Everyone wants to be happy and healthy, but after retirement, it may take a more focused approach to get used to the new norm. You’ll have more time than ever. Sometimes, it’ll be hard to know what to do with it.
How you choose to spend your days make a direct impact on how you’ll feel. Take a look at these tips below to keep your mental and physical health going strong after your retirement.
Be Active
The Alzheimer’s Association shows a link between physical exercise and a reduction in the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Go easy on the joints with low-impact activities like bicycling or swimming.
Walk through your neighborhood or hit the mall and make the rounds. Use a treadmill at home to continue your workout year-round. Better yet, take a trip. Walk the sites, explore museums, and experience the joy of doing something new.
Obtain Medicare
Turning 65 isn’t just when many people choose to retire, it’s also when most Americans should fill out a Medicare application. The Initial Enrollment Period, or IEP, is the seven-month period you have to sign up for Medicare. You can sign up three months before you turn 65, the month you turn 65, and three months after you turn 65. There are many benefits to applying when you’re first able, including avoiding late penalties and ensuring coverage as you pursue this next stage of life.
Get Creative
Painting, photography, and playing a musical instrument get your brain into gear. Creativity rules when it comes to keeping retirees mentally fit. Engaging in a new activity, or simply having more time to devote to your favorite creative outlet, can give you a sense of accomplishment and something to look forward to each day.
Stay Social
When you stop going into the office, your social circle diminishes a little. Put the focus back on personal relationships. Rebuild friendships, reconnect with your family, and join social groups boasting similar interests.
Social activity and social connectivity are beneficial across the board. More than a mood booster, getting out with friends decreases cognitive decline and dementia, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Maintain routine
Don’t let retirement become a slow slide into inactivity. Without the flurry of work, the deadlines, meetings, and workday routine, it’s too easy to start losing track of time. You could find yourself staying up late watching TV, eating too much junk food, and sleeping in for far too long.
Instead, decide on a reasonable bedtime and set an alarm to get yourself up in the morning. Not only will you feel better for it but it will help keep your waistline in check.
Find Purpose
Without a career ladder to climb, retirement can cause some people to feel lost and a little aimless. Find a new sense of purpose. What do you want to do next? Align your interests with ways you can pitch in to improving your community.
If you love being around children, gardening, or working with animals, you can find plenty of groups looking for a helping hand. Tutoring, community gardens, and animal fostering programs are always on the hunt for good volunteers.
Stay Happy and Healthy
Spending time with your friends and family, seeking out new hobbies, and staying engaged with life will keep you feeling great mentally and physically. The key to happiness after retirement is doing the same things you loved before you retired.
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