"Retirement can be exciting and daunting; usually, it's a bit of both. This is a unique time in life marked by shifts in roles and priorities. Yet in the media, we often see two extremes: carefree retirees traveling the world as a culmination of decades of work, or isolated older adults deteriorating at home as they face loneliness, estrangement, or illness."
"Clients have shared with me that they feel lucky to be able to retire but are deeply unsatisfied, lonely, and without direction. Those who retire voluntarily may be met with comments of envy for the freedom they now have, which may make them feel ungrateful about struggling with the transition. This was supposed to be the end goal, after all. Others may not have had a choice due to health conditions, caregiving duties, or other life circumstances out of their control."
Retirement combines excitement and apprehension and usually involves both emotions. Many experience shifts in roles, priorities, social connections, and daily structure. Media portrayals polarize retirement into romanticized freedom or solitary decline, but most experiences are more nuanced. Individuals who retire voluntarily may feel fortunate yet dissatisfied or directionless and may feel ungrateful when others express envy. Others retire because of health, caregiving, or external circumstances and can grieve lost identity, workplace relationships, and schedule structure. Retirement unfolds across phases—pre-retirement, transition, and adaptation—during which disappointment can surface while people rediscover meaning through volunteering, revisiting past interests, or sharing their strengths.
Read at Psychology Today
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