Matt - Your Better Retirement

Retirement Doesn’t Have to Be Lonely: UK Organisations That Can Help

Senior couple enjoying coffee while sitting outdoors on a sunny day.

In this post, I want to mention some of the organisations and charities available within the UK that offer services that can help connect people and help combat feelings of being lonely. Loneliness can be a problem for some at any age of course – it very much isn’t confined to just our retirement years. But our older years can bring along particular life changes that can increase the likelihood of feeling lonely. These can include;

Death of a spouse, family member, or close friend
Declining health/mobility
Inability to drive leading to more time being spent at home
Cognitive decline
Sensory loss making communication more challenging

This post will explore the impact loneliness can have on both our mental and physical health, and will look at the differing support offered by organisations within the UK that help bring people together.

What Is Unretirement? Why More Retirees Are Going Back To Work

Elderly woman managing a festive cafe counter during Christmas season.

I occasionally start a blog post clarifying what the definition of a particular word is, with my chosen lexicographical reference guide today (yep, you know I googled that one) being the Cambridge Dictionary. Today’s word of choice is:

retirement

Well, of all the things!

retirement: the act of leaving your job and stopping working, usually because you are old.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect the last four words to be contained within that meaning, but there they are – because you are old!

Anyway, whether we consider ourselves ‘old’ or not doesn’t matter too much in this context. It’s the rest of the meaning I want to consider. The act of leaving your job and stopping working.

For many, this is exactly what they do. They work, they stop. They never work again. Hence, they have entered retirement. It’s part of the path of life. We go to school, perhaps move into higher education, we work, then we retire. Boom. That’s the way to do it, as Mr Punch would no doubt say.

But is that the only way?

Nah, of course not. Let us now enter the world of unretirement, and delve into exactly what it is all about.

The 5 Emotional Stages of Retirement (And How to Navigate Each One)

Two people walking along the beach at sunset, silhouetted against the colorful sky.

Most people will spend years, if not decades, planning their finances for when the joyous occasion of retirement comes. And for good reason. Having your finances in order is paramount to ensure you are ready for one of the biggest life transitions you’ve ever had.

But what about the emotional side? Do we plan for the differing ranges of emotions we are likely to experience both in the lead-up to retirement and when it actually kicks off? Retirement can be a rollercoaster of different feelings, from euphoria at waving goodbye to the work juggernaut, through to other positive emotions such as joy, relief and hope. But other, less helpful, feelings can also reveal their ugly heads. Boredom, loneliness, confusion, and guilt are not uncommon, along with other negative emotions. Be assured – this is normal. Adjusting to retirement can present challenges. This article will look at a common pattern of 5 stages that people may go through, along with tips on how to navigate successfully through them. Buckle up and get yourselves comfortable. Let’s go for a ride and see how we can effectively guide ourselves through this phase of life we have spent a lifetime longing for.

What Happiness and Fulfilment Mean in Retirement

A person overlooking a lush landscape with vibrant sunset skies in India.

I felt this was a blog post I just had to write.

Why, I hear you hark? Well, the answer is simple. Everything I write on this blog, and everything I utter on my podcast, is done for one main reason. That is to try to help people lead a happy and fulfilling retirement. No more, no less.

And if you haven’t retired yet, don’t worry, I’ve still got your back. My content is there to help you prepare, and subsequently live a…yep, you’ve got it…a happy and fulfilled retirement.

So, if that’s the core premise of everything I do, maybe I need to spend just a little time talking about what happiness and fulfilment actually mean to me, why they are important, how they are connected, and discuss ways of cultivating more of these two little beauties into our lives. Ooh, so much to cover. Exciting. Let’s delve straight in.

Should You Spend Your Last Pound Before You Die?

A close-up view of various British coins and banknotes, representing currency and finance.

One of the many aspects of enjoyment I get from writing these blog posts is to consider questions that would never ordinarily cross my mind. I’d wager that most of you have never considered asking yourself the question this blog post is asking. And believe me, I hadn’t either, that is, until I came across a book called Die With Zero written by Bill Perkins. This post will explore what the Die With Zero philosophy is (I bet some of you astute readers may already have some idea), what the pros and cons are of this concept, the value of creating memories, and, perhaps, most importantly, consider the connection between what we earn and the meaning we can create in life.

What Retirement Can Learn From Teenagers

Group enjoying a sunny go-kart racing day at an outdoor park. Excitement and speed for all ages.

Part of why I love writing these blogs, aside from spreading what I believe are key messages in how we should approach and live our retirement, is that every now and again, I give myself permission to go a little rogue. A little off-topic perhaps. I mean, after all, why not? So if you want to read about a Wild West fan adding a saloon, jailhouse and bank into his back garden, come on over here. Or if you want to explore the poop rule a little (come on, you know you want to), and work out ways of decluttering your house, then clicking here will do you no harm. Anyway, for this particular post, let’s have some fun and see what we can learn from those who are now the age we once were. Geez, where did that time go eh?

Is It Okay To Be Unambitious in Retirement?

Pensive bald elderly male with gray beard and eyeglasses looking away while sitting at wooden table and leaning on hand

I don’t normally start my blog posts with a definition of a word, but today I’m feeling anarchic – I’m going to make an exception. This whole post is about ambition, and although I’m sure you will all know what the word means, let’s just remind ourselves. This will help set the tone for how the rest of this post will look. Here we go then.

ambition – a desire and determination to achieve success.

There are other definitions, of course, but this one, I think, works well. A desire and determination to achieve success. When you think about it, striving for success is something society has expected from us right from our early years. You went to school – a goal (amongst others) was to get good grades. School completed, you then got yourself a job. Well done. Now go on and get yourself promoted, earn more money, and outdo your peers. We don’t want you to stop now! And you could argue that we were aiming for goals in our baby/toddler days. Come on, get yourself walking now! And those nappies – we need to get you on that toilet, doing it for yourself. Come on – where’s your ambition?!

Why Saying ‘No’ Becomes Just as Important as Saying ‘Yes’ in Retirement

no, refuse, negative, disapprove, stop, reject, dislike, hand, refuse, refuse, refuse, refuse, refuse, negative, stop, reject, reject, reject, dislike

Some of you reading this may remember a character called Zammo Maguire from the UK kids’ show Grange Hill from back in the day. He urged us to “Just say no”, but not for the type of things I will be talking about in this post. That would be far too heavy! I’ll leave that one with you to dig out should you wish.

So you’ve got a lot of spare time now. Other people know you’ve got a lot of spare time. Other people need things done. Who better to go to than people who have now got a lot of spare time? That’s you, that is!

Why Comparing Your Retirement to Others Steals Your Joy (and How to Stop)

Black and white photo with motivational handwriting on a grid notebook page.

So it seems that the above picture is giving you a good idea about my views on this particular topic. Straight to the point. No messing. The trouble is, we all do it, myself included. We’ll explore in this post why we desire comparing ourselves to our fellow humans, with a special focus on our retirement years, of course, and then look at ways we can think more healthily and kick this comparison lark into touch.