In the Comfort of Family, Friends & Home
Follow me and my musings...
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Photo Blog
  • Residual Thoughts
  • Contact Me

Retirement and depression...

6/29/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Quite honestly since I've retired I have had frequent bouts of depression as well as anxiety.  At first I thought it was just me not adjusting...for not only had I retired but I had moved 2,000 miles away from my home in Northern California.  Trust me when I say that when I lived in California...I belonged...for I was living with a population of shared values.  In Wisconsin I do not feel like I belong for the people that share my values seem to be in the minority.  So I blamed new location as the reason for my depression.  Then as I grew in my understanding of this issue I realized the depression was loss of identity as well as purpose in day to day living.

Eventually the depressions grew further and farther between.  However, this last one is a doozy for it started a week ago and continues through to today.  Within 10 minutes of waking this morning (for example) my thoughts had dived into the negative.  This depression...this negativity and anxiety...they are not me so when they happen like this, they scare me.

Today I decided to do a little research and "Googled" the term "depression and the newly retired."  There are a plethora of articles on this and if there is any comfort in it...I am not alone for it is a subject not widely discussed yet it is widely known.

Daniel Kurt in his 12/16/16 articled said this:  

"Retirement and depression aren’t inextricably linked. But for much of the population, the reality of life after work doesn’t live up to its promise. Many older workers look forward to finally being able to focus on the things that give them greatest pleasure. Yet, according to a study by the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs, the likelihood that someone will suffer from clinical depression actually goes up by about 40% after retiring."

Wow.

Mr. Kurt has a number of suggestions for combating this depression.  I will paraphrase the three that spoke to me most:

1.  Stay in shape - get out of the house, walk, swim, bike...do something to keep moving.
2.  Develop a schedule - each day plan on doing something.  Wake up at a regular time.  Go out for coffee.
3.  Keep on working - work on a part-time schedule.  Do what you did while working full time...but now do it part-time...or now is the time for that second career.

I am not alone in this.  

Lastly, today's Daily Word from Unity also gave me some much needed encouragement on a spiritual level:  

"Seasons change, people change, and I change as I grow in understanding of life, of God, and of myself. I can prepare for such moments by living in faith. Rather than exerting effort to live in the past, I focus my energy on building upon new possibilities."

So today I move forward with these lessons and thoughts into a more positive frame of mind and life.  I move forward.

E'nuff!

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    All
    Chosen Family
    Chosen Family
    Christmas
    CJ
    Easter
    Family
    Friends
    Gay
    Life Of The Retired
    Living Positively
    Progressive Notes
    Thanksgiving Is A Daily Thing
    Transitions
    Winter

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    August 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All
    All
    Chosen Family
    Chosen Family
    Christmas
    CJ
    Easter
    Family
    Friends
    Gay
    Life Of The Retired
    Living Positively
    Progressive Notes
    Thanksgiving Is A Daily Thing
    Transitions
    Winter

    RSS Feed

Website by Saris Web Design, LLC