Retire to a New Life—Not an Early Grave

Retirement can be deadly for a lot of people. And if you aren’t retired yet, you might want to re-imagine what it means—or even avoid it altogether.
The reasons are multifaceted but seem to revolve around what we lose after retirement: daily social interaction, physical and mental activity, and purpose.
Any retirement plan that only accounts for finances is sorely lacking from that perspective (though finances are critical). Retirement isn’t just about sitting back and relaxing, it’s also about finding new and meaningful ways to spend our time.
Friendship, and social connection generally, are critical but often overlooked factors in long-term health. For many of us, our coworkers become a second family we chat with about our problems, interests, and experiences. Losing these interactions suddenly can come with profound consequences.
There are plenty of ways to maintain social ties, or build new ones, but you have to find the will to do so. The longer you wait, the harder it will likely become. That’s because loneliness is linked to depression, reduced physical activity, and even a loss of executive control, which refers to the complex mental processes and abilities that let us carry out planned activities and goal-directed behaviors, like saving for retirement or getting in better physical health.
The key point is to recognize that retirement isn’t about not working, as much as it is about finding new and meaningful ways to spend your time. And it’s quite likely that more of that time will now be spent with your spouse. That can be awkward for some but also gives us a precious chance to become a better husband or wife.