RETIREMENT ought to be a happy time. You can set your own schedule, take long vacations, and start spending all the money you’ve been saving.
And for many retirees that holds true. In a recent survey of 1400 retirees, it was found 48 per cent of respondents reported being happier in retirement than expected; only seven per cent were disappointed.
How can you make sure you follow this blissful pattern? Financial security helps. And good health is crucial: 81 per cent of retirees cited it as the most important ingredient for a happy retirement. Some of the other triggers are less obvious. Here’s what you can do to make your retirement a happy one.
Create a predictable paycheck. No doubt about it: more money makes you happier. A recent survey found the happiest retirees had a predictable income; a pension, say, or rental properties. The same survey found that retirees who rely mostly on investments had the highest financial anxiety. Almost a third of retirees who get less than 25 per cent of their income from a pension or annuity were worried about their financial future; of those who receive 50 per cent or more of their income from such a predictable source, just under a quarter expressed the same anxiety.
Stick with what you know. People who work past 65 are happier than their fully retired peers, with a big asterisk. If you have no choice but to work, the results are the opposite. On a scale of 1 to 10, seniors who voluntarily pick up part-time work rate their happiness a 6.5 on average; that drops to 4.4 for those who are forced to take a part-time job.
The benefit of working isn’t just financial. It’s also a boon to your health; a key driver of retirement happiness. The physical activity and social connections a job provides are a good antidote to an unhealthy sedentary and lonely lifestyle.
A 2009 study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that retirees with part-time or temporary jobs have fewer major diseases, including high blood pressure and heart disease, than those who stop working altogether, even after factoring in their pre-retirement health.
Find four hobbies. Busy retirees tend to be happier. But just how active do you have to be? The same survey found that the happiest retirees engage in three to four activities regularly; the least happy, only one or two.
For the biggest boost to your happiness, pick a hobby that’s social. The top pursuits of the happiest retirees include volunteering, travel, and golf; for the unhappiest, they’re reading, hunting, fishing, and writing.
That’s no surprise when you consider that people 65 and older get far more enjoyment out of socialising than younger people do.
