Change can be a process of uncertainty

Why is retirement challenging?

Part of the retirement challenge is that we are going where we have not gone before.

It is, in a sense,like going back to circumstances similar to the time of unstructured youth. We will have free time, and can do whatever we want with that time.

We may or may not have enough money.

Our image of ourselves might change, with good or bad consequences, particularly if our image is strongly linked to our profession. For example, we might gain prestige from our profession and fear being relegated to the dust heap of history.

As we haven’t retired before, we don’t know what to expect. That can be stressful to some.

All change means doing things differently, and we may be in certain comfortable patterns and not wish to do things differently.

However, I believe the biggest challenge with retirement today is the issue of choice and decision making.

It's helpful to have some structure and make changes gradually. Some cut down to part-time work and take up hobbies or other activities.

By changing each part of your life step-by-step and building replacement activities from your regular job, change becomes manageable.

M.