After retiring, it can be easy to fall into the habit of doing everything, yet nothing in the time you now have free. At first it’s a luxury to stay up late and sleep in, and just stay around the house watching TV or reading, and while away the hours ‘pottering’ – every single day.
After a while of doing nothing structured or constructive, it can begin to get depressing. As tempting as it is at first, it’s really important to develop routines, and plan activities to avoid the empty days and the empty feeling. Of course sleeping in occasionally is still okay – the luxury of retirement is that your routine can be flexible!
Here are a few great tips to help keep a great routine, and avoid boredom, isolation, poor sleeping patterns, and poor mental health in retirement.
It doesn’t mean you never get to sleep in, and it doesn’t have to be the super early hour you used to get up for work, but make it a reasonable time so you don’t lose half the day to sleeping.
Likewise, if you’re staying up late, you’re likely to sleep in the following day and once you let your sleep pattern slip, it can be very difficult to get back. So set a bedtime cutoff for each night – the book will still be there in the morning!
This can take a lot of the stress and potential for time-wasting out of your day. Knowing what you’re going to wear, what you’re going to do, where you’re going to go, and even what you’re going to be eating takes out a lot of the mental and physical energy you might otherwise waste, freeing up time for important things.
This way, you won’t lose an entire day to kicking back in front of the TV, or reading a book. Instead, set yourself an hour or two for those things, and then move on to the next task or activity.
Making a list will not only ensure that you remember everything you want to do in a day, but ticking everything off as you do them, no matter how big or small or exciting the task is, will give you a sense of achievement.
For a while it’s nice to bask in your own company, not leave the house, and not have to see anyone, but it’s important to make sure you don’t become isolated. Schedule those coffee dates – you’ll be glad you did.
A walk out in the fresh air is great for both physical and mental health, so getting a routine is important. Make it a habit to walk your dog first thing, or go for a stroll around the block, and it’s done – tick it off your list!