Retirement Ideas for Men: Keys to Happy Life

13.11.2019

Some people perceive retirement as the beginning of the end, they get depressed, they feel lonely, and a sense of apathy swallows them whole. This is not a productive approach. There is nothing worse than to just surrender to negative emotions. In today’s article, we will talk about retirement hobbies, retirement activities, depression after retirement, and we will start by finding out how to enjoy your retirement.

Why It's Easy to Enjoy Your Retirement

It just so happens that people tend to separate their lives into specific periods, one of which is life after retirement. For some elderly people, this is a natural result of the withering of life, for others, a time of rest and serenity. It is not necessary to perceive retirement as the beginning of the end. This is not true at all.

A person’s retirement can be described as a transition from the bustle of life's currents to a quiet haven of relaxation and enjoyment. Many men and women greet this stage in life with great joy. As a rule, these are people who worked a lot all their lives, worked with children, participated in public life, or simply had an active life position and had lots of energy. Yes, in their existence there was everything except time for personal life. They were in a hurry to live for themselves, for children, in the name of family well-being. And now the time has come when you can relax and enjoy almost everything that happens to you.

In old age, it is also undesirable to abandon long-term habits. Even if they seem to be harmful to you, of course, some exceptions are required. If a person smoked all their life – they should not deprive themselves of the usual ritual. If they love to drink wine, they should do that from time to time. If a person has been actively working all their life, the deprivation of physical labor will lead to negative consequences.

But the main thing here is not to overdo it. You should really evaluate your strength, otherwise, it can be quite problematic. People of retirement age need to take care of themselves and develop a sense of healthy egoism in them. A person must be aware of what happens to the body over time, which medical problems pose the greatest danger to them, and what to watch out for. Remember, preventing a disease is always better than trying to cure it once it is already in your system.

Do not forget about the spiritual state of the soul and body. Give yourself as many positive emotions and feelings as possible. For example, love. It is not only possible at an old age, but it is very much necessary. Love knows no bounds. And do not think that sex and retirement are incompatible concepts.

Treat retirement age as a long-awaited vacation. Now you can do your favorite things. After all, every person has a hobby. For example, when my friend’s grandmother retired, she began to breed indoor plants. This gives her a lot of pleasure, and the children and grandchildren saw her as a new person, with her own passions and pleasures. Others enjoy visiting theaters, museums, and exhibitions. Now that you are retired, you have all the time in the world in your hands to enjoy the things you like. You can even try yourself out in writing, because, even if you don’t perceive it this way, you have seen a lot of interesting things and met interesting people. The experience and wisdom that older generations can pass on to us are priceless.

Improve Your Romantic Life After Retirement: Things to Do

Some people think that it is absurd to start a relationship after retirement, but they are completely wrong, this is a stupid belief that doesn’t do any good to anyone. Older people are not immune to love, they need it just as much as young ones do. Remember, you are not alone, there are lots of single ladies for dating that you can find online, so don’t waste your time and start a relationship right now.

The things your relationship needs and the way you perceive them have changed over the years, and if you are having issues in finding new love in your life, let’s look into how you can improve or start your relationships.

1. Partner requirements

In our youth, we usually expect princes and princesses. It seems to us that our fate depends on what the partner will be. Therefore, we want and demand a lot from the chosen ones. In maturity, the illusions are destroyed, we understand that life is not a fairy tale, and, in fact, it often resembles a drama, tragedy, or even a horror story more than anything else. And we are lowering the bar. Not because we no longer deserve anything good, but because wisdom is a bonus of age. After all the things that we’ve seen in life, we know that it is important to have the bare minimum to meet a nice person, and the rest is not that important. You will always be able to compromise, to reason, and just deal with the worst things your partner has to offer, now that you are wise and smart – it will be a lot easier for you to do so.

2. The external image

In youth, a lot of effort goes into trying to look as good as possible, trying to be that very prince or princess. We are trying very hard to live up to the ideal image that we’ve created for ourselves. In adulthood, this is not necessary: a person appreciates what they love, and knows the things that they cannot stand, understands their strengths and weaknesses. Their personality is formed, and it is unlikely that the basic character traits will change. It is no longer necessary to spend energy on fueling any sort of illusions and try to be someone else, accept yourself for who you are.

3. Trying to change the people we love

When we are young, it seems to us that the people we love will definitely change for our sake and do so only in the ways we want them to. They will give up bad habits, go to the gym, earn money, find an interesting hobby. In adulthood, it is clear that a person has already formed. It is unlikely that they will change their habits and character. If you have met a heavy smoker – it is very much unlikely that they will drop that habit just for you. If you meet an athlete, you will have to get used to getting up at six in the morning, exercising, and taking cold showers.

4. Experience and baggage

Young people still have no serious experience, which means that young people did not have time to get hurt in a relationship, it is easier for them to trust and open up, they still believe in fairy tales. In adulthood, most likely, the heart is already scarred, broken, and was then reassembled from its broken pieces. Adult people are a lot more cautious when it comes to relationships. You do not just get a pet, you know what you’re getting yourself into, there is a whole complex system of emotions, memories, experiences that defines an individual.

And thus, people accept themselves with age. When we are young, we don’t really know ourselves and how we will react to external stimuli, we don’t really know the people around us, and we haven’t yet discovered who we are. With age, you become less unpredictable, calmer, and it is thus, easier for you to accept the baggage that other people around you have.

5. Fatigue and hardness

The search for love is a fascinating activity, but if the result is not too pleasing, then the search begins to tire us. I don’t feel like getting to know someone, wasting time or energy. It is better to meet with your friends, they will understand you, and there is no stress involved. Besides, with age, we do not become softer and more flexible. It is becoming increasingly difficult for us to adapt to another person, to move forward and give the much needed personal space to the people we are attached to. A partner’s advice or wishes often begin to take the form of “claims” and are perceived as an encroachment on freedom.

