. That’s wrong. Finally, it is recommended to develop creativity and spirituality. It can be achieved through artistic activity, and also through meditation or yoga. No matter which vector you choose, connecting with a larger dimension than yourself can make sense of your life.

Conclusion:

As with many other things in life, the sooner you get started, the better off you’ll be. But even if you’re already close to retirement, knowing your options and making informed decisions based on your personal finances and goals will pay off in the long run. Downsizing, distributing and calculating a retirement savings goal, and refinancing a mortgage may not be fun, but you’ll thank yourself later for taking the time to prepare now.