FEELING GREAT: Retirement could be the most inactive period of anyone’s life

Let’s talk about the dangers of being inactive. I may be wrong, but I think many people fail to prepare for what could be the single most inactive period of their life - retirement.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Nov 2023, 00:00 BST
“How will you cope when you’ve got all that time on your hands and you’re not sure how you’re even going to begin to fill it?"“How will you cope when you’ve got all that time on your hands and you’re not sure how you’re even going to begin to fill it?"
“How will you cope when you’ve got all that time on your hands and you’re not sure how you’re even going to begin to fill it?"

If you’re in your 50s, it’s highly likely that you’ve thought about what to do in your retirement, maybe even dreamed about it.

But here’s the problem: most people only ever consider the financial aspect of retirement.

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They fail to consider the other big, important aspect - what to do with the gaping time hole it creates?

So how do you go about filling the huge void that is created every day of every week, when your nine to five working day is history? Start by considering how you feel about taking a break and going on holiday.

Most people love the thought of having two whole weeks to do nothing, but then, about 10 days in, they start to think about getting back home and returning to their routine.

Doing nothing all day but lie on a beach isn’t always as exciting as it seems. Many get to a point well before the 14 days of their holiday are up when they want to get home.

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Your home routine is appealing because you don’t have to think about what you’re going to do to fill your day.

It’s happening because doing nothing other than sleeping, eating and drinking doesn’t always make you feel as great as you thought.

Somehow, the routine that you were so keen to get away from is the very thing you crave by the end.

Have you ever noticed after your holiday how long it takes to switch your brain back on at work and be able to do things as easy and as effortlessly as you could pre-holiday? And your exercise habits are affected too.

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Getting back into these habits after a holiday often takes time. It’s not uncommon for three or four months of healthy exercise habits in the build-up to a holiday to be lost when the return flight touches down.

So, what has this got to do with your retirement? Well if 14 days is too long a time to do nothing, what will it be like with the 20 or more years of inactivity which is coming your way?

How will you cope when you’ve got all that time on your hands and you’re not sure how you’re even going to begin to fill it?