And you should consider this, you should be more open to new people around you, don’t perceive the things they say as claims, but for what they are, rationality and realism are your best friends in communication with the people around you.

Hobbies and Retirement Ideas for Men

Psychologists consider hobbies as one of the ways of self-realization of a person. Finding a suitable activity can require considerable effort and time. Experts recommend finding yourself an interesting hobby. Make it a rule to learn a new activity every week or month. Do not miss the opportunity to get carried away even by a very exotic hobby, this is exactly what you need. Expand your horizons, discover the most unexpected talents.

The essence of this method is that during your chosen period you can engage in a new hobby without abandoning previously selected hobbies. A new hobby should keep you occupied, and you should try it out a few times, figure out whether you like it or not. In the end, you must give yourself the answer to the question, "Do you want to do this in the future or not?" If you answer “yes,” then you are a happy person who has found what you were looking for, if “no,” then continue the search. Here are just five retirement ideas and hobbies for men.

1. Reading

Here’s one of the best things to do in retirement. It is difficult to imagine a more masculine occupation. Theodore Roosevelt was an insatiable reader, like most of the greatest people in history. Reading allows you to connect with great thinkers and writers who have lived throughout history, gives you new ideas, makes you a smarter and more mature person. If you get a library card, then reading can become a completely free hobby. To select books to read, you can use the many recommended lists you can find online or ask your friends for a piece of advice.

2. Playing guitar

The ability to play the guitar is a skill that will provide you and your loved ones with entertainment for many years to come. Besides, girls like guys who can play the guitar. Personally I used my ability to play strings to sing serenades for my girlfriend and apologize. In later life stages, you can gather the whole family in the courtyard of the house around the fire and sing together. Of course, learning to play any sort of instrument is valuable for men of all ages, but guitars have their advantages. They are relatively cheap, and it’s easier for beginners to learn the basics. You can find thousands upon thousands of articles, guides, videos online. There are no excuses to avoid playing guitar at least once in your adult life.

3. Dancing

What to do when you retire? Your grandfather knew how to dance - why not try to do it yourself, maybe you are quite good at it? Dancing can increase your self-esteem, improve your posture, and balance. It is also a very fun way to do your cardio exercises. And, of course, girls like guys who know how to lead a dance floor partner. In most cities, you can find lots of dance studios. Google it and go chat with the instructors, check their resumes, find a studio that will be convenient for you to visit from time to time, and start dancing. If you are engaged or have a girlfriend, dancing is a great way to spend an evening.

4. Woodworking

I have always admired people who can take an ordinary piece of wood and give it some useful and beautiful shape. These people make gifts themselves, instead of buying them, you can proudly point to any piece of furniture and say, "I have done it myself." Don’t you think it is fabulous, to make useful things out of wood? In addition to useful skills, this hobby reduces stress and trains patience. And, of course, the Internet is filled with all sorts of guides on how to get into woodworking and become quite good at it.

5. Restoration of classic cars

Here’s the last thing on the list of things to do when retired and bored. In the past, men used to spend hours in garages fiddling with cars. Now cars have become more complex, there is a lot more computer work involved. However, if you have a desire to become a mechanic, you can always make the restoration of classic cars as your new hobby. You will learn to engineer, improve your problem-solving skills, and you will get this amazing feeling of victory when the engine you have restored starts purring like a kitten. Such a hobby can be quite expensive. You will not only have to buy a classic car, but you will need a place, tools, and custom parts. But time and money can pay off in the long term - fully restored cars can be sold at quite a high price (although you may not want to part with your brainchild after spending so much time with it).

Basic Rules for You to Have a Happy Retirement

Now that we are done with some great hobbies for retired men, here are the most basic rules you have to remember to enjoy a happy retirement.

Watch your health

This is, perhaps, the worst thing about old age, your health starts deteriorating. But, if you took care of it in the past – you will avoid a lot of potential issues down the line. Anyway, it is important to not forget about health just because you might think that there is no point in it. Retirement is not the beginning of the end, it’s a new stage in life, and you should pay as much or even more attention to your health as you did before.

Communicate with different people

This is not the time to cage yourself out from the outside world and forget about the people around you, there is no wrong time in life to meet new people. If you always wanted to travel the world, see new places and meet new people – this is the time to do it.

Don't give up on starting or developing a relationship

There is no wrong time to start a romantic relationship. Ask yourself this question, what stops you from finding a partner for a romantic relationship? That is if you are single. You should go outside, meet new people, and probably even use online dating services to find mature women for a relationship. You are not the only person that wants love at this age.

Travel as much as you can

The world is your oyster, if this is not the right time to see the amazing things this world has to offer, then I don’t know what is. You have all the time in the world to visit the countries and places you always dreamed of visiting, and what stops you now? Maybe you don’t have enough money? Well, this is not really a problem, as you have a lot of experience, and every trip abroad will be worth it. There are lots of fun part-time jobs for retirees. Are you too lazy? Well, you will regret it later on when you will no longer be able to go out and see the things you always wanted to see.

Look for positive emotions

Even if you don’t plan to change your life, find a new partner for a romantic relationship, travel abroad, and find a new hobby – you should still do your best to live a full and happy life. Positive emotions are the key to happiness in life, not only in childhood but at an old age as well. A positive outlook on the world is what’s needed to motivate yourself to develop and move forward, and there is a long way to go, no need to surrender.

As you can see, there is no reason for you to surrender to negative emotions and apathy. Life goes on, and this is the time to either do the things you always wanted to do, or, if you have already done them – to finally relax, enjoy a happy life with your family, friends, and loved ones.