How to adjust to retirement: 6 tips

Retirement is one of the stages of life that, if not well managed at the beginning, can cause some forms of discomfort or even a true vital crisis. In a way, it's understandable; after having spent a good part of existence dedicating time, resources and effort to maintain a life project based on the fruits of one's own work, it is difficult to start living beyond the realm professional. In this article we will see several tips on how to adapt to retirement in the best possible way, squeezing all its potential and discovering several positive aspects of this vital phase that could have gone unnoticed.

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Tips on Adjusting to Retirement

Before you continue reading, you should bear in mind that finding satisfaction in the retirement stage is not simply about changing our attitudes, customs and beliefs; In short, it does not depend only on whether we are psychologically transformed. It also depends on the resources we have access to.

and, especially, if you have a support network, whether based on your own family or on friends.

Therefore, it should be remembered that loneliness and isolation, as well as poverty, are elements that do not depend only on oneself, but to which we can react to combat their effects. Being aware of this is useful, because it helps to understand that much of the unhappiness that some older people feel at retirement need not depend on the decisions they make. That said, let's see what are the main guidelines to follow to adapt to retirement.

1. accept what you feel

This is the first step, and it is more important than it seems. By itself it doesn't have to help us feel better, but is essential to progress. The reason for this is that not doing so would lead us to a dynamic of self-sabotage from which it is difficult to get out. For example, someone who feels bad but does not admit it will avoid thinking about solutions in the medium or long term at all costs. term, and will focus only on immediate objectives, which often leads to unhealthy lifestyle habits that in the long run aggravate the situation.

• You may be interested in: "Self-acceptance: 5 psychological tips to achieve it"

2. set schedules

One of the most common traps recently retired people fall into is assuming that the retirement is just the absence of work and a large part of the responsibilities that had to be taken care of years ago. As a consequence, passivity becomes the philosophy of life: spending a lot of time in bed or on the couch, watching television, socializing little, etc.

That is why it is good to act according to the idea that retirement it is not simply something characterized by a lack of paid work, but there must be room for qualitative changes in it, things that we did not do before because we did not know them or because we did not have enough free time for it. And for this there is nothing like following certain schedules.

Of course, it is not necessary to make these schedules about life in retirement very detailed; it is enough that they divide the day into blocks that serve as a reference so as not to waste time.

3. If you have a partner, talk about it

Many of the problems that arise as a result of the transition to retirement can appear especially in the married couples who have been affected by this change without first discussing each other's expectations one. If one member of the couple is retiring and the other is not yet, it is good to discuss how the relationship will change; and if both people become retired, you have to decide how much of the vast amount of free time you have is going to be shared and how much is not.

4. Don't lose yourself fantasizing about the past

Older people have a certain propensity to think that they "do not live in their time", that they belong to the younger generations. This idea may come suddenly with the onset of retirement, but it is still false. The role of the elderly You don't have to limit yourself to remembering, to living in the past. The day to day also belongs to them, and it is good that their daily habits are a reflection of this.

5. learn new things

Self-learning is always exciting, and retirement is a perfect time for this.

Without having the workload to survive, but with the psychological maturity and cultural baggage of an older person, it is very gratifying to start learning about any topic that is of personal interest. In fact, on the Internet there are interesting proposals that allow access to courses or free educational content.

6. Take care of yourself

Health problems can easily be transferred to the field of psychological problems linked to anxiety and stress. Therefore, it is good to practice moderate exercise, sleep well and eat well.