Retirement provides people with action choices on how to best use their time. For some, the choices may include travel, more time to engage in athletic or recreational activities, opportunity to learn new things or develop more skills.
But what about the person who only knows work as a way to spend the day? What if satisfaction is gained from seeing a yard mowed, completing a task, or planning for new work assignment? How does this person handle the retirement years especially when health and an aging body complicate matters? Sitting in front of the TV for hours on end is not the answer. And one can only take so many naps during the day.
The answer is to FIGHT to develop a more balanced lifestyle. No longer should physical activity or athletic pursuits be considered a luxury. Rather, new physical and mental pursuits should be considered as a prescription for a healthy life. My older sister was one of those really smart people who got involved with computers in the early 60s. She was a physicist and worked with an aeronautic firm and did some projects for NASA. Upon her retirement, she continued her sedentary life and her only exercise was playing video games. In her later years, she became wheelchair bound. For a smart person, she was not very wise about taking care of her health.
Keeping busy is another way to keep engaged with life. Mental stimulation is important. Reading, writing, doing problem solving activities also help. It is amazing how letter writing can be a way to reach out to others. Getting your thoughts down on paper can help to clarify what you REALLY want to say. Keeping a prayer journal can help to articulate current situations and define what is of value. Reading a prayer journal later will demonstrate how prayers can be answered and problems resolved. Recording honest feelings on paper can help to stop the circular stream of consciousness which can torment us when we are troubled. Write anything and everything until your mind is empty. Then go back and survey the scope of what was written. You will be surprised by what you learn about what you were thinking, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Another way of keeping engaged is to associate with people. Choose whom you will associate with wisely. Don't linger with people who are Drama Kings or Queens, nor people who are Emotional Vampires. There is a limit to how much one can help others. If some people continue to sap emotional energy, it is time to move on. Look for people who resonate with a positive outlook on life. They don't have to have the same interests. In fact, it is fun to associate with people who are so different as it shakes one's thinking and perception. Look for people who are action oriented. Talk is cheap but if nothing gets done, talk becomes unnecessary noise.
Don't be afraid to do something different and out of the ordinary. Listen to music that your grandchildren love. Eat food that you have never eaten before. Talk to a stranger. Go to a parade. Read a book on a subject that you want to learn about. Don't be afraid of making a fool of yourself. The experience might give you some good laughs. Whatever you choose to do, go all out. No half-way, weak attempts. One hundred percent commitment that the new experience will teach you something valuable.
Finally, take time to count your blessings. Rather than focusing on what you don't have, can't do, or missed out on, be grateful for the little and major things that you have, have experienced, and can look forward to in the future. Gratitude will help to put your life into perspective.
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