Retirees are being urged to try new things or get out of their comfort zones to stave off the major downside to finishing work for good.
Some workers might dream of the day they retire, but when that moment finally comes, they’re confronted with joyless, empty weeks where heading to the supermarket is the most exciting activity.
It’s an issue that has hit some Baby Boomers hard in retirement as they don’t know what to do with their twilight years.
Finder data found that 4 per cent of retirees even went back to work because they were so bored.
Retired Victorian, Paul, told Yahoo Lifestyle that life after work has been “challenging and wonderful” so far.
“Every day is Saturday for me,” he said. “But the trick is that it can also be a bit of a burden in a way, a lovely burden, but you can just drift into doing nothing.”
RELATED:
The 55-year-old retired at the end of last year after a quarter-century working in a government call centre.
According to the University of Queensland, the average working life of an Aussie is 45 years.
Even though it’s early days in his next phase of life, he makes sure the days are filled with activities to keep his mind occupied.
Do you have a story about keeping busy in retirement? Email stew.perrie@yahooinc.com
He enjoys gaming, learning Japanese, checking out graffiti in his surrounding streets, writing a poetry book, and visiting parts of Geelong to leave helpful Google reviews.
The 55-year-old is also trying to watch 500 movies in one year, and he’s started attending local footy games on weekends, where he tries to spark a conversation with at least one or two people.
“I’m not very good at talking to strangers in public, but even if it’s just the weather, it’s something,” he said.
Aussie retirees worry about trying to enjoy their retirement
It might sound like an odd thing to complain about, having a seemingly endless amount of time for yourself, but the reality of it can be quite confronting.
A 65-year-old from the Gold Coast recently opened up about this on social media after spending two years in retirement.
“I’m curious what everyone else’s days actually look like because nobody really talks about the practical reality of it,” they said.
It can be hard to know how to fill your day in retirement and some Aussies are feeling lost.
“Some days feel full and satisfying. Others, I find myself reorganising things that didn’t need reorganising and wondering what I’m supposed to be doing with myself.”
Another older Aussie added on a different online forum that, after a year of retirement, they felt “all over the shop”.
“I don’t miss my job as such, but the routine and being needed. I live alone and have never felt lonely before, but I do now and feel quite isolated at times,” they said.
How to avoid this feeling of emptiness in retirement
Paul has about 10 hobbies that he jumps between each week, and some can be done for hours on end, while others are just an excuse to get out of the house.
But he said you don’t have to go down this path – and it’s more about what leaves you fulfilled.
The retiree explained that his grandmother spent her retirement happily knitting and sitting in front of the TV every day.
Paul has been keeping his days filled with hobbies like leaving helpful Google reviews and learning Japanese.
Paul has been single for 17 years and doesn’t have kids, so he understands the loneliness that can accompany retirement. But he said that’s why a rough game plan is essential before you finish work.
Psychologist Joanne Earl echoed this in an article for the Australian Financial Review, and revealed retirees have about 62 hours a week to use.
“Plan to go to the gym every day? Really?” she wrote. “Say you go to the gym 1.5 hours a day for five days a week, that’s 7.5 hours out of the 62 accounted for – only 54.5 hours to go.”
Paul still battles with “driftlessness”, and he also tries to avoid drinking alcohol to pass the time, but he sticks to a slogan he read from a self-help book.
“Basically, the slogan was ‘do one thing different’. It doesn’t have to be significant. But just do one thing differently,” he said.
Want the latest lifestyle and entertainment news? Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
