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How to Make the Transition into Retirement as Seamless as Possible
Yong Lee • March 3, 2020
That’s not the way retirement has to be, but it is a real risk if retirement isn’t approached in a thoughtful way. You or your loved one can make the transition to retirement an easier, more productive one with some forethought and planning.
Things to Consider Before Retirement
Self-reflection can be a helpful first step when thinking about retirement. What have you always wanted to do? Was there ever something you told yourself you would do someday? Maybe it was to read the “classics,” learn an instrument or a second language or pick up a hobby you’ve always thought looked interesting.
It’s dangerous to think of retirement as simply the last phase of life where you winnow away your last years without accomplishing anything new or contributing meaningfully to society. If anything, there are a lot more options for retirees in modern times.
One of the popular recommendations
for slowing cognitive aging is keeping the mind active. Doing crossword puzzles or similar games can help, but so can furthering your education and learning something new.
More retirees are going back to school, oftentimes taking specific elective courses that interest them. Greek mythology, the history of the French Revolution, philosophy – the options are endless.
In the months or even years leading up to retirement, think about these things and truly ask yourself what you would find fulfilling.
What people do in retirement is often dictated by their health, finances and abilities. Some people can travel the world and see new places. Others may want to visit each of the contiguous 48 states in an RV. There’s also nothing wrong with wanting to stay close to home and family and enjoy the company of your children and grandchildren.
Whatever you decide, the important part is embracing retirement as an opportunity to pursue new experiences, self-improvement or just doing the things that make you feel fulfilled and content.
Think About Companionship and Friendships
For many people, the bulk of their social interactions occur with coworkers. It’s not something many workers really think about on a regular basis, but it’s worth considering before you retire. Loneliness and the related health consequences are a lot easier to avoid when you’re always working with other people. You lose those interactions when you retire.
Think about what you can replace those relationship with. You don’t necessarily have to go out to bars and talk to strangers to make new friends. Find out about book clubs, knitting clubs or local charitable organizations like the Rotary Club, Kiwanis or Lions Club.
Charity is often a great way to not only feel good about yourself and your contribution to the world but also interact with other people and make friends. In retirement, you may end up having more free time and energy that you can put towards making your community better.
When it comes to living arrangements in retirement, the “community” in active retirement communities is one of the biggest selling points. Many seniors living on their own during retirement become isolated and experience the physical and mental ramifications of loneliness.
Active retirement communities make it easy to meet new people and avoid that loneliness. Residents frequently interact with like-minded, similarly aged individuals. You aren’t forced to make friends, but chances are there are other seniors with similar interests and complimentary personalities living just doors away.
Know Your Finances Ahead of Time
This one is probably obvious to most soon-to-be retirees, but speaking with a retirement or financial advisor in the years leading up to retirement is probably a good idea.
Retirees are living a lot longer
than they used to. The only downside to longer life expectances is the risk of outliving one’s retirement savings and being forced to pinch pennies to make ends meet.
A financial advisor or even an estate planning attorney may be able to work with you on ways to protect your retirement savings, qualify for certain types of insurance or invest your money so you can continue generating supplemental income without having to punch the clock in a 9-to-5 job.
Find Out How Timberhill Villa Makes Active Retirement a Fulfilling Experience
The administrators and staff of Timberhill Villa believe retirement should be about maximizing enjoyment, not feeling lonely or dealing with monotonous, tedious chores. As an independent, active retiree community, you have the freedom to do what you want with your retirement.
There are activities to participate in
and resources to take advantage of if you want, but your retirement is your own to do with as you see fit. We encourage our retirees to remain active and pursue whatever will make their retirement a fulfilling one.
If you want to find out what life at Timberhill Villa is like, we encourage you to schedule a tour
by calling (210) 684-3480.
We are all getting used to watching re-runs of our favorite tv shows now that we are spending most of our time inside. Timberhill offers up a list of bingeworthy tv shows from the 60's. Enjoy!
It’s still possible to get face-to-face time with your loved one, even during coronavirus lockdowns in retirement communities.
There’s no one right way to do retirement. Just make sure you have a game plan before you take that big step towards freedom!
There’s a world of difference between an “assisted living” community and an “active retirement” community. Make sure you can explain the difference!
