Staying engaged in retirement

Retirement can be an exciting time of life, but it can also present new challenges. After years of working, some retirees may find it difficult to adjust to a new routine and purpose, which can lead to feelings of loneliness, anxiety and even depression.

The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a Commission on Social Connection(opens in a new tab), with the focus of addressing the “pressing health threat” of loneliness noting that it impacts the health and well-being of all age groups across the world. One in four older people experience social isolation.

On the flip side, happiness is essential for physical and mental health, especially in retirement – a Forbes(opens in a new tab) article noted that studies show happy retirees are more likely to have better overall health, fewer chronic conditions, and a longer life expectancy.

We recently spoke with a few retired OPB members to find out how they are staying active and socially engaged in retirement. They also shared advice about how to lead a happy, healthy retirement:

Stay physically active

Frank has been retired since 2005, living in Thunder Bay, and has been staying active through running, cycling, swimming, and kayaking. He has participated in four IRONMAN competitions. Frank shared this advice for living a happy retirement. “It’s a sequence of things, but it starts with your health, you need your health to be productive and happy. To be healthy, there are three dimensions, the physical, mental, and social aspects,” Frank said.

Andy retired in 2020 and has been enjoying his time so far. He believes it is important to exercise in your younger years, so you can enjoy your time in retirement. His daughter recently adopted a dog, which he helps take care of and it gets him out for daily walks.

Judy left the Ontario Public Service in 2001 and pursued a consulting career for almost two decades before retiring a few years ago. She developed a passion for rowing in university and it has continued. She spends much of her time rowing and volunteering at the Argonaut Rowing Club in Toronto, where she’s been an avid member for 40 years.

Connect with nature

Frank discussed the importance of picking an activity that gets you out into nature, such as hiking with friends. “The human body needs to commune and be in contact with nature to have a stable physical and mental state,” he said.

And he’s right, according to a CBC article(opens in a new tab), an increasing amount of research suggests that that being outdoors can benefit mental health(opens in a new tab), boost memory(opens in a new tab) , improve cardiovascular health(opens in a new tab) and help us live longer.

Similarly, when Judy was working, she enjoyed her daily routine of getting up every morning and walking her dog in the nearby ravine. “I enjoy having a routine and getting outside. Having a connection to nature is so important, in addition to rowing, I still make a point to walk in the ravine for an hour every day,” Judy said.

Train your brain

Since retiring, Andy has been busy working on a master’s degree in theology at Tyndale University in Toronto. He just completed his 10th course and is doing a combination of remote and in-person classes. He has three more years to go before he completes the program. He enjoys taking his time to accomplish the degree at a pace that works well for him, still allowing him to enjoy other aspects of retirement.

Constantly exercising your brain with different memory, focus and functionality challenges is especially important as we age. To learn more about different exercises to keep you mentally sharp, read, 13 Brain Exercises to Help Keep You Mentally Sharp(opens in a new tab).

Create a community

Frank volunteers at a few organizations including Poverty Free Thunder Bay and the local United Way chapter where he participates with their evaluation team to determine how to spend the money donated by community members by assessing applications and making recommendations to the United Way board.

Andy is an avid volunteer who teaches bible studies at his local church as well as reading to residents in a long-term care home a few times a month – which he did even throughout the pandemic because he knew how it important it was.

Judy volunteers doing administrative work at the Argonaut Rowing Club. She is also the Chair of the Dominion Day Regatta Association, now in its 140th year, a traditional regatta involving canoeing, rowing and dragon boat racing that takes place annually on Toronto Island. She has served as a rowing umpire for more than 24 years and takes great satisfaction in training new umpires. In 2022, she was inducted into Row Ontario’s Hall of Fame(opens in a new tab). Judy shared valuable advice when asked how one can lead a happy, healthy retirement, “Become engaged in a community, whether it be through a sport organization, faith-based groups, social services, health care, environment, or any other group. There are all kinds of things you can do to give back to your community and you get fulfillment from doing so,” Judy said.

Plan ahead

Frank shared some valuable advice on planning ahead for the future. “Ten per cent of your time should always be on the future – you can plan all you want, but be flexible, revising your plan is part of life and life is always changing,” Frank said. He advised members nearing retirement to take the time and effort to look at their future state and design the retirement that will work best for them.

Similarly, Andy shared some valuable tips. “You need to set your goals and a target of where you want to go and how you want to spend your time in retirement. Finding a good financial advisor who can offer valuable advice to help you with your personal financial situation is key,” Andy said.

Judy has been receiving her pension since 2016 and said that it’s reassuring to know she has the financial support of a pension in retirement. “After having worked 15 plus years for the Government of Ontario, it’s nice knowing my years of hard work and earning a pension are giving back to me,” Judy said.