You’ve lived your entire adult life being very busy with balancing all the things you need to do – like work, home life, raising kids, and all the other things that come with being an adult and then suddenly you hit retirement age and you find you have nothing but time on your hands. This can mean you quickly become bored and restless and struggle to fill your days, which can lead to a lack of motivation or even being quite unhappy. Don’t fall into this trap though because there are plenty of ways to overcome this feeling of boredom and emptiness, however, and we’ve collected a few for you to try.
Let Go of Routine
You’ve probably spent a lot of your life having to be at certain places on certain days or at certain times and suddenly that’s no longer something you have to worry about. It’s the perfect time to let go of that routine and just enjoy the freedom of time you have now. You can do anything you want pretty much whenever you want and that means that every new day can be a new adventure. It’s important to remember that and treat your days like that – even if you’re in assisted living Chicago.
Seek Out Adventure
Of course, finding those new adventures can be tough, but not impossible. Now is the perfect time to do all the things you’ve put off throughout your entire working life. Have you always wanted to go on a long hike or start a time-consuming hobby where you get to meet new people and build or work with your hands? Why not now? You’ll have the time, so all you need is the motivation.
Get Out and Travel
You’re also probably not tied to being in your hometown all the time now, so it’s a great time to hit the road and explore. You don’t have to take long international flights if you don’t want to either – there’s probably plenty to see around you within driving distance that you’ve never taken notice of before. If you’re more adventurous, why not finally visit those iconic stops along the old Route 66road you’ve been talking about for years? There’s plenty of world to see, and nothing stopping you from seeing it anymore.
Keep In Touch with Family Often
Family is incredibly important and thankfully, we have many different ways to do so now. Organize a family holiday somewhere you’ve always wanted to go or spend time visiting with your children to keep in contact.
Even if your family lives in another state, with the rise and reliability of user-friendly video calling and instant messaging, you can talk to and engage with family whenever you want to thanks to this technology. We’re no longer stuck with only seeing our nearest and dearest a few times a year on Thanksgiving and the holidays, particularly if they live far away in another state. If your family is busy, arrange a time for a Zoom call.
Stay Social
There are so many really great ways to enjoy time with your friends as you get older and staying social and active in the community is very important for your happiness and to avoid the boredom and demotivation trap. Arrange a holiday with your friends or join a sports club or activity group together and enjoy your newfound free time with them. If you want to meet new people, join a club, take a class or volunteer at a local charity and you’re sure to bump into like-minded people.
Volunteer at a Local Charity
If you’re no longer working, getting that fulfillment of contributing to society is still possible by spending some of your time working with a local charity. You can volunteer to help with a feeding program or even combine some charity and exercise and take some dogs from a local shelter on walks in the park. There are so many different options to contribute to the good of the local community, you’ll be spoiled for choice on how you can make a difference.
Start a Small Business
Many retirees simply can’t shake the need to work, and that’s totally alright! Why not start a small business and put your many years of experience to use? You could offer consultancy services to businesses for a fee or make something to sell if you’re that way inclined. You could even go back to work if you can and really want to – there’s not much stopping you, and there’s no shame in finding fulfillment through work.
Keeping yourself busy and finding new hobbies and activities to fill the gaps left by stopping working and not having so many different things to juggle is the key to living a happy and fulfilled life post-retirement. Remember to keep both your body and mind active and you’ll be smiling all the way.
