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!
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!
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