How retirement can affect your health

Retirement is like any other change in your life…it’s best viewed as a process, not a one-time event.

Like any other major change in your life, such as entering your teens or beginning your career, retiring brings both good and bad changes.

While much research has been done on how your health is affected by retirement itself, very few studies have been done on how being retired affects your health after you retire.

The stress of retiring

Life is a series of stressful events. In fact, one study has ranked retirement 10th on the list of the most stressful life events.

According to the Harvard Health Blogretirement is, for some people, an opportunity to get away from the daily grind and relax… for others, it can be the beginning of a period of diminishing physical and mental capabilities and increasing limitations in what they are capable of of doing.

Another study in Harvard Health Blog he suggests that “going from work to no work comes with a bunch of other changes.”

If you loved your job, retirement can bring some emptiness of purpose. If you had a stressful job, retirement brings relief.

Negative effects of retirement

A study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in the US found that retiring can lead to up to a 16% increase in difficulties associated with mobility and daily tasks, a 5-6% increase in illness, and a decrease in mental health of up to 9 %.

These negative effects, however, can be reduced if you are married and have a good social life, play sports or other physical activities, or work part-time after retirement.

The negative health effects of retirement may be worse if you have been forced to retire. According to the National Institute on Aging, Health problems have a great influence on any decision to retire early and its consequences.

US data Health and Retirement Study shows that retirees are 40% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those still working. The increase in this probability was greatest during the first year after retirement, but then leveled off.

A study in England found that retirement significantly increases the risk of being diagnosed with a chronic condition. In particular, retirement increases the risk of serious cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Positive effects of retirement

But there are other studies that link retirement to improvements in health, or show that it has a neutral effect on physical well-being.

One study found that retirement does not change the risk of major chronic diseases.

This study also found that retirement can lead to a substantial reduction in mental and physical fatigue and symptoms of depression among people with chronic illnesses.

Therefore, the impact of retirement on health may depend on the individual.

In other words, if you loved your job, retirement may bring some emptiness of purpose. On the other hand, if you had a stressful job, retirement can provide relief.

People who retire due to health problems may not enjoy retirement as much as someone who retires feeling healthy.

Tips for a healthy retirement

Here are the four things you must do to experience a fruitful and enjoyable retirement:

• Keep up your daily contact with friends and colleagues when possible
• Make sure your life continues to have a purpose by continuing to participate in activities such as sports or travel.
• Keep your brain healthy by being creative… study an absorbing subject, paint, play music, write, garden, or help others
• Keep learning by exploring topics you’ve always been interested in or new topics you’ve recently found interesting.

Caveat

Understanding what large group studies say about retirement is interesting, but everyone is different and no amount of studies can predict how retirement will affect your life.