How did you plan emotionally and psychologically for retirement?

CatGuy

CatGuy

New Member
Location
St. Louis, MO
I'm going to be retiring in about 7 months, and I'm curious as to how others have planned - or not planned - for the first days/weeks/months of being retired. Did you have a plan? Were you excited? Anxious? How did those first days/etc. affect you mentally and emotionally?

Thanks to all who reply!
 

Hello, and welcome. I retired in 2016. With me, it was different as I had to make the difficult decision to retire on disability, as I was no longer physically able to do my work safely or effectively.
So, for me there was anxiety, as to how we would be able to afford the cut in income. At the time, I was on my husbands health insurance, as that was not a problem. We were able to work out the finances, and did OK
To give perspective, if I had stayed working I would be retiring this year..age 66.
The first days were odd. Not having to go to work, or prepare for it. It did take a few weeks to get my head wrapped around the fact that I would no longer be working. But the time off gave me time to do more around the house, work on hobbies, cook more, etc.
My husband passed away a year ago, and I plan to do some traveling this summer...day trips and such.

I think you will get a lot of good answers here, all will give you good perspective.
 
Never planned. It came as an "early out" option and after a brief discussion with my wife, we went for it. (She hadn't worked in years, BTW) Didn't affect me in any way except for being happy to choose what to do, or not to do on a daily basis. It allowed us to spend a few months in Florida, each winter, and a few months at our daughter's cottage in Maine. That and the time spent with our fairly large immediate family was golden.

I didn't mind my job, got along with fellow employees well, but never missed a minute of it. IMHO. if time spent at one's job is preferable to time spent with family then, sad it as is, I suppose it's better off to skip retirement until one is forced out.

It'll be 28 years retired this coming July, and it's been a hell of a lot more fun than the previous 28 years. Wish I could look forward to another 28 years of the same but that's nor going to happen.:(
 

No plans for me! I was already unemployed and, since having an extremely hard time finding another job, but getting EUI, wife and I decided that I should go for my SS Early Retirement. I keep totally busy at home, on the computer or cleaning. Yes, while she worked a full-time job, I (as a man), was kept busy at home doing "Molly Maid" and "Mabel" jobs. Just call me: my wife's Driver, Maid and Bodyguard (LOL) and paid very well for it. Not salary, but lots and lots of love!
 
Hubby and I own a business. Over a couple of years we stopped taking new customers, transitioning gradually from full time to a day off a week to two days off, and so forth. Eventually we sold most of the business but kept our favorite parts going. Closed the warehouse in spring of 2016 and don't miss that aspect at all.

We probably each work a total of 100 hours per year between consulting, purchasing, and overseeing some manufacturing, mostly late spring/early summer. We hope to continue on this path for at least 3 more years, then reassess.
 
I retired when I turned 63 and was very happy, felt like a yoke was taken off my neck. I could have worked a couple of more years, but they were about to get rid of night shift and I didn't want to work the chaotic and stressful day shift (electric company office). I think you suffer more of a withdrawal if you love your work and will miss it, I didn't. I had just bought a newly built house and was excited planning to decorate the inside and planning and planting my bare back yard. So, I had plenty to keep me busy the first few months. I loved the freedom and fun of retirement. If you don't have hobbies, find one or two to keep you excited and/or travel if you enjoy that. Good luck!
 
I was so excited. I was counting the days,minutes and seconds. When I finally walked out of the door for the last time I remember thinking, now I'm ready for the next step in my life.

The following day I got up and thought, Wow! I have so much time, what am I going to do? Before I knew it I had the days filled with so many projects I'm still working on them and adding more.

I did like my job but never looked back.
 
Retired 25 years ago remember being happy to experience for the 1st. time in my life getting up when I woke up. Next would be not waiting for the weekends to get things done like mowing the lawn. No anxiety no regrets. We planned well including how to improve our health so we could enjoy many years in retirement.
 
Our winter months can be pretty boring for us, but when nice/warm-warmer hits, we will get our boat ready for the water, go to some Fairs and parades and so on. Funny, but when we lived in Florida, our life was pretty much the same, even with Florida's so-called "winters".

I absolutely love retirement, but wife would really like continuing to work, but...……..
 
ClassicRockr said:
Our winter months can be pretty boring for us, but when nice/warm-warmer hits, we will get our boat ready for the water, go to some Fairs and parades and so on. Funny, but when we lived in Florida, our life was pretty much the same, even with Florida's so-called "winters".

I absolutely love retirement, but wife would really like continuing to work, but...……..
Click to expand...
you barely took that boat out at all when you were in Florida Cody...don't tell porky pies... I do hope you get it out this summer tho' I presume your water in Colorado is fresh and not sea water ?
 
