Blog – Page 2 – Your Better Retirement

Why Rest is Just as Important as Purpose in Retirement

Adorable ginger cat peacefully sleeps in a soft, fluffy basket indoors.

I talk a lot on this website about finding purpose, carrying out meaningful activities and connecting with others during our post-work life. And all for good reason. I believe (as research also shows) that if we want to retain good mental health and wellbeing, we need to find value in what we do and feel that we are contributing, whether that’s within our family unit, or indeed externally within our community or even wider. If, however, we lived a life such as this for 16 awake hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year…mmm…I think we might start to get a little bit of burnout going on. So, as much as an active and meaningful way of spending time is important, we also mustn’t ignore that we need a sense of balance – we also need to chill and rest.

The Power Of Gratitude in Retirement: How Appreciating Life Can Transform Your Later Years

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Gratitude. A word we no doubt have all heard of, but what does it mean? Gratitude is simply the practice of noticing and appreciating the good things in life – big or small. It’s not about pretending there are no difficulties in life or that everything is perfect – it’s about recognising that even when the going gets tough (like it did for Billy Ocean), there are moments, people or experiences worth valuing. Gratitude can shift our attention away from what we lack to what we already have which can boost happiness, reduce stress and even improve physical health.

The Link Between Nature and Retirement Wellbeing

Couple in winter coats enjoy a snowy forest view sitting on railroad tracks.

A very basic google search tells me that, on average, us humans spend around 90% of our time indoors. Wow. This figure seems to be widely reported, and stems from The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS). It reports that people spend 87% of their time in enclosed buildings, and 6% in vehicles. What are lot of our lifetime we spend in an enclosed space.

Why Lifelong Learning Can Keep You Thriving

Senior adults attend a computer class, led by an instructor, in a classroom setting.

If you were anything like me, going to school was a chore. Something I had to do because my parents said so, and in fact, probably even more importantly, the law said so too. For me personally, I didn’t enjoy learning, didn’t thrive particularly, and, looking back, I feel I wasted, well, far too much time. I don’t say this negatively – it’s just how I was at the time – but I meandered through school doing average things and getting average grades.

The Surprising Link between Purpose & Health in Later Life

Elderly couple enjoying gardening together in a vibrant urban vegetable garden.

I think there’s a problem when we talk about the word ‘purpose’. I believe a common misconception is that when we talk about “finding purpose” it needs to be some far-off big goal, such as climbing Everest (or climbing Everest backwards – actually, no, that would be silly!), writing a bestselling novel, or training for a marathon. All of these are fine of course (except walking up Everest backwards) but in reality purpose can be something which is much more everyday – yet very powerful as we get older. And the link between having purpose and staying healthier in later life is stronger (and perhaps more surprising) than many assume.

When Saturday Feels Like a Week: Wellbeing in Retirement – Real Talk & Real Solutions

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Retirement. It’s meant to be a time of freedom, of thinking “I’ve earned this you know” and more time for you doing the things in life that you love. And often, it can be that way. But it can also bring surprising emotional challenges.

The First 30 Days of Retirement: What nobody tells you.

Close-up of a white cup of latte with artistic foam on a rustic wooden table.

So, you’ve handed back the laptop, waved goodbye to office politics, and happily deleted that alarm clock app that put a fear of dread up you every working morning. Your retirement has officially begun – woo hoo! I mean, after all, you may have waited 30-40 years for this moment, so a woo hoo is definitely called for here. But here’s the thing nobody really prepares you for: those first 30 days of retirement can start to make you feel a little…well, odd.

Why A Short Walk Is the Perfect First Exercise for Retirees

If you’ve never been a gym person (like me), never been a runner (like me), never been particularly sporty (like me) then you are very much not alone. There’s me for a starter! Many of us have spent decades working, raising families, keeping on top of all household chores, basically living life; therefore, it’s easy to see why there may not be too much time left for fitness. But now for some good news: in retirement, you don’t need to buy Lycra shorts or a rowing machine to reap the benefits of movement. You can simply open the front door, take a few steps, and start walking.

Forming an Identity in Retirement: Finding the New You.

Blue Morpho butterfly emerging from chrysalis in Heredia, Costa Rica. A beautiful sight of metamorphosis.

So what do you do?

When you’ve spent decades being “the teacher,” “the engineer,” or “the manager,” the simple question when meeting someone for the first time of “So, what do you do?” can be pretty straightforward to answer during working life. But once you retire, for some, this can be a little more challenging to answer. Work is more than a wage; it quietly shapes where we go, who we see, the stories we tell about ourselves, and how we feel that we contribute to the greater good. No wonder many new retirees describe an odd lightness mixed with a tug of disorientation.

Finding Purpose in retirement: A new chapter of meaning.

Retirement is often painted as a golden era – freedom from the daily grind, time to travel, relax and enjoy all that wonderful spare time that is ahead. Sounds nice doesn’t it? It is, if this is how your retirement shapes out. But that, of course, can be easier said than done.