Introvert or senior behavior

Wendy51088

New Member
I'm 71 and lately I've been feeling like I just don't want to go anywhere. It's not depression and I am an introvert but this is different. When I do go somewhere it is such a relief to get home, lock the door and be at peace. I don't have health or mobility issues, I'm not fearful or have any issues that make going out difficult. Does anyone else experience this? Any idea what's going on?
 

No idea.

I mean I’m always happy to get home after I’ve been out, there’s nowhere more comfortable than my own home. My daughter’s house is almost as comforting, but still it quite the same as my own place.

I guess the difference is that so enjoy going out, even though I love being home.
 

. Does anyone else experience this? Any idea what this is about?
Nope. Just the opposite. I'm 75 and I would love to travel 4-6 months of the year. Wife and I only travel about 9-10 weeks a year as she is the one who prefers to be home. Not to be morbid, but there is only so much more time to be mobile and healthy enough to keep traveling, mostly hiking. I don't see the point of hanging around at home.
 
I’m exactly the same.

I enjoy it and don’t fight it but if it concerns you talk to your PCP.

It could very well be a form of depression if it keeps you from participating in things or isolates you from people that you normally enjoy.
 
Back to the topic, I think I would go nuts if I didn't have the ability to get out every day. I'm an introvert, but I look forward to doing daily errands and going to the gym. The A/C repairman is due out tomorrow between 1 and 5pm and I'm already bummed that I have to stay home.

I don't have anyone I socialize with except a 72 year-old Hispanic guy at the gym who always gives me fist bumps when I see him. He doesn't speak much English and I don't speak much Spanish but we can go through a short discussion about how we're doing and that's enough for me.
 
I'm 70 years old and have been retired for 3 years. I find that I want to go out less and less nowadays. By the way, I'm in very good health, knock on wood. I have no friends (all deceased) but I do have my hubby and our kitty. And I truly enjoy my hobbies. I find most people outside my family (brothers and hubby) annoy me. When I was much younger, I liked everyone (except criminals). I'm very anti-social now.
 
Reads like the OP has boring activities at wherever they are going, spending their time. The OP didn't explain what/where//when as though she expects it is some kind of general psychological issue for some retirees when they get home from outside activities. So I can only speculate in general, critical, terse ways that may or may not apply to her personally.

What is true is many people that worked 8-5 m-f, year after year, decade after decade, never really developed much of an active leisure or social life outside their career so upon retirement are suddenly lost, wondering how to enjoy their time or engage in worthwhile activities. Many never really had much physical activity fun, with many just weekly visits to a boring gym as thought that was what society expected working people to be doing. Otherwise, their lives away from career amounted to dealing with regular domestic tasks, taking care of family/pets, going out to local restaurants, enjoying occasional theater movies, and especially watching TV for hours and hours and hours each week.

When they traveled to supposed scenic places, they experienced those places through the mechanisms of usual paid tourist services that often treat guests with elaborate lodging, wine, and dining, but otherwise are no better than someone riding in a tourist bus riding for a couple hours while stopping for 5 to 10 minutes at various spots along some route. Ho Hum. Sure some people are fine with that level of occasionally being entertained as an annual escape from their annual work life, but not so for the more active lifestyle persons that have enjoyed their lives for years.

And then as they enter middle age, their sedentary body gradually begins shutting down, from both genetics, lack of use, and being overly fed, so by time they do retire, the possible activities they might consider are considerably fewer than when they were even 40. They read there are retired people that greatly enjoy world class travel and being catered to by services offered to the wealthy.

And pragmatically conclude their earlier decades dabbling with such vacations is not something they or most others can do regularly. And that they were just not one of the lucky ones making enough money for that to be possible year long. Yeah they went to Vegas last year hoping for a big winning but that was as far from reality as were all those endless weekly tossed in trash Lottery ticket stubs.

So wonder what else is out there that is any better than just staying at home, eating supermarket home delivered food, watching the tube in their favorite cozy chair, poking at their smartphone screen, and popping the cork on wine bottles?
 
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You’re definitely not alone. I think a lot of us reach a stage where home becomes less a place we return to and more of a refuge. It doesn’t have to mean depression or fear. Sometimes the outside world just feels louder, more demanding, and less rewarding than it used to. When you’ve earned your peace, it makes sense to protect it. As long as you can still go out when you choose and on your own terms, and you don’t feel trapped or distressed by it, this may simply be a natural shift rather than a problem.

I can relate to this myself. For me it isn’t sadness or anxiety, just a stronger preference for quiet and calm. Home feels grounding in a way it didn’t years ago, and I think that can be a normal change, especially if nothing else feels “wrong.”
 
Yeah, I don't really have any desire to travel, but I've been thinking about maybe getting out a bit more once the weather warms up.

It might be interesting to see some of the protests downtown, just for something new. I'm sure as hell not going to participate, but seeing things like that in person is much different than just watching it on the news. There's a light rail line that runs not too far from where I live, so I wouldn't have to drive down downtown and worry about my car getting torched. :ROFLMAO:

Also, I think my dog would love to go hiking, so there's another possibility... that is, if my knees can take it.
 

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