Last edited:
Catlady said:
I retired when I turned 63 and was very happy, felt like a yoke was taken off my neck. I could have worked a couple of more years, but they were about to get rid of night shift and I didn't want to work the chaotic and stressful day shift (electric company office). I think you suffer more of a withdrawal if you love your work and will miss it, I didn't. I had just bought a newly built house and was excited planning to decorate the inside and planning and planting my bare back yard. So, I had plenty to keep me busy the first few months. I loved the freedom and fun of retirement. If you don't have hobbies, find one or two to keep you excited and/or travel if you enjoy that. Good luck!
Click to expand...
I'll be 62 when I pull the plug, and I'll be very happy also! Putting together a plan to keep myself busy the first few months until I can get a better handle on what direction I'm going to take. I've got several hobbies I've been looking to get more involved in, and travel's definitely in the cards!
 
Plan? Sure I had a plan. I was going to sit in front of the window with my coffee and watch others go to work (I did). I was going to (and did) shopped until I dropped. I was not going to get on a GO train for a long while. I was finally going to go on that diet and walk and lose weight (I lost 25 lbs in a year and half). Read as much as I like. After almost 42 years at the same company, I was not going to think about work anymore.
 
hollydolly said:
you barely took that boat out at all when you were in Florida Cody...don't tell porky pies... I do hope you get it out this summer tho' I presume your water in Colorado is fresh and not sea water ?
Click to expand...

We did take it out, but not nearly as much as we wanted to. Just what can we say when the tide isn't right, there's smoke from local wildfires, rain and/or wind.
But, we did take it out and I have pictures of it out.
Yes, all of the lakes here are freshwater, holding some nice size rainbow trout. Will be getting our fishing licenses in a few weeks and re-installing our rod holders on the boat when it's warm enough to do.
Actually, Holly we went to the boat twice this week to clean the snow off of the full cover.
 
CatGuy said:
I'll be 62 when I pull the plug, and I'll be very happy also! Putting together a plan to keep myself busy the first few months until I can get a better handle on what direction I'm going to take. I've got several hobbies I've been looking to get more involved in, and travel's definitely in the cards!
Click to expand...
Must be getting a nice Pension and SS, hugh?
 
CatGuy said:
I'll be 62 when I pull the plug, and I'll be very happy also! Putting together a plan to keep myself busy the first few months until I can get a better handle on what direction I'm going to take. I've got several hobbies I've been looking to get more involved in, and travel's definitely in the cards!
Click to expand...
I was 62, 2 years ago when I took retirement. I'd had enough, of very long hours 10-12 hours per day , and I got all sorts of ailments due to it being so hard on my body , although I never took time off sick...

I hadn't actually planned to retire, but in the end my body made the decision for me.. I'm a young 64, but after retiring at 62 it's taken me these 2 years to try and get well again and it's still ongoing.. hopefully not for much longer... I'm still able to travel, but I can't go out as much as I always did and that irks the heck outta me.. so take my advice and retire as early as you can afford to.. and don't let your body take more punishment that it needs to...
 
hollydolly said:
I was 62, 2 years ago when I took retirement. I'd had enough, of very long hours 10-12 hours per day , and I got all sorts of ailments due to it being so hard on my body , although I never took time off sick...

I hadn't actually planned to retire, but in the end my body made the decision for me.. I'm a young 64, but after retiring at 62 it's taken me these 2 years to try and get well again and it's still ongoing.. hopefully not for much longer... I'm still able to travel, but I can't go out as much as I always did and that irks the heck outta me.. so take my advice and retire as early as you can afford to.. and don't let your body take more punishment that it needs to...
Click to expand...
Got that right, Holly!! (in red above)
 
worked as a carpenter and was laid off every now and again...ten years ago got laid off and just retired.....68 and am long term unemployed and loving it....yes, I have retirement income and for a bit worked at our local hardware part time.
 
Image may contain: one or more people and people standing
 
I was 59 when I took early retirement in March 2011,financially I could do so
I worked 3 days/wk for 27 yrs as a pharm tech at a local hospital My job was delivering narcotics to all nursing units/speciality units. It was alot of walking/lifting/paperwork
It was a difficult decison,I got tired coming home at the end of each week emotionally&physically exhausted. I was 'burned out',listened to my body with no regrets
On my days off from work{Tues&Thurs} I was volunteering in the mornings at 2 different places One was a local 'soup kitchen' was there on/off for 7yrs until it closed in 2012.I still volunteer 2 mornings/wk{Thurs&Fri} in business office at my church doing weekly computer tasks.I volunteer on Mon&Tues mornings at another org working in the office
It took me about 6-8 months not to get out of bed at 5:30am to get ready for work
I've kept a 'retirement journal',the 1st couple of weeks,I wrote in it once/wk.I don't do that any more but its interesting to read what I was feeling at the time
 
At 62, I took a long running start, hit the diving board and plunged head-first into the cool waters of retirement. I never looked back.

Two days later, I was on a plane to Hawaii. My house sold while I was gone and I got off the plane just in time to go sign the closing documents. Two days after that, we hitched up the RV and headed out to see America for a few months. I didn't catch my breath til the next year. I wasn't sure that I had done the *wise* thing, but after working my butt off for years, I was determined to do the *fun* thing while there was still some life in me.
 


Back
Top