Self Worth – Your Better Retirement

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.

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

table, candle, decoration, interior, romantic, celebration, candlestick, candlelight, living room, table, table, table, candle, candle, candle, candle, candle, living room, living room, living room

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.

You Are Not Your Job Title: Redefining Self-Worth After Retirement

Senior man tending to pepper plants in an İstanbul garden.

For decades, your name may have been followed by a title – Manager, Teacher, Consultant, the list goes on. Yes, it was a label, but it shaped how others saw you, and perhaps more importantly how you saw yourself. It was an identity, or at least, a workplace identity.

But then comes retirement.

Just like that, all those aspects of how you defined yourself at work have gone. The meetings you led, the projects you completed, all now yesterday’s news. This could very well lead to the question: ‘If I’m not what I do anymore, then who am I?’

This is a turning point in life – one that can present challenges, but also the beauty of fantastic opportunities.