For some retirees and their jobs, breaking up can be hard to
do. After decades of punching a clock, most retirees look forward to slowing
down, having more time for interests and activities that had been squeezed into
a few hours at night or on weekends.
But not everyone makes that transition easily. For some,
career is identity, co-workers are their social network, and providing for
family their purpose. These retirees find themselves adrift, struggling in a
time of life everyone keeps telling them they should be relishing, a time that
they themselves had believed they would enjoy.
Many individuals find ways to extend their careers part-time
well into what were once considered retirement years. But with some jobs,
that’s not logistically feasible. And life is inherently unpredictable. Some
retirees find their career extensions derailed by corporate downsizing. Health
problems can often interfere, either by making it hard or impossible for a
person to continue working, or sometimes in the form of a spouse who needs
care.
There is good news, however. Experts say retirees who find
they are feeling lost after getting that final paycheck can, with a little time
and effort, work their way out of the funk. With some introspection, they can
find ways to leverage interests they hadn’t had much time for, putting their
workplace skills to use as a mentor or volunteer, or finding new interests.
When Norman Clemens, now 81, was going through the process
of closing down his psychotherapy practice in Cleveland while in his mid-70s,
he wondered how his self-esteem and sense of self-fulfillment would fare after
he was no longer seeing clients. He wondered if he would grieve the loss of his
professional status. He says he misses the social aspect of having his office
in a medical building with other doctors. And most significantly, he misses the
intellectual exercise of working with clients, the trust placed in him by
clients and the satisfaction of helping them. He fills his time staying
connected to his profession by writing and sitting on boards, and enjoys
spending time with his wife as she pursues her interests.
Hunter’s Mr. Morano says that while it might sound clichéd,
retirees struggling with a transition away from a career should allow
themselves time to adjust and realize they aren’t alone. Government-sponsored
departments on aging are often helpful. There are also mentoring programs that
put business skills to work helping charities or individuals with their own
enterprises. Many retirees find a sense of belonging by becoming more active in
their spiritual life. And, of course, retirees can find new areas of interests,
such as by “auditing” classes at local colleges that allow older adults to sit
in on lectures for little or no cost.
Some may feel pressure to do something—anything—to fill
their time. USC’s Mr. Knight encourages retirees to find something that fits
their individual personality if they want their new interests to stick—and to
be meaningful to them.
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