Joe’s Story: Joe (not his real name) came to me a couple of years ago. His complaint was anxiety that showed up as stomach problems, aches and pains, poor sleep and constant worry. He explained that he retired six months prior and it was not what he thought it would be. He felt lost and hopeless. We dug a little deeper and discovered that Joe’s whole identity was focused around his career. When he retired, he no longer knew who he was or his purpose in life. We worked on Joe’s problem on a variety of levels. I taught Joe strategies to help relieve the physical anxiety symptoms and ultimately helped lessen the worry. He practiced these strategies and began to find relief. Then the deeper work began. I encouraged Joe to reflect on his passions and interests. These revolved around his faith and his family. Joe’s openness to try new things was a real plus. Tapping in to Joe’s passions and openness to try new things, he gradually identified things he loved to do and helped him to know that his life still had purpose. He found ways to use the gifts and talents from his career to volunteer at a local non-profit to help them meet unmet needs. The decrease in anxiety allowed him to be more emotionally available for his wife, children and grandchildren and he really enjoying spending time with them, Lastly, he discovered that he really enjoyed being creative and engaging in physical activity that he never before even considered doing. Joe’s life now is rich, full and anxiety free.

The takeaways from Joe’s story. If you or someone you love is worried about retirement, Joe’s story offers encouragement that retired life can be fulfilling, meaningful and joy filled. Here are some points to consider when preparing for retirement:
1. Picture life as you imagine it will be as a retired person. Try to think of what life will look like on a daily basis, only without going to the job you’ve known. You may be excited to find that it looks pretty full OR you may realize you are concerned that you won’t know what to do with your time and with whom you will spend that time. Read on…
2. Next, think about the things you enjoy, are passionate about and feel called to. You may want to break this into the following categories: social, vocational, leisure, and spiritual.
3. Other important categories to consider are your physical and mental health. It is well documented that good physical and mental health improve our quality of life at any age.
4. We often think of our financial health when planning for retirement. We want to be financially prepared and may consider talking with a financial planner or explore other resources that can help with this. Good financial health can reduce a significant source of stress in retirement.
5. Once you have considered these categories and taken an inventory of your life as it is now, you can start to “tweak” as needed.
a. It might be helpful to recall interests that have gone by the wayside over the years. Maybe you used to like to hike or paint. Consider if and how you might bring those things back into your life, BEFORE retirement, if possible.
b. It can be helpful to recall things you thought you might like to try or be open to things you never before considered. Maybe you always wanted to learn to play chess or volunteer at the local soup kitchen. This could be a good time to try these things.
6. A final important point. It’s never too late to start to plan for retirement. In fact, you can start planning well before you retire. Why not start to incorporate now those things you identified in the previous sections?
Retirement is full of opportunities! Retirement has traditionally been conceived of as the time in our life that we stop working, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of life as we knew it. Retirement is simply the next stage of our lives in which family, friends, faith, and opportunity abound. Doesn’t this sound much more appealing and exciting? By preparing early, we can make the transition to retirement seamless.
You don’t have to do this alone. Maybe you are thinking about retirement, whether it be in 15 years or one year. Maybe you recently retired or have been retired for a few years. If you find that this creates worry and concern, please reach out for support. You don’t have to do this alone. One of our counselors at the Center for Pastoral Counseling of Virginia is hear to help you navigate this exciting stage of life. You may prefer a workshop for your church or organization as well. Contact Audra or Click here to learn more:

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