7 tips to help you make the most of your retirement lifestyle
Retirement: It's something you worked your whole life for, so you need to make sure you're doing what you can to make the most of it. Sometimes, you may put so much effort into being financially ready to retire that you don't think as much about everything you might want to do to fill the days when you stop working.
As such, the following tips might help you identify and prioritise the things you're most excited to pursue in retirement while also staying happy and healthy in the years to come:
Have a conversation first
You're approaching your retirement age and you have a spouse or partner who will be retiring within a year or two of you, it's important to have a frank conversation about what you both want out of your retirement. Retirement can mean very different things to different people - some may want to dedicate themselves to working in their gardens or learning a new skill at home, while others want to play golf on a regular basis and travel.
There's no right answer to a great retirement lifestyle, but it's critical to make sure you're on the same page or can find a happy medium between a few different preferences so that you can enjoy your retirement to the fullest.
Make sure you can support yourself financially
Of course, it's vital to make sure whatever plans you've made for retirement are fiscally realistic. You've undoubtedly done a lot of work to make sure you can live comfortably on a fixed income for years down the road but speaking with financial experts to make sure you're prepared for just about any eventuality is a must.
Make more connections with loved ones - and other retirees
Another important part of retirement life is to maintain your social connections or even build new ones. If you're not going into the office every day, your chances to socialise may dry up quicker than you realise, so it's important to find people you can talk to in everyday life. That could be your children and grandchildren, or other family members, or perhaps some other retirees who share your interests.
Staying social can be something as simple as going out to dinner with friends once a week and making time to talk on the phone or video chat, but it's critical to a joyful retirement. Simply put, it's important to have a welcoming community for day-to-day connections.
Keep a schedule or make a routine
When you retire and you don't have to get up for work anymore, it may feel like every day's the weekend. And while you can now certainly afford to make a slow start to the day every once in a while, it's still important to have things to do and look forward to. One great avenue many older people like to explore is volunteering with local organisations once or twice a week, even if it's just for a few hours.
Here, too, you don't have to make elaborate plans, but getting together with some friends to watch sports, joining a club with weekly meetings and otherwise having somewhere to be at least a few times a week is great for your mental health.
Dedicate yourself to physical fitness
Just about anyone who's been retired for a few years or more will tell you that one of the keys to staying happy and healthy in your retirement is to remain active. You certainly don't have to start training for a marathon but taking a walk to the store down the street once a day or taking up a relatively low-impact sport like golf or tennis is a great way to keep yourself moving and stay in better shape.
If you have access to exercise equipment in your home or at a nearby gym, that's another great way to stay in shape. It can also be smart to find fitness classes specifically for older people, such as yoga or aerobics. This not only helps you stay in shape, but allows you to keep a routine and interact with others more regularly.
Try to keep learning
Just because you're retired doesn't mean you know everything there is to know. Pursuing new aspects of life can be a great way to spice up your retirement. That can be something like returning to university to audit a few classes in subjects that pique your interest - history, film, language or literature classes are often popular among auditors - or taking up a new hobby like birding, photography, reading or a new sport.
Keep up with your doctor visits
Your physical and mental health should always be something that remains front of mind in your retirement years. It's not just important to take your medication as needed, but also check in with health care providers, from your primary care physician to your dentist and even a counsellor to make sure everything regarding your body and mind is as it should be.
As you age, you may need to make some changes to your retirement lifestyle to better meet your health needs, and it's only with the advice of medical professionals that you'll be able to do so to the fullest.
Clearly, there are many keys to enjoying your life to the fullest extent in retirement, but that also means there are many avenues you can use to find some things you're passionate about and pursue them.
To find out more about how Anglicare can help you meet your lifestyle goals for retirement, get in touch with us today.
Inspired by the gospel of reconciliation in Jesus Christ, Anglicare's vision for reconciliation is a nation in which Australia's First Peoples are restored in dignity, respect, empowerment and opportunity.