While retirement is theoretically a relaxing time designed to reward years of hard work, it can be anything but calming for retirees used to living with the structure of a 9-to-5 job.
“There’s a lot of stress in retirement, although it’s a different type of stress,” said Cynthia Ackrill, president of Wellspark, an organization for leadership development and energy management. “If you tend to be a purposeful person who has always lived with structure, it is extremely stressful to live in such a different way.”
In order to combat potential restlessness, Ackrill recommends that seniors keep themselves “physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually active.”
"One of the greatest drivers for human spirit is purpose," said Ackrill. "[Seniors] need something purposeful to do."
Lauren Moulton-Beaudry, the director of ethics and education for Front Porch, a not-for-profit provider of retirement communities in Southern California, agreed. She recently compiled a list of 10 tips for well-being, which include advice on how to de-stress and live more mindfully.
"What I see is that when people [previously being] fulfilled by a purpose retire ... they don’t know what to do [with themselves]," Moulton-Beaudry said.
While Moulton-Beaudry designed her list of tips for de-stressing and living more purposefully with seniors in mind, she said they are applicable to every age. Do you apply these tips to your everyday life? Let us know in the comments section.
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