In our imagination, we do not need help knowing how to enjoy retirement. Retirement means the freedom to do whatever you want – what joy! Yet, you would be surprised how much you will struggle with staying active during retirement and how much you might end up craving the routine and purpose of work.
Here we look at some ways to avoid boredom and get out and about to enjoy this newfound freedom.
Gardening
About 27 million people in the UK enjoy gardening as a recreational past-time. How can these many people be wrong? The idea of cultivating the land around your home may have felt like a chore while you are working, but once you have time, there are all sorts to learn and challenge yourself to achieve. You could even go so far as to get an allotment or participate in local community gardening projects.
Gardening is not only satisfying and a great way to add to your larder, but it is also great for your health – both mental and physical. We are designed to work outside and provide for ourselves this way, and our body responds to the stimulus. You will find it reduces depression and activity, promotes self-esteem, reduces a sense of loneliness, involves physical exercise, and boosts your immune system.
Start your gardening adventure small by visiting the fantastic gardens up and down the UK. Sitting on a garden bench looking at the beautiful work of professionals is just the best way to boost your mood and keep busy during retirement.
Travel
Many people have a master plan to travel when they retire and if you have the bank account to fund the travels – go for it. There is so much to see in the world. You don’t even have to travel abroad, as the UK has an immense amount of beauty, history, and culture to explore. You could buy yourself a caravan and seek out the best spots our country has to offer.
Travelling is one of the best ways to meet new people and counter any possibility of loneliness. We all live life making connections with work colleagues first and foremost, and travel is a suitable replacement for this chance to meet new people.
Experiment with new hobbies
Everyday life can fall into a humdrum of routine. The best way to overcome this is to keep trying something new. There are many activities and classes you can take that will keep you and your mind active. You could take up painting, playing a musical instrument or maybe even writing. It is always a good idea to recruit a friend when looking to start something new – then it can be a shared adventure that strengthens this relationship.
It might be that you don’t need to look for a new hobby, as you had a past time that you let slip because of limited time. Now you have all the time in the world you can start cycling again, playing the guitar, or practising the art of calligraphy, as you once did.
Regular coffee meet-ups
One of the biggest challenges of retirement is loneliness. A lot of people who retire struggle to maintain a social life and keep themselves at home alone. The only way to counter this is to get out and meet people. You could set up regular plans to meet up for coffee with friends or plan to go on holiday together. Get yourself a diary, pick up the phone, and start scheduling your meetups; it will do wonders for your sense of purpose.
Keep yourself active
Maintaining your physical health will help you stay active. When we work all the time, we let our exercise routines slip. Now is the time to pick up these routines once more, and so extend the time you will stay active into this golden period of your life. You could start walking regularly or even jogging. You might go to yoga or pilates to help with your flexibility or swimming for all-around health.
Sports like badminton and tennis can help you socialise too, bringing some welcome competition to life.
Establish a routine
Freedom is all well and good, but we find the randomness of having no plans and no structure challenging. The effort of thinking up what to do next becomes a bind, and we quickly fall into doing nothing. Therefore, though it sounds boring to set up a routine, you will be surprised how a simple schedule will help you avoid boredom. For instance, work out when you will do your food shopping, clean the house, do the garden and when you are going out to see friends and family. Plan the time you want to exercise and when you will spend time on hobbies. You will do so much more if you keep to this routine and enjoy a fuller life.
