4 Tips For Dealing With Anxiety About Retiring

You’ve done the same routine for years. You can’t even remember the last time you strayed from it. Sure, there have been days off for holidays, sick days, personal time, or even vacations here and there. But you’ve always gone back to the same old schedule routine.

The alarm next to your bed wakes you up at the same time each morning. You get up, make the bed, and head into the bathroom. After a quick shower, you brush your teeth and hair, pick out an outfit, and head to the kitchen to prep your meals for the day.

You sip on your coffee and finish up your breakfast while reading or watching the news. Before you know it, it’s time to head out. You gather up your belongings and start to head out the door. Before you’re about to leave, your eyes catch a date circled on your calendar. Just a few more days until the big day: your retirement.

You’ve gotten used to this routine over the years. It now feels like it’s a part of you now. It’s become a habit. You’d be lying to yourself if you said you weren’t a little anxious about retiring.

Here are 4 tips for dealing with anxiety about retiring.

1. Allow Yourself to Feel

Retiring is a big change, but it's also a big opportunity for you. Allow yourself to feel all of the emotions you're experiencing instead of burying them deep inside of yourself. The sooner you actually allow yourself to feel and process your emotions, the sooner you'll be able to move forward. This isn't the end of a book, this is just a new chapter. Give yourself a little grace. Any type of change takes time. Give yourself the necessary amount of time to feel, adjust, and figure out what you want to be doing after retirement.

2. Make a Plan for Yourself

If you're anxious about what your days will look like when you no longer have your same schedule and routine, one of the best things you can do is to put a plan in place for yourself. Instead of filling your day with hours at work, structure your day with things that bring you joy or things that you need to get done. You can start to tackle those house projects you've been putting off. Plan some time to relax, rest, and unwind. Mow the lawn, dust the house, or clean out your garage. Schedule time with your family or friends. Retiring doesn't have to mean sitting in your house all alone. Your days can be whatever you want them to be.

3. Set New Goals

The working world usually involves hitting goals or milestones with projects, deadlines, or moving up the corporate ladder. Your goals don't have to stop when you reach retirement. Now is the time to set new goals for yourself. Setting goals and accomplishing them gives you a sense of purpose.

4. Build Your Relationships

Now that you have more time to yourself and don't have to worry about spending 40+ hours a week at work, it's the perfect time to build your current relationships or even meet new people who share similar interests or hobbies. Plan time to meet up with friends for coffee, lunch, dinner, or drinks. Try a new workout, cooking, or art class together. You may even be able to join a group within your neighborhood or community.

Next Steps

If you're struggling with adjusting to retirement, it's okay. You're definitely not alone. Adjusting to a big change like retirement isn't easy for most people. If you need a little extra help figuring out the next path you want to take, we're here to help.

Reach out today if you're interested in setting up a time for a consultation for anxiety treatment.