Retirement and hobbies
This post and the following discuss some aspects of the relationship between hobbies and hobbies and retirement.
“When I retired, I learned what I had wanted for many years but didn’t have time for fencing. Now I am the champion of my country in the senior category. Manuel S.
Retirement is something desired by quite a few people. If the health and economic levels allow it and there are no great demands due to the care of the home or the family, the number of free time obligations of the retired man or woman can be significant. In some instances, voluntary retirement can be almost like a continuous vacation, a return to childhood, even a kind of rebirth, a “second chance” to fulfil unfulfilled desires or vocations.
WAYS OF LIVING RETIREMENT
In the way of approaching or living retirement, four main groups can be distinguished:
Boredom
The many “freely available” hours that a retiree may have is stressful since they do not know how to “fill them” pleasantly or satisfactorily, and they fall into boredom or even depression. This situation is more likely in people who have been forced into retirement. It can also occur in those who have dedicated their lives almost exclusively to work, family and home.
Other people who do not adapt very well to retirement are those who do not know what to do and spend many hours a day watching television. This is not recommended for maintaining good health. It has been pointed out that, especially in early retirees and to favour adaptation, it is helpful to offer progressive retirement with partial employment before moving on to full retirement.
Natural adaptation.
On the other hand, some people adapt well to retirement, with a more leisurely occupation of their usual tasks or simply continuing with them: housekeeping, family visits, pet care, walks, physical exercise, shows, etc. They are enjoying, in short, a well-deserved and pleasant rest, a calm and “slow” enjoyment of life and its daily satisfactions.
Exploitation.
Another group uses retirement as an opportunity to fulfil wishes they could not meet before. The most common is travel. But it can also be studying for a career, exercising or pursuing an old vocation. These people can be considered potential “serious amateurs”. In many of these cases, the hobby or hobbies have been practised for a long time, but after retirement, they will be able to dedicate themselves to them more than before.
Thus, although some are clear about their vocation or desires, even for years, others are not so. For this last group of undecideds, it may be interesting that they have good information sources guiding them on how to focus their energy and somewhat confused desires.
Worked
Some retired people occupy their free time with work, more or less voluntary, such as helping the family. The case of grandparents or grandmothers who spend most of their time caring for grandchildren whose parents work is well known. Another issue is those who can continue doing the work they did previously, although without regular pay or with income compatible with retirement. Although they do not belong to the group of retirees, it should be noted that there are people of retirement age who are not entitled to a retirement pension and who, by choice or necessity, continue to do the same job after that age.
Logically there may be other different groups or overlaps between those described.
In the next post, we will comment on the impact of retirement on lifestyle and health habits and the role of hobbies and hobbies.
