What will I do when I retire. A recent survey found a recurring theme underlying all participants' ideas: Create a life purpose. You've got to have something that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. For more specifics see the following suggestions.
1. Attitude.
Expect to find what you like to do in retirement, take some aptitude and interests exercises, be open to opportunities and start looking.
2. Take time.
Relish life! Wander, contemplate, stare into space, watch birds and squirrels, nap in the afternoon.
3. Volunteer.
Volunteering is a source of friends, fun, life purpose, mental challenge and worthwhile giving. Try your church or temple. Tutor. Read to school kids. Teach adults to read.
4. Mind games.
Keep your brain agile by learning something challenging, such as the computer, Internet, mathematics, bridge, crossword puzzles; increase your vocabulary; learn a foreign language.
5. Get moving.
Exercise daily - aerobics, weights, stretches. Need motivation. Join a YMCA, gym, sports club. Garden, bowl, bike, hike, row, walk.
6. Intergenerationalize.
Of course it's not a word! But take time to baby-sit with young children, your kin's or the neighbors'; listen non-judgmentally to young adults so they'll want to be with you. Mentor the young.
7. Schmooze.
Make time for old fiends, and add a younger new one every year. Have friends over for dinner. Yak. Spend time with your aging relatives and friends.
8. Meaningful pursuits.
Take up a new hobby, expand an old one; sewing, reading, quilting, woodworking, jewelry-making, painting, sculpture, needlework, dance, substitute teaching, cooking for the homebound, providing transportation for non-drivers, writing your autobiography or family history, giving historic tours.
9. Travel.
Start with historic sites and museums in your own city, then branch out. Tour groups organize and drive so you don't have to.
10. Go within.
Take time to think about the meaning of life in general, and yours in particular. Calming your mind regularly promotes brain health and inner peace.
About the Submitter
This piece was originally submitted by Karen Laing, MS, RN,C, CHES, Life Coach, who can be reached at karen@karenlaing.com, or visited on the web. Karen Laing wants you to know: I work with healthcare providers and other caregivers to find joy and success by listening to the wisdom of their hearts. The original source is: Betty Booker, Richmond Times-Dispatch Staff Writer.
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