Why You Should Never Retire
So you’ve worked hard your whole life, put in your 40+ years, and now you’re finally ready to hang up your work boots and enjoy a long, relaxing retirement.
This is a perfectly natural desire. After all, who wouldn’t want to retire? No more working long hours, no more commuting, no more office politics. You can finally kick back and enjoy your golden years the way you’ve always wanted to. Hopefully, if you’ve been smart with your money, you’ll have a nice nest egg or pension built up that will help you live comfortably in retirement.
But before you pack up your things and head for the golf course, you might want to consider this: retiring isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There are quite a few compelling reasons why you might want to hold off on retiring, at least for a little while longer.
11 reasons why you shouldn’t retire
1. You’ll lose your sense of purpose
For many people, their job is more than just a way to earn a living. It’s also a big part of their identity. When you retire, you lose that sense of purpose that comes from going to work every day.
Being a part of the workforce means that you’re contributing to society in a meaningful way. It can give you a sense of accomplishment and pride. When you retire, you lose that.
2. You’ll miss the social interaction
Another big downside of retirement is the lack of social interaction. When you’re working, you’re around people all day long. But when you’re retired, you’re often by yourself. This can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
If you’re not careful, you can easily become cut off from the rest of the world in retirement. This is something that plagues a lot of retirees and can make retirement quite difficult to adjust to.
3. You lose that sense of structure and routine
Another thing that many people take for granted is the structure and routine that comes with having a job. When you retire, for the most part, all of that disappears.
For some people, this can be a good thing. But for others, it can be tough to adjust to a life with no set schedule.
4. Your mental health might suffer
Mental health is often overlooked when it comes to retirement. But the truth is, that retirement can be a very stressful time for some people.
The loss of purpose and social interaction that comes with retirement can lead to depression and anxiety in some people. If you’re not careful, your mental health could take a real hit when you retire.
5. You’ll get bored
This one might seem a little silly at first. But the truth is, a lot of people get bored in retirement.
With no job to go to and no set schedule, you might find yourself with nothing to do. A little surprising, considering so many people spend their lives complaining about having to go to work every day! But it’s a real problem for many retirees.
6. Your physical health might suffer
It’s not just your mental health that can take a hit when you retire. Your physical health could also suffer.
When you’re working, you’re usually pretty active. Even if your job isn’t physically demanding – say, an office job – you’re still moving around and being active more than you would be if you were retired.
7. You’ll miss the challenge
Working, no matter what your profession, usually comes with its challenges. You might have to deal with difficult customers, solve complex problems, or meet tight deadlines.
This keeps your mind healthy and active. But when you retire, you lose that mental stimulation.
8. You could run out of money
That steady income you’ve been relying on for so many years suddenly disappears when you retire. If you’re not careful, you could easily run out of money in retirement.
What many people don’t realize is that retirement can be very expensive. Even if you have a nest egg saved up, it might not be enough to last you the rest of your life, which could, in theory, be another 20 years. That’s 20 years without a regular income!
You’ll likely have more free time in retirement, which means you’ll need to find ways to occupy yourself. This could include travel, hobbies, and other activities that cost money.
If you haven’t been prudent with your finances, you could find yourself having to return to work.
9. Returning to the workforce will be difficult
Should you find yourself in the position of having to return to work after retirement, you’ll quickly realize how difficult it is to re-enter the workforce.
Your age will work against you. Though there are age discrimination laws in place, employers will be hesitant to hire someone of retirement age and older, simply because they assume you’re not as capable as someone younger.
You might also find it difficult to keep up with the latest technology and trends. The workforce is constantly changing, and if you’ve been out of it for a while, it can be tough to catch up.
10. You might still have more to give
Just because you can retire, doesn’t mean your career is necessarily over. You might still have a lot to offer your employer or society. Your decades’ worth of experience and knowledge could be invaluable to some companies.
You might also find that you still enjoy working, even if it’s just part-time. There’s nothing wrong with that!
11. You’ll die sooner
This is admittedly a morbid reason not to retire. But the truth is, retirement could shorten your life. According to The Times, studies have shown that “…men retiring a year earlier than their peers had a 6.8 [percent] increase in the risk of premature death…”
These are just some of the things you’ll need to consider when deciding if retirement is for you. If you do decide to retire, the following tips should help you avoid many of the pitfalls above:
Stay social and active
One of the best ways to avoid boredom and depression in retirement is to stay social. Join a club, take up a hobby, take part in sports, go for walks, or volunteer your time to a worthy cause. Getting out there and interacting with people will help keep you mentally and physically active.
Keep your mind active
Your brain needs stimulation just like your body does. To keep your mind sharp, read books, do puzzles, and learn new things.
Save, save, save!
This one is self-explanatory. The more money you have saved up for retirement, the less likely you are to run into financial difficulties later on down the road. And be careful with your spending. Don’t make unnecessary purchases.
Volunteer
If you’re not ready to return to the workforce, and you don’t need the money, consider volunteering your time instead. It’s a great way to give back to your community and it can help keep you busy.