Retirement is often a scary time for people. It can seem intimidating delving into the unknown and finding out who you are without your career. Many people wonder what they’ll do with their time when they’re not at work and can worry about becoming depressed or bored.
Although it may be scary, the fears that you may have are so much worse than the reality of it. In fact, it’s one of the best things that you’ll ever do for your own wellbeing. Don’t be afraid of retirement, it will do wonders for your health.
How It Affects Your Health
It will come as no surprise to you that retirement age can mean the start of your physical health slipping. Old age can come with some serious issues such as arthritis, osteoporosis, or even heart problems. Because of that, many people can be reluctant to retire since it may signal the start of that decline.
However, retirement has actually been shown to be beneficial to people’s health. Although we can’t say for sure whether it can affect your physical health, it’s proven to greatly improve mental wellbeing.
Why It Improves Mental Health
One of the main reasons that people’s mental wellbeing improved after retirement is, quite literally, because they’re retired. Without work, the stress that came with it is gone. There’s no more worrying and working yourself to the bone. Instead, you can simply sit back and relax.
Another important factor in this is because of sleep. Many people who work full-time find that their sleep schedule is suffering as a result. They end up going to bed late because they have so much to do and then getting up early for work the next day. Thankfully, during retirement, that’s just a distant memory.
Finally, most people who retire end up increasing the amount of physical activity that they take part in. Since a huge chunk of their time has now freed up, many people turn to sports, yoga, or hiking. And, as we know, exercise is a great way for people to promote positive mental health.
Making the Most Out of Retirement
Retiring isn’t about giving something up, it’s about starting a new adventure. This is a new chapter of your life and you should absolutely make the most of it. To do that, start by strengthening your social bonds. Since you won’t be hanging around colleagues anymore, it’s important to make sure that you have friends that you can turn to.
Another important aspect is to keep yourself busy. You may not be at work anymore, but that doesn’t mean that you need to be idle. Find a hobby, take an online course, or start your own project. Whatever you decide to dedicate your time to, make sure that it’s something that you enjoy.
Leaving work for good shouldn’t be scary. It really is an exciting time that you can take and turn into whatever you want. Furthermore, it’s proven to greatly improve people’s mental health. So, if it’s time for you to retire, don’t worry. This is going to be the best time of your life.
Do you know someone who’s retired or who will be retiring soon? Share this article with them to let them know the health benefits that come with it.
