Thread: The Retirement Blues

Chris,

My dad retired 20years ago. Apparently the first two months were hell on mum. Eventually she told him to get out of HER house as he was interupting her daily routine (after they were married she became a housewife) as she doesn't get a retirement.

He then started doing community work and ramped up his woodworking hobby.Even though mum has passed on he is probably busier now than when he was working.

But he still makes time for his grand kids. (god bless him)

BTW he's now 84.

After a couple of forced redundancies (IT Industry) I chose early retirement. I don't know how I ever found time to go to work. Between woodworking, photography, and grandkids I don't have time to scratch myself. We are also caravaners with a tinny on top so fishing is the go when we do the grey nomads thing during winter. Not this year though as we are selling up at the moment. However, SWMBO was concerned when my retirement first started. Always been a full time housewife (dirty word these days) and had her own routine and outside interests. Thought I would get in the way. Did not turn out that way and the routine stayed in place.

So, are you in the planning stage, or just started your retirement?

Chris, the main thing to do is to keep the brain working.
When I retired (I was living alone) I sat, and sat, and sat for the first couple of years, then when I began to do hobbies again I found I made lots of errors. My major interests are woodwork, photography, and gardening - I messed-up badly by letting my mind become lazy.

Good luck, soth

Much as the rest have said

Chris keeping busy even if its seeing the grandies or reading yes the females tend to feel their space has been invaded and time but you can grow closer together also more time for each other as well as yourself.

Now what's this about retirement your not that old, besides isn't work life open till 80 now

I won't be retiring for a few years yet but the question came up in conversation with someone who is retiring shortly. I too have been made redundant twice and was off work for 12 months at one time. I could never figure out how I was going to go back to full time work and it was a real drag when the time came to buckle up every morning and get going. Through that twelve months I was never bored and enjoyed every moment of it. I recently had 3 months off and again I was flat out all the time doing one thing or another. I know several people at work who have absolutely no interests outside the job and will probably have difficulty with retirement, one in particular is 70 and does not want to retire for that reason. I can't imagine not having hobbies, karting, woodwork, reading, photography, music and so it goes on will fill my time. I doubt I will do much travel as my wife is a homebody and so most probably won't want to do that and mum still walking this earth restricts me also as I am her only support.

What work gives you: structures time, a sense of purpose, and social interaction and sometimes affirmation.

Plan your retirement so you can get these outcomes and you should be right.

My old man worked hard all his life. He retired at 62, took up golf with the missus, bought a caravan and did a lot of travelling and took on a significant voluntary project with his church that used his management skills. He kept up with other retired colleagues in annual lunches.

In his 70s he expressed regret that he retired early, and my guess is that he failed to get a rich enough sense of purpose in what he took up.