Retirement is not a purely financial event. As an important life transition, it can provoke mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension for many.
To guide you through the transition to retirement, you may find the below support avenues, reading material and professional services useful.
Downloadable resources
Retiring Well booklet
Everyone understands the importance of financial planning for retirement, but money is only one part of the equation. Sorting out your finances will certainly help buffer you from some potential stress as you wind down or leave paid employment, but even the strongest financial plan can’t help you address some of the other stressors you may face as you retire. Being aware, being proactive and planning for potential challenges will go a long way towards retiring well.
Finding support when you need it
As with any major life change it is very important to monitor yourself and others. If you feel you are having problems adjusting to all the changes associated with the transition to retirement, make sure you seek help.
Family and friends
Seek out support from family, friends, and colleagues whom you trust about the every-day challenges. Reach out to your support network, share your story, be honest about what you need (or don’t need) from them, and ask for help and assistance when you need it. Sometimes we are slow to ask for help, don’t be shy, think about how much you like to help others, and give your trusted friends and family a chance to help you in return. We are all in this together after all!
COVID-19 support
Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia, National Seniors Australia, Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) and Dementia Australia have banded together, supported by the Commonwealth Government, to create the National COVID Older Persons Information Line.
Older people and carers are encouraged to call 1800 171 866 to speak to friendly, specially trained staff from a senior’s advocacy organisation.
Click here for more information about managing anxiety and managing mental health for older Adults, from the Australian Psychological Society.
Reading list
Websites and books are a good place for information on retirement, well-being and mental health.
Some of our favourite books on retirement include:
- Lori Bitter (2015). The grandparent economy: How baby boomers are bridging the generation gap.
- Leslie Braksick (2017). Your next season: Advice for executives on transitioning from intense careers to fulfilling next seasons.
- Jan Cullinane (2012). The single woman’s guide to retirement.
- Michael Longhurst (2018). Enjoying Retirement: An Australian handbook of ideas, strategies and resources
- Nancy Schlossberg (2017). Too young to be old: Love, learn, work and play as you age.
- Nancy Schlossberg (2013). Retire smart retire happy: Finding your true path in life.
- Nancy Schlossberg (2009). Revitalizing Retirement: Reshaping our identity, relationships and purpose.
- Sara Yogev (2016). A couple’s guide to happy retirement and aging.
Find them on Amazon or look for them at your favourite retailer or local library.
Professional support is always available
Talking with your GP
Your GP is a great first stop to get a regular physical and mental health check-up and to seek information and assistance about wellbeing and mental health.
Talking with a psychologist
If you are experiencing distress or major changes in your mood, you may benefit from seeking professional help. Counselling or therapy helps when:
- Talking to a family member or friend is not enough to solve the problem
- The feelings or problems seem beyond our control
- Nothing we have tried seems to be making a difference
- The problem is interfering with our daily life
- The problem is distressing to ourselves or others
- We need someone confidential and impartial to help
Talking with a retirement coach
Retirement coaches are mentors and cheerleaders who can help you with planning for your retirement based on your individual needs and situation. There are many places to find a coach – for example, here.
SuperFriend also offers a program called Retiring Well for workplaces, designed to assist their pre-retirement employees in taking a planned approach to their wellbeing in retirement.
Workplace mental health & wellbeing solutions
“We have seen a positive impact since staff undertook SuperFriend’s training. People have started to connect. There’s been a shift towards a psychologically safe workplace culture – people understand that health and wellbeing is something that we are serious about. That’s it OK to ask for help and the importance of looking out for others.”
“Over 1000 of our members have attended the Retiring Well program. Previously, people didn’t give much consideration to the psychological aspects of retirement but this program gets people talking about it in their workplace and at home. It is really worthwhile. The feedback from members is always really positive: attendees talk about how interesting it was and that it’s great to see we’re not just looking at the financial side of retirement.”
“SuperFriend supported our specific training needs and objectives. They were really keen to understand our business, and were absolutely fantastic to work with – very supportive and engaging.”