March 2, 2023 —When it is time to retire, many people look forward to time to do as they please, but they don’t often think about how it’s going to change their lives after the fact. Older adults who retire have led full, engaging careers and for some, retirement can mean a loss of identity. They may find this difficult to handle, making the beginning of their retirement filled with uncertainty, depression and even anxiety. If you’re finding yourself in this position, you’re in good company.
“People should expect to face a range of emotions upon retiring,” says Cathleen McGaffigan, Director of Sales and Marketing of Kendal on Hudson, the only true Lifecare Community in Westchester County. “It’s a very large adjustment, going from working and being busy the bulk of the time to having time to do as you desire. It can be not only stressful, but also alarming, as you’ve been so accustomed to living this way for all of your working years. Fortunately, retiring provides you with the freedom to explore new passions, hobbies and social opportunities, ensuring you can slow down and enjoy your retirement while feeling fulfilled, engaged and free.”
Taking the Time to Slow Down: Enjoying Your Retirement
To make the adjustment to retirement easier, and to ensure you are fully enjoying it, it can help to learn ways to navigate your new normal. Consider some of the following ways you can better adjust to retirement and all it has to offer.
- Add some structure. A retirement routine can help you to plan your day while helping you embrace every new thing that comes your way. Sit down with your calendar and write how you’d like your day to go. Want to go for coffee with friends after a quick workout? Write out the time slot. Carve out time to enjoy some new hobbies and activities, ensure you’re spending enough time restoring your mind and body and consider the possibilities for volunteerism or leading a club or group. Pencil in your evening routine, too!
- Socialize. One of the best things about retirement is taking advantage of opportunities for socialization. Join a club, spend time with an old friend, make new friends around the community. Socializing can help to make retirement less of a downer and instead add some more fulfillment and joy!
- Create a new set of goals. Is there something you’ve always wanted to do? Set a goal to do it. Whether it’s traveling, reading more books, getting back into shape, excelling in a skill like woodworking or even just learning as much as you can, these goals can provide achievement and purpose. When you check one off your list, add a new one!
- Consider a new job. We don’t mean taking up a stressful new job! Instead, follow a passion you’ve always had. Do some work at a pet shelter, enjoy your love of books by working part-time at a library, teach children to paint! Anything that helps you follow your passions and get involved is a good way to help you slow down and embrace your new life.
- Give yourself grace to adjust. Retirement isn’t the same for everyone and it’s likely that everyone will take a little time to adjust. No matter how ready you think you may be, you may find yourself wondering what to do with all your time. Take it slow, enjoy the possibilities that each day holds and learn your own preferences. At the end of the day, your retirement lifestyle, and how you want to spend it, is completely up to you!
Contact Kendal on Hudson today to schedule your visit at 914-922-1000.
Together, Transforming the Experience of Aging.®
Founded on Quaker principles and guided by our values and practices, Kendal® on Hudson provides a vibrant, active and social senior lifestyle on our 25-acre campus next to the historic Hudson River. As the only Lifecare Community in Westchester County, we offer four levels of service for our residents: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Support and Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Services.
Kendal on Hudson is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors. Kendal on Hudson is an affiliate of The Kendal Corporation, a system of communities and services for older people based in Kennett Square, PA. We support diversity, inclusiveness, and independence and support the values and practices of Kendal by remaining focused on healthy aging. Located in Sleepy Hollow, New York, just 35 miles from New York City, we offer a vibrant lifestyle, cultural programs, continued learning and health care for life.
For more information, please call 914-922-1000.