Transitioning into Retirement

A year after Alice retired, she hit a wall. The former self-employed financial planner from Victoria, had intended to fill her postwork days with travel, but  once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, that was no longer possible. Reading, puzzles and all the other activities she tried soon palled, and Alice soon found her mood steadily worsening, alternating between sadness and anger.

Many retirees experience similar feelings once the novelty of no longer having to set an alarm clock wears off. “ We know from research that the honeymoon stage of retirement lasts about 18-24 months”, explains Wendy Lacroix, Retirement coach with your retirement Path. For some, leaving the work world and giving up a job title means loss of identity, and losing a sense of self and sense of one’s position in the world. If a person’s sense of self -worth is tied to a defunct title, “that could lead to depression.

Forging a new identity can be difficult with lots of unknowns, especially when you are unsure of what you will do when you retire.

So what is the good news? The early days of retirement are ideal for creating a new identity and sense of purpose. It is born out of looking deeper into your interests, strengths and talents, and aligning them with who you are and what you want to be. 

Don’t forget your partner has an important role in this too. You will need to openly discuss what you both hope to do as a couple and what you want to do individually. 

Remember whatever you decide to explore, nothing is set in concrete and you don’t have to commit to it forever. 

Interested in being a part of a chat group on retirement email me at yourretirementpath@gmail.com 

A year after Alice retired, she hit a wall. The former self-employed financial planner from Victoria, had intended to fill her postwork days with travel, but  once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, that was no longer possible. Reading, puzzles and all the other activities she tried soon palled, and Alice soon found her mood steadily worsening, alternating between sadness and anger.

Many retirees experience similar feelings once the novelty of no longer having to set an alarm clock wears off. “ We know from research that the honeymoon stage of retirement lasts about 18-24 months”, explains Wendy Lacroix, Retirement coach with your retirement Path. For some, leaving the work world and giving up a job title means loss of identity, and losing a sense of self and sense of one’s position in the world. If a person’s sense of self -worth is tied to a defunct title, “that could lead to depression.

Forging a new identity can be difficult with lots of unknowns, especially when you are unsure of what you will do when you retire.

So what is the good news? The early days of retirement are ideal for creating a new identity and sense of purpose. It is born out of looking deeper into your interests, strengths and talents, and aligning them with who you are and what you want to be. 

Don’t forget your partner has an important role in this too. You will need to openly discuss what you both hope to do as a couple and what you want to do individually. 

Remember whatever you decide to explore, nothing is set in concrete and you don’t have to commit to it forever. 

Interested in being a part of a chat group on retirement email me at yourretirementpath@gmail.com