Transitioning to Retirement

All of the sudden you find yourself retired. You have a lot of free time on your hands. Before, your entire life has been filled with structure since you were a student in Kindergarten. Now for the first since then, you have complete and total freedom. This can be an amazing and wonderful time, but it also can be very confusing and stressful.

You need to occupy your time and need to be find activities that are meaningful to you. For many there is still a need to be productive.

The Honeymoon Phase of Retirement

This is an exciting stage of retirement. You have said goodbye to your co-workers, keep in touch with a few of them and look forward to doing all the things you did not have time for while you were working. You travel, spend more time with friends and really and enjoy this beginning phase or retirement.

Disenchantment Phase

Many people spend a lot of time planning for their financial retirement, but very few people plan for how to have a happy retirement. You might be asking "Is this all there is?". Some experience feelings of anxiety and depression. If you are experiencing strong or severe feelings of anxiety and depression, please know that there are very good ways to good out of this difficult place.

Rediscovery/Reorientation Phase

I will help you through this transition. I will help you discover and rediscover new passions. You might need a little encouragement to start experimenting with new things. It actually may take a little while to find the precise activities that make you happy.

So, it is time to create another mission. The alternative is decay and feel irrelevant. Instead of sitting and eating on the couch all day, I can help you find meaningful activities to fill up your day and learn to fully enjoy your new freedom.

What You Can Overcome With Quality Therapy

• Reduce any feelings of anxiety or depression you may experience during retirement
• Develop a new identity that has nothing to do with your work
• Find 3 new interesting hobbies that you look forward to every week
• Help you figure out and experiment finding a new daily routine
• Replacing feelings of worthlessness with a sense of confidence and self-esteem by being pushed out of your comfort zone and trying new things
• Figuring out if working part-time, starting a company or doing volunteer work is the best option for you

Complications During Retirement

Some of you may have looked forward to retirement for years, only to start experiencing health issues. Others may even go through the death of a spouse or loved one. Life continues to happen even during retirement. If you are in this situation, you will not only need to work on retirement transitioning, but also work on processing through your grief.

Call Me for a Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation or to Set Up an Appointment!

Learn how to find a meaningful life filled with activities and people you enjoy. Contact me today for a 15 minute free consultation.

Contact Dan

Dan Garcia, LCSW