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Medical Video: Cook on Retirement, I had lost mental edge | Press Conference
Retirement is considered the right time to (finally) do all the things that are always coveted but never have the time to realize them. Many have big dreams, starting from choosing to live in beautiful rural areas away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city, open your own business, to travel around the world with pensions.
Actually, retirement decisions are more influenced by psychological factors than financial. The emphasis on financial planning is more due to the fact that many retirement presentations are provided by financial institutions, while finance is only one important element. You might be surprised to learn that many of the pensioners are overwhelmed by doubts that they are not really mentally and emotionally prepared to leave the professional world.
Be careful, retirement has a negative effect on mental health
The negative psychological impact on mental health associated with transition (for example, self-identity) can be a more expected end, given its consistency with dozens of scientific evidence about the impact of losing job stability among middle-aged professionals, even young adults. And the transition to retirement is of course a stepping-stone to the crisis of lifestyle change, given the main role of work and career that has a huge contribution to the lives of most people.
Reporting from The Conversation, a number of studies have compared the mental health of pensioners with middle-aged professionals who still show that retirees (especially men) tend to have greater severity of depression and anxiety than their colleagues. Retirees can be overwhelmed with so many foreign adjustments and choices that must be made when they start retiring. Depending on how tough someone's personality is, and the fact that aging can be a significant influence on self-confidence, some retirees may no longer believe in their ability to make the right decisions because there is so much at stake. Others may feel they no longer have the energy needed to follow up on their decisions immediately and fall into a decision delay and paralysis.
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For many retirees, the transition to retirement also includes being a parent. There is widespread belief that the elderly are not expected to return to work. Their "job" is to enjoy being retired and not working. If a retiree looks old enough, they might be labeled the "parent" stereotype that is assumed to be physically weak, difficult to hear, with blurred vision and slow comprehension. Even when these stereotypes are the basis for a genuine intention of helping, it can still hurt someone's feelings. Objects from these stereotypes can feel that they are deliberately pushed toward old age faster.
The reason for retirement, whatever it is, and the age at which they leave work, have all been shown to be able to affect mental health among retirees. On the other hand, many experts suspect that the poor mental health observed among many pensioners may have emerged earlier than his retirement decisions, which actually encouraged them to leave the professional world.
Which must be prepared to welcome retirement
Not all retirement groups will even experience a massive change in life in the same way.
Reporting from USA Today, to be better prepared mentally towards retirement, Nancy Schlossberg, a retired professor of counseling psychology at the University of Maryland and author of Revitalizing Retirement: Reshaping Your Identity, Relationships, and Purpose and Retire Smart, Retire Happy, recommends that you reflect on three main areas in your life:
1. Your true identity
Sometimes, the position or type of work is more attached to one's identity. Their work is part of themselves. When you leave the world of work, you also give up one aspect of your identity. For example, you usually introduce yourself with "I am the Director at ABC Bank," after retirement you will need to concoct a new identity: "I am ..."
Some people may be OK by saying "I'm retired." Over time, they may begin to enjoy more free time and find retirement as a pleasant change from the daily stress they experience at work. But others will be happier if they try to define a post-retirement identity that will provide the foundation for their daily lives and the meaning of their lives.
2. Your relationship with others
When you leave your work life, you often lose contact with people who have been part of your routine, so you need to develop new relationships. Start making acquaintances outside of work and engage in activities that you want after retirement. You might do it by traveling, being involved in voluntary activities, or gymnastics, said Schlossberg.
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Your relationship with your spouse or family can also change, because you might spend more time together. Sometimes, too much togetherness causes people to get bored faster and / or offended for little things with each other. If both husband and wife retire at the same time, for example, a problem might arise from who will use the telephone, computer, or TV first. Or retirees and their adult children may have different principles regarding family time or caring for grandchildren. Don't wait until conflict arises to talk about hope with your spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, and friends. Begin discussing to negotiate some new ground rules.
3. The purpose of your life
This is related to your identity. The purpose of life is what makes you wake up in the morning, your passion. Finding new life goals can take some time, and you may have several different missions or goals during your golden year, said Schlossberg.
You can ask yourself what you want to do in your life. Look at retirement as an opportunity to start a new chapter in your life. This might mean continuing what you have done on a different scale, or doing something completely different. For people who are in an authority position before retiring or for those who often travel long distances, this adjustment may feel more challenging. In this case, try taking other activities that can use your leadership skills or your trip.
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Retirement planning can be a daunting experience, frustrating for many people, which is why some people choose to postpone it. But with the delay there will be a loss of opportunity for better understanding, to utilize pension funds as optimally as possible, and to counter conflict. Those who succeeded in conquering the terror of retirement gained more than financial benefits.
Are you ready to welcome retirement?
