When many people retire, they jump into their new lifestyle
with gusto, but others mourn leaving their jobs and feel like they've lost part
of their identity, experts say. Many people give so much of themselves to their
jobs that they don't have the time or energy to develop other interests, and they
are left adrift in retirement.
One of the issues is whether you enjoy your job or not, says
Norman Abeles, professor emeritus of psychology at Michigan State University in
East Lansing. If your job is unpleasant, you may think it's better to get out
at whatever cost, not realizing that the cost may be higher than you think,
both financially and psychologically. Many retirees miss both the money and the
companionship that their work provided, he says.
Although there is nothing wrong with associating yourself
with your job, your entire identity shouldn't be wrapped up in it. A recent
survey showed that the majority of pre-retirees (72%) would like to keep
working in retirement. Almost half (47%) of current retirees either are
working, have worked or plan to work in retirement. About 62% of working
retirees continued to work to stay mentally active; 46%, to stay physically
active; 42%, social connections; 36%, sense of identity and self-worth; 31%, to
make money, according to the survey sponsored by Merrill Lynch in partnership
with Age Wave.
Another study of 100 U.S. retirees, conducted for the
Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, found that 67% of those who are
fully retired say they retired sooner than they had planned. Among the most
frequently cited reasons: their own ill health (46%); unemployment/job loss
(33%); family responsibilities such as becoming a caregiver (9%); realizing
they had already saved enough to retire (7%); receiving a windfall (3%); other
(25%).
That same survey showed 61% say they immediately stopped
working when they retired; 20% changed the way they work, for example going
part time or working on temporary contracts, before retiring.
Carolee Duckworth, 68, co-author of Shifting Gears To
Your Life and Work After Retirement, knows how important meaningful work is to
many people. Your goal is to find a new a mission statement for the rest of
your life, Duckworth says. For many people that means letting go of the past.
When people retire they have to go through the process of grieving and moving
forward.
The process can take time, and unfortunately, there aren't a
lot of meaningful ways to talk about losing your work identity.
There are three important needs that the job provides that
people have to put back into their lives in retirement: Structure, purpose and
a sense of community.
To make the adjustment to retirement, you may have to start
thinking in new ways. You have to start doing new things, going to new places,
meeting new people and developing different hobbies and interests. It's best if
you do that while you're still working.
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