Retirement

If you could retire would you? Do you think it would help or hurt your mental health? On one hand going to work everyday forces you to get out of bed but the extra sleep of being retired would be nice. I have no hobbies so I guess I better find some. I would like to work at the spca and maybe volunteer at NAMI or something.

If you are retired did you stick to your plan or how did it change in reality?

I want to retire but I am afraid I won’t get out of the house and my health will just decline.

i am not sure i would if i had the chance. i am a pretty lazy person so i probably would! :O But i don't think it would be too much of a wise choice if you're still able to manage it. Of course, if things are getting hard, then no need to be ashamed in such a decision. It depends on the person! SEnding many Safe, warm hugs to BOTH you, @Crook32, your Family, your FriEnds and ALL of your Loved Ones! Keep fighting and keep rocking NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, OK?!

Well... this is a complicated subject for me. I don't think I can offer you much of anything in the way of useful advice. But I'll share my own experience with you. And, perhaps, there'll be something in it that will be instructive.

I actually ceased to be employed in my early 50's due to a combination of medical as well as mental health concerns. My wife supported us. (She had always earned more money than I did anyway.) I never really developed a plan for how I would spend my time. (I didn't have any real hobbies either.) But I just naturally assumed the role of a house husband since I had always tried to do my share anyway and I felt that if my wife was going to be supporting us it was my responsibility to keep the home fires burning, so to speak. I did pretty-much all the housework, most of the cooking, cared for the dogs we had during those years, and did home improvement & repair projects. So I kept busy. (Now I'm 72. So I am officially, so to speak, retired.)

On the other hand, as busy as I kept myself, there was still plenty of time for me to ruminate on all of the failures in my life as well as my (secret) unresolved transgender issues. And, as a result,

I did try doing some volunteer work during those years. But the difficulty I had always had getting along with people in a work environment coupled with my mental-health-related struggles, ended up tanking those efforts. And, after a while, I just no longer had any interest in trying again. So gradually I became increasingly reclusive to the point where, with the exception of still having my wife, I'm now thoroughly reclusive... an urban hermit, if you will.

Physically I don't think not being employed was ever a problem. In fact, I lost weight & was much more physically active than I was when I was employed. Of course now, at 72, I'm feeling the physical effects of aging. But I also think there has been a very gradual decline in my mental acuity over the years. It wasn't really noticeable for most of the past 20 years or so. But I've really begun to feel it's effects over the past year or so. I now struggle with a lot of generalized anxiety, fearfulness and (I suppose) depression although I still get up every day and do whatever needs to be done. I've also begun to experience some "symptoms", so to speak, that seem similar to what is referred to as "Sundown Syndrome". (Sundown Syndrome is often, but not always, related to senior dementia. So far, at least, I don't think I'm in the early stages of that.)

Would I have encountered all of the difficulties I encountered had I kept working? Of course there's no way to know. My inclination is to say I was probably headed downhill at that point in my life anyway and working, or not working, I was headed for trouble. It would probably have just been trouble of a different kind had I stayed employed. So that's what I can tell you about my experience of being retired (both unofficially as well as officially.) Hopefully somewhere within what I've written there's something that can be of value to you. Good luck!

Hi Crook, I had to involuntarily ‘retire’ when diagnosed and went on disability. That said, I eventually returned to painting, which I had majored in in college. I joined the local art association, volunteered, and served a few years on the board of directors. Now I have a studio in a building full of artists and still a member of the art association. So, I returned to an activity I loved, found a community, and gave back by volunteering. I highly recommend this manner of retiring - an activity you love and a community you can be part of.

Basically, I am retired. My husband and I have sold books online for 11 years, but that requires a fairly minimal amount of time from me. Sometimes I miss work, but not much. After I stopped working I did get into volunteering; I am a Connection group facilitator for NAMI (pre-covid). I am by myself (with my cats) almost all of the time (my husband and I live separately). I almost always have things to occupy my time. Chores and self-care (such as exercising). And I read a lot. And have pdoc and therapy appointments.

I don't think my mental health was any different when I was working than it is now.

I stopped working for a few years when I got on ssdi and very unstable. Then started volunteering at lcommunity mental health center nearby doing a crafting group once a week. I got certified as a peer support specialist and got at part time job at said center. Now I work in a staffed residence for same center and am going to school for social work!

Good post