Those are the years that you hope to enjoy when you are retired. But you don't hear them called that often these days. There are numerous reasons why.
Of course, most people realize their income will be reduced when they are no longer working for wages or salary. And if they are smart they have been setting aside money and investing for when that happens. Even then, however, it is unlikely that most are financially prepared for retirement.
And there are numerous folks who can help with the planning and managing finances for retirement, so I won't tackle that discussion.
There are other reasons why those years no longer seem so golden. With the loss of income there are certain adjustments you will make. Many people take on parttime jobs or start their own business to make ends meet. But it isn't just about how much money comes in.
The cost of being older is greater for most folks. Health care and various kinds of insurance can take up a lot of one's budget. Medication costs have sky rocketed as well as medical services. If you have a chronic disease it will be a constant challenge to keep up with treatment expenses.
Something we don't hear a lot about before you reach Elder status. Depression. It is very common in older people, with good reason. Aging involves a lot of losses. You lose friends when your life changes from employment to retirement. It is important to make and maintain new friends, even younger friends. And at some stage you begin losing family and friends to death. I isn't always easy to let go of people who have been important in your life.
You also lose abilities. As your body ages and you are less able to do all that you once did there can be a kind of grieving involved with letting go. In fact, letting go become an important skill to have as you age. Live can become very different - your social activities and interests may change, your environment may change if you move into different housing situations, your stamina eventually changes and you need to let go of expecting to do as much for as long as in the past.
Letting go of "things" is often an issue. If you need to downsize your living space there are things you will need to let go of because of space limitations, or because taking care of them has become too much
For many elderly people all of this can be overwhelming and leave them depressed. It isn't shameful to be depressed. But it is unhealthy to stay depressed. Don't hesitate to get professional help when you need it. And medication may be necessary because our brain chemistry changes as be age and the medication can remedy that.
But there are also other things to mitigate the losses. If you can't do the same things you did in the past, do new and different things. Learn a new skill or craft. Tap into your creativity. Take a class.
Make new friends. Find new interests and people who share that interest. If you can't be as physical as you were in the past, find ways to help othere people that don't involve the physical. One of the most important ways to defeat depression is to do things for other people. Make phone calls to check in on people who may be lonely and/or housebound. Send cards, write letters, let others know they are thought of. Share your creativity, make things to give to others or to sell for charity. Volunteer in any way you are able.
You may sometimes feel depressed, but you don't have to stay depressed. No matter how old you are there are ways you can contribute to family, friends, community. Don't believe it when you think you are too old to be useful. Sometimes there are people who only need a smile and you can make their day.
So prepare for your golden years financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally so you will have what you need when you get there.
No comments:
Post a Comment