Look forward to staying active during retirement

When someone retires, one of their biggest struggles is figuring out what they are going to do with their days.

Retirement is supposed to be an exciting time for someone. For years, that person has been working a job and now they are getting to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Before retirement, that person may have gotten up and worked their 9-5 job and went home, enjoyed some time with their family and went to bed. Just to do it all over again the next day. Sure, there are vacations and weekends, but most of your days were planned out because you had a job to go to each day.

But everything changes once you are retired. You don’t necessarily have to be up early in the morning to get ready for work. You don’t have to be at work at a certain time. You don’t have to stay at work until a certain time. Some people refer to retirement as, “Every day is a Saturday.” In reality, although every day being a Saturday sounds great, many people struggle with having that sort of flexibility. It is something that they are not used to. They may not have ever had that flexibility in their schedule. It is often said that when you retire, you need to, “Retire to something.” You need to have something to do in retirement. That doesn’t mean that you have to go out and find another job. It may be fishing, hunting, going on hikes, investing more time in a hobby, etc. The list can go on and on.

One activity that can be overlooked, but certainly is needed and worthwhile is volunteering.

Volunteering has many benefi ts to not only your physical health but also your mental health. According to Mayo Clinic Health System, those who volunteer that are age 60 or older have lower rates of depression.

Volunteering keeps you physically active as well. This in turn helps prevent loss of function as you age.

Staying mentally sharp is a key aspect of retirement that can be lost. Volunteering also provides retirees with cognitive benefits. Having ways to spend time, as well as learn new skills can help keep your mind sharp.

Having a sense of purpose is something that many may struggle with in retirement. For many, their job has provided their purpose for many years. Upon retirement, you may not feel sense of purpose, as you are no longer working. Many studies have shown that volunteering has strong links to a stronger sense of purpose. Having that sense of purpose has strong health benefits, both physically and mentally.

There are many different ways to volunteer. You can connect with a club like the Lions Club or Kiwanis Club. Others may volunteer at a local school. Some retirees like to help an organization that is near and dear to them such as a lake association, food delivery services, or animal shelters, etc. There are many different ways to volunteer and the benefits can be much more than just filling your time.