Retirement means leaving the paid labor force. Many people think that it is a single event; a happy one if we are financially secure and are retiring voluntarily and not so happy if we are financially challenged and/or are being forced to leave our social connections and/or our professional identities behind.
I am voluntarily going to retire next year in August. I have been preparing to do so for some time, including the creation of this blog and workshops including humor, wisdom and retirement workshops for both those doing pre-retirement planning, and those who have already have already left work.
According to Robert Atchley, a highly respected gerontologist, rather than thinking of retirement as a single event, it can be better understood as series of adjustments[i]. Not everyone goes through all of them. See if any of the following three possible paths may reflect your experience. They are:
1. The honeymoon path is a happy time, especially for those with good financial status when a person attempts to do all the things that he or she never had time to do while working. Traveling is a frequent choice.
2. Another option is immediate retirement routine. Many of us already have activities besides work. For instance I volunteer and the local seniors centre and am creating a series of workshops that will not only benefit the community but also help me financially.
3. The last option is rest and relaxation during which individuals sit back, relax and catch up on their reading. This period may last several years and then we pick up on our previous level of activity.
Retirees may also experience disenchantment. Honeymoons don’t last forever. We may miss our work and feel a lack of productivity. Or we might experience the death of a loved one or be forced to move from our neighborhood and community. These experiences may last several years before we can return to our previous level of activity. In extreme cases we may experience depression. Fortunately the proportion of people who become depressed is reported to be quite small
The return to activity is seen as a reorientation period during which we re-evaluate our situation and become more realistic in our choices. We can then develop more satisfying routines.
In planning for retirement it’s important to remember that, as a society we are increasing our longevity. Retirement can last a long time. Do any of the above descriptions reflect you own experience?
I'm not sure about the "path theory" approach to retirement. I think it may not always be so clear cut. In my case (two plus years into voluntary retirement) I have experienced "honeymoon"-type feelings about being my own boss on an on-going basis. Relaxation(reading etc) and routine activities (volunteering, caring for elderly parents, painting, sports) don't seem to follow any fixed pattern most of the time. I spent an entire week last summer doing nothing but reading the Millenium series of three books (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series). It felt a little self-indulgent, but most enjoyable! I like the freedom to choose day-to-day and week-to-week how I'll spend my time.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of a “path” as a concrete description. I think of a path, or paths in the woods. I may never have been on the path but others have experienced it before. It may not be as expressive for those who take early retirement. You may be more like Alice In the Wonderland. In any case I respect your expression of experience. And since for the time being I’m only living next door to the forest, I’ll do some more investigations and get back to you on what I find.
ReplyDeleteI received this comment from Verian
ReplyDelete"I'm not sure about the "path theory" approach to retirement. I think it may not always be so clear cut. In my case (two plus years into voluntary retirement) I have experienced "honeymoon"-type feelings about being my own boss on an on-going basis. Relaxation(reading etc) and routine activities (volunteering, caring for elderly parents, painting, sports) don't seem to follow any fixed pattern most of the time. I spent an entire week last summer doing nothing but reading the Millenium series of three books (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series). It felt a little self-indulgent, but most enjoyable! I like the freedom to choose day-to-day and week-to-week how I'll spend my time."