”So You’re About To Retire – What Next?” is a collaborative post. Please see the disclosure page for more information. Disclaimer – always verify medical information with your doctor or a professional.

So You’re About To Retire. What Next?

First off, I’d like to say, “CONGRATS!” You did it! You get to retire, and I’m over here trying my best to not be jealous. 🙂 Don’t be surprised if you are busier than when you were putting in 40 or more hours a week. After my parents “retired,” they’ve been going none stop with spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, traveling, helping others with different problems (like navigating the VA or helping setting up weddings for people with all the wedding decorations they have stashed in storage). When you reach retirement age, it doesn’t mean that you are ready for the scrapheap; far from it! You’ll have reached a point in your life where you don’t need to work for a living. Instead, you can enjoy the finer things in life and experiences you seldom had the time to do when you were working.

As you can appreciate, becoming retired can often be a shock to the system for many people. For a start, their daily routine is virtually non-existent, and most retirees aren’t sure what they should instead be doing with their time. Being of retirement age also means you may have some new health concerns to consider in the future.

Image Source

With all that in mind, the big question is this: what should you be doing next? Here’s a rough guide to give you some inspiration:

Get a health check-up

Once you retire, you will become a person of leisure. One of the advantages of that is you now get to lead a stress-free life – or in the least, less stressful than when you were working! Still, one thing you should do from a medical point of view is to get a health check-up. Doing so will ensure that you can address any potential health problems before they become serious. Plus, your doctor can give you advice on how to stay in shape and eat a balanced diet.

A health check-up also gives you the opportunity to talk about any existing health problems that you seldom had the time to do anything about when you were working. For example, if you’ve been experiencing a dull yet constant ringing sensation in your ears, you can get help and advice on tinnitus relief. And if you sometimes have pain in your joints, especially during colder weather, your doctor can prescribe you some medication to ease symptoms of arthritis.

Image Source

Set up a new routine

When you were working, you doubtless had a daily routine that you stuck to and followed almost religiously. But, now that you aren’t working, you’ll have a lot of free time on your hands! The thing about routines is that all people need them, regardless of whether they work or not.

If you don’t have a routine, you’ll soon find that you have a lack of motivation to do much. That can also lead to other problems, such as stress, anxiety, and even depression. So, with all that in mind, think of a new routine that you can stick to each day.

Spend more time with your friends and family

Now that you have a lot of free time on your hands, one way to make use of it is by increasing the amount of time you spend with friends and family members. As humans, we are social animals, and even those of us that yearn for solitude still need some social interaction!

Your time spent with those close to you can be as active or idle as you want. If you’re used to doing activities each day, you may prefer to spend your time helping with practical tasks.

Travel the world

Something that many of us wish we could do is travel the world, experience new customs, and learn more about the people that share the planet with us. Unfortunately, regular traveling isn’t something most individuals of working age could do due to work and family commitments.

The thing is, now that you’re retired, you have plenty of time to go on cruises or hop on a plane to vacation in sunnier climes! Plus, something you may not know is that travel costs for senior citizens are often reduced, even when it comes to flying abroad. So, now is the perfect time to travel the world – and you’ll even save money at the same time!

Do some volunteering work

If there’s a charity or local non-profit organization close to your heart, why not spend some time each week volunteering there? Regardless of your age, spending some time volunteering will give you an enormous sense of satisfaction. The feel-good factor that you experience also helps you feel healthier as well. It’s a win-win situation for all involved.

Become an educator

Lastly, if you miss working in your retirement, you could perhaps do some part-time tutoring or mentoring. You will have doubtless gained a plethora of skills in your lifetime, and maybe even qualifications in certain niche areas. Why not pass that knowledge on to the next generation and earn some extra cash at the same time? On the flip side, now is a great time to learn all of those things you have put off for so long. Ever wanted to learn a new language or learn more about a specific science? See if the local community college or university allows people to sit in on a class for a semester. Maybe you have been wanting to learn how to take photographs and start a small business in your spare time? Check out classes offered near you.

You’re about to retire! The world is your oyster! Time to go out there and pry open those shells to pluck out pearls you’ve been dreaming of when you were stuck behind a desk or cash register. I’ll be here behind my desk dreaming of your adventures so don’t let me down!