Front Photo: Michael Soledad
‘I will go nuts if this is retirement!’, yelled Bill. Working from home during Covid19 and being restricted from his favourite golf course, had made him feel ‘caged’.
He had also started to yell at talk back radio.
‘They can’t hear you Bill’, his partner Sue would say for the umpteenth time.
‘You’re fortunate to have a job and your health’, she added.
Their dog, however, (‘a blessing from the pound’) appreciated Bill’s time at home.
Different Outlook For (Possible) Retirement Ahead
Jane, however, had a different outlook to working from home. In her early 60’s she had adapted reasonably well to working from home. Sure, she missed her co-workers, the lunches, the gossip, birthday morning teas and footy tipping during the winter – but liked that she could be more flexible and her commuting time had significantly decreased.
She had plenty of interests outside her work and she had hobbies around the home and wanted to learn new skills. She viewed retirement (‘at some stage’) as another part of life.
Different people, different different mindsets, different reasons why people retire (and don’t retire). Whilst there may not be a ‘magic potion’ as to how people should approach retirement, there are some things to keep in mind.
Do optimists have a better retirement?
Suggestions
Psychologist Dr Anthony Perrone told me: ‘Preventative maintenance is the key. Start to engage with the community before retirement, get active, start hobbies, volunteer etc. If we prepare our minds now before we retire with activities social and otherwise we won’t feel so alone or isolated after we do retire thereby maintaining a healthy mental outlook’.
Dr Perrone adds: ‘Without stereotyping, men tend to work longer in life and have less social/personal outlets than women. This is the reason many men struggle with retirement’.
So, working from home could have actually given Bill some time to explore some interests outside his work.
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