Preparing to retire can be an exciting time. After many decades of work, the prospect of having your time to do as you please is an attractive one. However, it can also be a strange time of transition and mixed emotions with not everyone enjoying the change as much as they thought they would. Here are the different stages of retirement that many people experience:
Pre-Retirement
This stage can vary in length, from a couple of years to as many as a decade before the actual retirement begins. It is a planning stage where people tend to adjust their focus from their career to thinking about financial planning for their retirement years. While many focus on financial planning, emotional planning tends to get overlooked. What will you do with your time? What will make you fulfilled and content? This can be a time of excitement but also some anxiety.
Retirement
The initial excitement of this stage can last up to a couple of years. It can include feelings of relaxation, liberation and freedom. This is a time that is normally quite busy with holidays, spending time with friends and family and maybe even setting up a new home. For more information on Gloucester Park Homes for Sale, visit a site like www.parkhomelife
Disappointment
This stage may come as a surprise but many people experience feelings of disenchantment after the honeymoon period of retirement has worn off. With so much anticipation and excitement, when the initial buzz has worn off, it can leave people feeling flat and unsure what to do with their time. This is the time to plan for so it doesn’t lead to loneliness or depression setting in.
Getting back on track
This stage is about reorientation after the initial excitement of retirement has led to a bump in the road in terms of feeling disenchanted. This involves finding a new purpose, leaving the trappings of work behind and looking to the future in terms of activities, fun and friendship. Everyone needs a feeling of worth, purpose and meaning in life and retirement is no different. This time can be used to enjoy hobbies, travel, start a new business or study for qualifications in subjects you love but never had time for.
Stability
The final stage of retirement is being content and finding stability in life. Hopefully this stage represents a period of fun and feeling settled in life as the transition from pre-retirement should now be complete. This time should be about simple pleasures and relaxation. It’s also a time to consider staying healthy and active as health conditions can become a bigger problem at this stage. Retirees who want to maintain their health and independence might consider moving to a retirement village at this stage to enjoy activities and socialising.
Not everyone will experience each stage and some may experience elements more strongly than others but retirement is a considerable transition so the key to doing it well is to be kind to yourself.
