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Wondering if there is joy to be had in your later years is a common question that people come to think of whenever they go through big transitions in their life. Some of these transitions can include retiring, death, or even disability. No one plans on the drastic changes that will happen in their life when they go through a big transition. We may try to prepare for them, however it’s difficult to prepare for something that you’ve never been through before.Today we’re going to talk about the transitions that we can face in our later years and what fact they can have on our life as a whole. Is it important to have joy in your later years? Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. No matter what phase of life you are in it is important to find purpose and dial in on living life to the fullest. The alternative of not having joy in your later years or life and not having any purpose is standing still, no movement, which means no growth. There are many common changes that can happen in the later years due to transitions, whether retiring, death or disability. When someone goes from working full-time 9 to 5 for the past 40 years to being at home full-time every day all day with no deadlines, no meetings, no adult interaction. It can be very difficult when someone is facing a transition due to the death of a family member. It can also be a time of great change when they’re not only dealing with the loss of their loved one, but they’re also having to deal with the fact that they no longer have that person in their life and they’re having to make some big changes. Loss of identity is also something that can be found in the later years when they’ve gone through big transitions. Many people do not know who they are if they are not associated with their job title, their spouse or their physical health. Even though there are many types of transitions in the light years, they all come back to the same thing of being focused on what is the next best thing to do.
Is There a Purpose in Retirement?
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Most functioning adult lives are structured around schedules, typically work schedules. When the time comes for a person to stop working for any reason, the transition from having something to do every day at a certain time to sitting at home with no deadlines, meetings, or even adult interaction can be difficult psychologically and emotionally. This transition can lead to feeling like there is no purpose in life. Most people need to be able to identify with a certain purpose in life in order to feel happy and like life has meaning. Purpose pushes people to be the best that they can be and to accomplish goals; retiring from work often takes motivation away from people, which can lead to many different mental issues. However, this is preventable. Retirement is meant to be a time of personal fulfillment and to do things you may not have had time to do when you were employed full-time.
Can I Learn Something New?
Keeping your mind busy is a great way to stay productive and happy. With all of this new found free time, you can revisit old hobbies that you may not have been able to keep up with when you were employed full-time, or you could even find new hobbies such as writing, painting, or even learning how to play an instrument. Having a creative outlet is a good way to relieve stress, enhance cognitive function, and stay happy. They have also been shown to reduce anxiety and improve fine motor skills. Engaging in activities that bring joy and meaning to your life are important.
Can I Help Someone?
Everyone has something that can benefit someone else. Volunteering is another good way to fill your time. Helping others has so many positive effects on yourself and others. It improves mental and physical health, allows for development of new skills, and provides a way to get out of the house and have more social interactions. Additionally, giving back to the community can make you feel more responsible and in control of your meaningful life. Typically, communities are always providing opportunities for volunteering; for example you could participate in a charity like a bake sale, you could mentor a young adult, and you can even do community service, such as cleaning around town. There are so many different types of volunteering that it can be difficult to find what is right for you. If you are good with people, mentoring could be a good path for you. If you are more introverted, you should try working at a dog shelter or a library.
Do I Need to Keep my Mind Moving?
Do I really need to keep my mind moving in retirement and in my later years, or can I just simply rest and not have to wake up with an alarm clock, do what I want and just be leisurely with my time. The choice is definitely yours with what you want to do with your retirement however I think if you were to pull people who are retired and those who have lived their best years in their later life, they would all agree that you have to keep moving, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. If you go from being active every day, seeing people being involved in organizations to suddenly not going anywhere, not being around anyone and really being isolated this is a recipe for disaster. There are many opportunities to keep your mind moving. You can join a club, such as woodworking, sewing or quilting and gardening. You could join bunco or a poker game with your friends. It does not have to be complicated, expensive or emotionally taxing to keep your body in your mind moving in your lighter ear.
Is There Strength in Community?
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Is there really strength in community and being around people who are like-minded? Yes, there is more strength than that. COVID-19 taught us that. We are not made for isolation. That is long-term. Yes, there are seasons of your life where there may be times where you are isolated maybe due to an illness or a big life transition but these times of isolation should not last long. Maintaining friendships that have been lifelong and making new connections are great ways to find strength in your community. There are social clubs, retirement communities, and just adventuring and traveling. These are all great ways to help you to be the best version of yourself. Technology is a great way to have community with people. Not only can you do your banking online you can attend worship and even do some dating. However, if the majority of your contact with the outside world is done through technology, there will be a void in your life.
Can I Work Part Time?
Do I really have to retire? Can I maybe just work when I want or have a low pressure part-time job? Absolutely you can work as little or as much as your heart desires. That is the beauty of working your entire life to be able to do what you want in your later years of retirement you can start a small business and begin consulting or mentoring. I’ve even had clients who basically retired so that they could keep their grandkids full-time to not only provide a relief of childcare demands to their kids, but also to be able to work at their own pace and enjoy their family. The saying is true of if you find a job, you love you’ll never work a day in your life. This can still be true in your later years or in retirement.
Conclusion
There are so many opportunities to find joy in your later years or in retirement? Yes, there will be challenging times as you face circumstances that you have never faced before. It doesn’t all have to be done at once, you do not have to have all of this figured out the moment that you retire, however you do need to commit to the process of finding joy in your later life. This also may be a time where you may want to seek out help for the first time in your life, you don’t know how to find joy in the mundane or in this new season of retirement, seeking professional help can help you not only sift through the past to see what needs filtered or to help you deal with a more encouraging reality. It is never too late to begin to have a meaningful, fulfilling life for not only yourself but for those around you to enjoy
Get Help Now
At Cypress Roots Counseling, we understand the struggle that individuals and couples face today and want to come alongside them to help them on the marathon of relationships. By scheduling a consultation you can meet with a therapist to discuss your needs and goals. It is never too late to seek counseling for yourself, your relationship or your family. Trust your instincts and the feeling that something is not right and get help today. Our team would be honored to offer support from our Palestine, TX office or Fairfield, TX office. With multiple locations, Cypress Roots wants to make accessing therapy easier than ever. By offering in person appointments or telehealth, we are removing barriers from receiving counseling. Get started today by giving us a call at (903) 300-2705, emailing us at jaclyn@cypressrootscounseling.com or by clicking the Request appointment below.
Other Services Offered at Cypress Roots Counseling
We understand that you may be dealing with more than one or many mental health, relationship or parenting concerns. Cypress Roots Counseling offers individual and couples counseling, as well as parenting help. Ethical, professional and confidential services are what you will experience at Cypress Roots Counseling. There are many types of counseling, but at Cypress Roots you will encounter CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Solution-Focused Therapy, Gottman Method (Couples) Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Emotion Focused Therapy (Couples & Individual). Services are now available to Spanish speaking individuals and families. Los servicios están disponibles con un proveedor que habla español.
