How to stay motivated after retirement

Try things that made you happy in your youthful days

There are many things that one drops once they become family men/women. This may be due to restriction in time or demands from your spouse to drop them. Restrictions in finances can also make one drop their favourite pastime activities. However, with old age, responsibilities lessen now that most of your kids are done with school and are working. With resources at your disposal, you can invite friends for a drink and food in your house and simply hang out and make merry.

Motivation can be drawn from this as you get to talk about how life is while reminding each other of your youthful days. Going for outings such as movies or visiting tourist attractions with your spouse can also help relieve the boredom that comes with too much time in your hands. Lunch clubs, for example, are a great way to maintain your social life. You can incorporate activities such as board games, exercise, reading and so on, to make them more interesting.

Give back to society

It’s not always that the less fortunate in society need food, clothing and money. Often times, all they need is a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. Spending time with children in a children’s home will not only gladden your heart, but also give you something to look forward to as you will be able to create meaningful connections. Also, seeing the smile on the children’s faces can give you enough motivation to last you days on end.

Sign up for mentorship opportunities through your local community leadership or your church, whether it’s working with children or tutoring adults in a literacy programme. You can also volunteer your time at a local organisation.

Discover new talents and explore them

Many a time, very few people get to know their talents. This is due to the fact that we get involved in a rat race in our quest to put food on our table and to get ahead financially. By doing this, we get a lot of restrictions such as a demanding eight to five job that limits our creativity and a lot more.

After retirement, most people have a lot of time in their hands to explore things and this could be the perfect time for identifying and developing your talent. This can bring contentment in your life and give you something to look forward to.

Always exercise

Exercise is arguably one of the best ways to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. Not only will exercise keep lifestyle diseases at bay, it will also give you social connectivity and feeling of accomplishment. Getting moving can help boost your energy, maintain your independence, protect your heart and manage symptoms of illness or pain, as well as your weight.

A Swedish study found that physical activity was the number one contributor to longevity, adding extra years to your life — even if you don’t start exercising until your senior years. But getting active is not just about adding years to your life, it’s about adding life to your years.

Stay busy

Keeping busy is such an important part of living a fulfilling life. One of the best ways to use your free time is to spend quality time with your relatives; from grandchildren to your children, brothers and sisters. If you live close to your family, you can offer to baby sit your grandchildren or take them to cultural or educational events.