Accepting Retirement and Embracing Change
Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on September 08, 2016
Accepting Retirement and Embracing Change
Change is constant, and it is inevitable. It can be scary since there are usually unknown factors associated with it, something most people fear. Unexpected and significant change is the most difficult with which to deal. Change is best accepted and dealt with when it is gradual.
From babyhood onwards, people are constantly changing in many ways. Importantly, they are growing up and going through their age-appropriate developmental tasks. All the time they are getting older: This has been a relatively gradual change and, for the most part, not unexpected. Suddenly, however, or at least that is how it seems—they are being wished a happy retirement by colleagues, neighbors, and friends and asked where and how they plan to spend it. The new retirees are flabbergasted! How did they get to this stage of life? They do not seem to recall much talking or planning for it as the years were rolling right along. Nevertheless, here they are!
For those people who have not thought seriously about their upcoming retirement, this change has come suddenly, like a thief in the night. They cannot make the situation better by changing past actions since the past is, indeed, the past and cannot be changed. Their best actions should be to come to terms with the past and close the door on it. They must move on to their future proactively.
These newly minted seniors must first honestly and objectively assess their financial health as it will to a large extent determine their lifestyle. Based on their bottom line, they should decide if they can continue to live in their current residence, or even if they want to live there. They might even consider moving to a different geographical location. Some people living with cold winters
spend six months of the year in warmer climates at a relatively low cost. Some of these locations have senior communities with all sorts of activities. Some good friendships have been formed in them. Arizona comes to mind. Sometimes even though seniors’ budgets permit a basic lifestyle, a few extras are desired.
The help wanted ads to have a generous amount of temporary part-time job openings which even state that seniors are welcome. Not only do such jobs provide money for some desired extras, but they also help to fill the void that occurred upon retirement.
When the retired couple was in the workforce, involved in community affairs, had an active social life, participated in sports and, perhaps, was also raising a family, looking for the best grocery buys and uses was too consuming. Now they have the time—unless they have already managed to fill every time slot in their calendar! If seniors are fortunate enough to live in an area that has farmers markets and fruit stands, not only can they enjoy fresh produce during the season, but they can freeze some of these goodies for yummy winter snacks and dinners. One needs to be shopper savvy as well with all this abundance as there is often a healthy competition between the various fruit stands, the farmer's markets, and the grocery stores.
Unless seniors are housebound, they need not be lonely as in most places there exist senior centers, a Legion, and various coffee groups. If they, unfortunately, cannot get out and about there are health facility home volunteers who visit people once or twice a week—free of charge—in their homes.
Exotic trips excluded, people are traveling cross country quite cheaply. Camping trips seem to be getting more popular than ever, in part, because people have found ways to make their travel less expensive. Unless prestige is involved, people realize that they do not need those expensive $100,000 trailers. The Caravan seems to be gaining in popularity as people can relegate a portion of it to store food and a few other essentials and still have sufficient room to sleep comfortably. In remote areas, the drivers pull to the side of the road for the night. In some cities, the caravans, tent trailers, and actual tents are camping sometimes for up to a week on a Walmart parking lot!
So, if seniors have a generous amount of money to make their retirement comfortable, good for them. For those who have to watch every nickel, there are still many ways that if one is blessed with good health and friends that the senior years can still be among the best in one’s life. Just don’t have regrets and don’t look back: Look ahead!
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